 A woman tries on a miniskirt at a department store in Seoul. / Korea Times |
Staff Reporter
While miniskirts have long been a fashion icon symbolic of young and perky girls, a recent data shows that the traditional big buyers have been bumped by none other than 40-something housewives.
Lotte Department Store said Wednesday that an analysis of the mall's miniskirt sales from 2005 to 2007 shows that the majority of consumers (32.7 percent) were in their 40s, beating out the 20-somethings who took up 21.4 percent of the January to June sales.
Although shoppers in their 40s were ahead of those in their 20s, both groups showed a moderate rise in purchasing the showy garment.
``Today's older women have a toned physique thanks to the ongoing ``well-being'' fad, so they naturally look for clothes that can show off their bodyline,'' Lotte spokesman Yoon Hyun-sik said, adding that ``cross-age'' fashion has been rising as a noticeable trend.
Although skirts that come up 10 centimeters from the knee are most commonly favored by the 40-something buyers, going shorter isn't a big problem either.
``Some of the older women have amazingly toned bodies, so they can easily fit into shorter skirts that ladies in their 20s wear,'' Lotte young casual merchandiser Lee Tae-ho said.
Falling in between the 40s and 20s, 30-something women are the third biggest miniskirt shoppers at 30.5 percent. However, their purchase record over the past three years has declined.
Benetton and ABFZ have been highlighted as some of the top picks among frequent buyers.
jhan@koreatimes.co.kr
