Men: The Last Frontier?

The Business of Fashion reports that the first-ever analyst report on the strength of the men's market has been published by UBS analyst Yasuhiro Yamaguchi. Yamaguchi believes:

that with the advent of increasingly financially independent women, bursting-to-the-seams equity in global real estate, and societal acceptance of metrosexual and gay cultures in an ever-urbanising world, there is a growing pot of disposable income that will be spent on men's luxury products and services.

The quest to nail the male consumer has not been an easy one. Men have been an elusive catch, refusing to buy into the marketing of cosmetic makers and wearing their clothes until they fall apart. Imran, the McKinsey-trained blogger at Business of Fashion, talks about three niche players in the men's wear business who hope to capitalize on the newly found male vanity. Call me old fashioned, but I hope that some of these guys visit Savile Row. I wrote earlier about some of the comings and goings on the Row. Mainstay Anderson & Sheppard was forced out by rising rents but commentor scoiattolo wrote to say that some of the old line tailors have been brushing up their shops (you can learn more at Savile Row Bespoke) and it would be a shame for luxury to continue without their talents.