"Dresses for 10,000 Won"... Fast Fashion Hits the Wedding Industry

Low-Priced Dresses Released in the $50-$100 Range
Targeting MZ Generation's Trend for Individuality and Cost Savings

American fashion companies are causing a seismic shift in the wedding industry by launching low-priced wedding dresses one after another, CNN reported on the 12th (local time).

According to the report, fashion companies such as Abercrombie & Fitch, Shein, Forever 21, and Boot Barn, which have recently entered the wedding market, are selling low-priced wedding dresses around $100 instead of the high-priced wedding dresses that generally cost around $2,000.

Low-priced wedding dresses sold on Shein
[Photo source=Screenshot of Shein webpage]

Abercrombie & Fitch, which is very popular among teenagers in the U.S., launched the 'A&F Wedding Shop' last March and released more than 100 products including wedding dresses for brides and guests priced between $80 and $150 (110,000 to 200,000 KRW). Forever 21 also introduced wedding-related products such as dresses and pajamas priced from $9 to $50 (12,000 to 68,000 KRW) last April.

The world's largest online fast fashion company, Shein, also entered the market by offering wedding dresses averaging $50 to $100, with some priced up to $200. Shein plans to open a wedding-related pop-up store in Las Vegas at the end of this month to officially unveil its bridal and bridesmaid dress product line.

CNN stated, "The prices of these companies' wedding dresses are very striking compared to the average U.S. wedding dress cost of $2,000 (2.74 million KRW) last year," adding, "As fast fashion companies enter the wedding market one after another, prospective brides can now buy wedding dresses as easily as choosing a T-shirt." Fast fashion refers to fashion that competes with low prices and rapid product turnover in line with ever-changing trends.

Janine Stichter, a consumer and lifestyle brand analyst at market research firm BTIG, said, "Most of these companies' core customers are in the age group that is just right for getting married or attending weddings," and evaluated, "It is a reasonable expansion for these companies to shift their business line to wedding apparel as long as it does not interfere with their core business."

This change in the wedding industry is analyzed to be occurring as the U.S. MZ generation (Millennials + Generation Z, born from the early 1980s to early 2000s) reaches marriageable age. In particular, Generation Z, who have just entered their mid-20s, are seen to break away from traditional marriage customs, pursue individuality, and at the same time aim to reduce costs.

Allison Lees, a strategist at marketing trend forecasting company Worth Global Style Network (WGSN), said, "Generation Z is facing a cost-of-living crisis and unstable financial conditions," and diagnosed, "It is not surprising that the fast fashion industry, having recognized this, has dominated the market over the past few years and moved to capture the low-priced wedding market."

She added, "For fashion companies to succeed in the wedding market, they need to leverage the way Generation Z shops," and said, "They should create attractive in-store experiences targeting the characteristics of those who stay online but enjoy shopping and trying on clothes in stores."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.