Gender in Fashion eCommerce Websites
Let’s rethink gender in fashion eCommerce websites.
Recently, I have been working on a project to launch a fashion eCommerce website focused on selling outerwear. While designing the layout and content of the website, my team had an internal discussion about whether to separate clothing by gender (i.e. to divide the website into men’s and women’s sections). I said, “We don’t need gender because the items are gender-neutral. The only difference we have is the fit: slim & wide.” While no one was strongly opposed to the idea, they were worried about causing issues in terms of purchasing decisions.
This made me rethink the whole shopping experience of a consumer. In a high level explanation, consumers come into a website, browse for an item they are looking for, check the price, choose the color, size, and quantity, and add it to their cart. There are many duplicate studies on what features are important for fashion eCommerce websites. In general most studies conclude that eCommerce websites should be mobile-friendly, legitimate/secure, informative, and have flexible returns, clean navigation, quality images, and size guides. It is also important to consider the decision-making process of the consumers who use the site.
That said, let’s rethink gender in fashion eCommerce websites.
Does gender for which the product has been designed support the purchase decision?
Is it not important for consumers to understand the size and fit, rather than feel that the item has been designed for a specific gender?
Before we talk about fashion eCommerce websites, I want to share how people are identifying themselves in terms of their genders. While we are all still waiting for the 2020 Census results to be shared, in a study that was conducted by Williams Institute at the UCLA School of Law said that about 0.5% of United States citizens identify themselves as transgender or gender nonconforming. In addition, because a large percentage of consumers are now millennials and Generation Z’s, it’s important to consider that 12% of millennials identify themselves as transgender or gender-nonconforming. Half of the millennials believe that gender falls on a spectrum. There is a growing number of empathy for people that do not identify as male or female. More people who are gender-nonbinary are sharing their stories; and many millennials and Generation Z empathize with them.
Now, let’s go back to talking about fashion eCommerce websites. Is it necessary to gender fashion items by categorizing them as being specifically for men or women? What does categorizing by gender imply to potential consumers? How do transgender, gender-nonconformings, non-binary, or gender-fluid individuals shop when fashion items are categorized as being specifically for men or women? Since it is often necessary for consumers to search the products they would like to purchase, shouldn’t the product category be prominent?
While traditionally women’s and men’s clothes have had very different cuts and styles, we are now past the point where clothes should always be distinguishable by gender or supportive of a binary view of gender. Gender fluid fashion is rising — and fashion eCommerce websites should match this reality with a new, gender-neutral shopping experience.
Here are my suggestions for rethinking gender in fashion eCommerce sites:
Don’t separate the entrance to a fashion eCommerce site by gender. This can cause consumers outside of traditional gender identities to feel excluded.
Display more style and fit guides. Telling consumers that this is a men’s shirt may not imply anything. Rather, consumers are seeking detailed information about the products. They would like to know how the shirt fits, what the style is, etc.
In conclusion, the above suggestions are inclusive. There is a question that still needs to be answered: Would having a genderless website have an impact on the conversion rate? It would be impactful if major fashion eCommerce websites became inclusive while optimizing the conversion rate. I believe that if the website is designed for consumers to be able to easily make purchase decisions, the conversion rate will not be affected.
Please feel free to contact me to further discuss this topic. I would be happy to learn more about gender identities as well as inclusive design. Also, after my project launches, I’ll be happy to share stories about outcomes.