Experts have revealed the hidden mechanisms of the "pink tax"
Women's clothing and consumer goods are often more expensive than their male counterparts due to a combination of marketing strategies, frequent product range updates, and consumers' increased willingness to pay for looks and trends. All the details are in the Izvestia article.
Pricing mechanisms
Ekaterina Catalina, PhD in Economics, said that the pink tax phenomenon in the fashion industry is a complex model that depends on gender positioning, frequency of purchases and marketing. According to her, manufacturers are investing higher margins in women's clothing, as customers are willing to update their wardrobe more often and pay for a diverse and up-to-date look.
At the same time, the men's basic wardrobe is more stable, which allows you to produce large batches of goods and keep models on sale longer with less risk. The women's segment, on the other hand, is highly dependent on trends, which makes things visually obsolete faster, and companies rely on fast fashion and frequent collection updates.
The role of the visual image
Pricing is directly influenced by women's willingness to pay to meet social expectations. As Catalina noted, women are under high pressure in terms of appearance: they need to look modern and not repeat themselves in outfits, while a man in the same basic thing can look stable for many years.
"Clothing for many women is not only a functional purchase, but also a tool for self—presentation: at work, in relationships, on social media, in public space. The more strongly a thing is connected with an image and a sense of self, the more the share of perceived value in the price is not the material," explained Catalina.
The influence of fast fashion
Business consultant, expert in strategic and anti-crisis marketing, market analysis Elina Malagova emphasized that women's clothing is more often promoted through emotions and self-expression. The price of the product includes not only the cost of the material, but also the cost of the patterns, logistics, promotion and the risks of unsold leftovers.
"Influencers and social media accelerate the spread of trends, showing not the composition of the fabric, but the finished visual result — the image and desired lifestyle. Algorithms repeatedly demonstrate similar content, and the trend is beginning to be perceived as a mass norm," Malagova said.
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