Kiss and Tell

THE FASHION BIBLE ACCORDING TO KISS 02 February 2010

Avid Kiss Confidential readers will know from our audience section that more than a few of our listeners enjoy talking about, shopping for and wearing all the latest fashions. Their love affair with the high street is a very happy one and we felt that it was high time it received our full attention. After extensive questioning and even more extensive answers (some rather emotional!) we’ve found out the truth about our listeners and the high street. From Marks and Spencer to Cheryl Cole - read on to find out what makes or breaks Kiss listeners’ fashion world.

First of all lets get a few things straight - our listeners love fashion but they’re sensible. With the recession still affecting them over 33% of our listeners said they will only buy ‘what they can afford’ and a further 27% just buy ‘what they want, but only when they really need it’. With such a sensible bunch its no surprise that the most shopped at place on the high street came out as Marks and Spencer. A surprising victor for the top spot perhaps but with decreasing levels of expendable cash hindering shoppers, that sensible option has become a necessity for many. However, although Kiss listeners may feel like they’re being sensible, they are still budgeting for fashion quite generously. The average spend of a Kiss listener on fashion equates to £47.50 per month. Equally not all this money is going into the sensible pockets of M&S - they may be number one but substance has not overtaken style just yet with the top ten shops visited still including Topshop, River Island, H&M, Gap and Zara.

Moving away from the generics of when, where and how they spend, we wanted to get into the nitty gritty of what the experience of shopping meant. First of all we asked where they had had their ‘best shopping experience’ and why. Interestingly Kiss listeners chose Primark above anyone else with 10% rating them as top. Their reasons were all driven by cheap prices and the array of clothes that can be purchased in one thrifty trip. However, although 10% love Primark a fair few are not so keen with a whopping 40% voting Primark their ‘worst shopping experience’. Listeners complained that they were unable to tolerate the “cattle market” shop that was “hot, crowded, and messy”. So, even though Primark is a winner for those who value price above all, for most they are synonymous with an uncomfortable experience that value can not surpass. Second place was shared by M&S and Topshop. They were appreciative of the quality, customer care and calm of M&S. For Topshop their organisation, range, website and pretty much everything else induced passionate declarations of love and obsession. People told us “I love shopping there, OMG the shoes!!!”, “I can always find things I like - I'm obsessed!” With such passion for Topshop it shows that style and fashion are still important proving it’s not only value and sense that drives our listeners’ retail experience.

With this in mind we wanted to explore what people felt about clothes on an emotional level. We asked what their favourite piece of clothing was, why and where they got it from. Many people were hugely expressive telling us of heart warming moments that made their clothes ‘special’. Others went for simpler explanations of worn out basics that they ‘couldn’t do without’. Of all the shops mentioned, Next came top, with River Island and Topshop in second and third place. The reasons were numerous; versatility, colour, perfect fit, comfort and making people feel good all cropped up.

Taking all this on board we drilled down to try and define some of the key reasons as to what made a ‘favourite’ piece of clothing. 42% of our listeners described their favourite item of clothing based on reasons of style and sex appeal whether its that speacial dress “My Karen Millen dress. Its white strapless with blue birds on it.  Sounds horrible but it is gorgeous, its fits well and I feel great in it!” or just a pair of jeans “Jeans from Topshop. They fit me perfectly.” It seems what’s most important in clothing for our listeners is that it makes them feel good about their body by fitting like a glove but it may also have that stylish edge that gets them noticed. 24% loved their clothes for emotional reasons as it reminded them of loved ones and special occasions, one person wrote about “A pair of cropped jeans from George at Asda, they’re my favourite because it is the first pair of jeans that fit me & flatter me since my daughter was born 2 years ago!” Lastly 20% valued comfort above all – that favourite pair of tracksuit bottoms that you slob around the house in or some "trakkies, they're TOO comfortable!!! :)" Whilst a few people also mentioned price when it comes to falling in love with your clothes value is simply not enough and brands that can produce that little something extra will always be held in higher esteem.

The Kiss listeners are a very opinionated bunch, but whose opinion counts to them? With celebrity an ever important presence in people’s lives we wanted to know which celebs count when it comes to fashion. The number one is perhaps no surprise to anyone who likes to read a magazine or watch a bit of Saturday night TV. The nation’s new sweetheart, Cheryl Cole is top of the style stakes for Kiss listeners. Although Cheryl is still new on the fashion scene she is becoming a powerful brand, dominating magazines and causing a few writers to gush about their Cheryl style crush. Rumours of a Cheryl Cole fashion line at Topshop will further cement her brand power which you can currently see adorning billboards across the UK for L’Orèal. She is a powerful ambassador for any company, but with her fashion sense showcased every Saturday night it seems her style has become the most sought after for Kiss listeners with a massive 29% agreeing on this. Cheryl Cole is not the only singer and footballer’s wife to be admired by our listeners, Victoria Beckham stands strong in third place. With her own VB fashion line and her famous pout trademark, style is Victoria’s close friend and she often turns heads with her latest trends. It comes as no surprise that 10% of our listeners agree that her style is the one to watch. The most interesting results however, is that of the top three icons “no-one” is in at no.2 with 11% of Kiss listeners’ votes. It would seem that for a good proportion of our listeners their style icons are themselves. This was further highlighted by the fact that 49% would not define their style to one trend, telling us they were a mixture of everything and couldn’t possibly be labelled!

From style to sentiment we’ve found out how much listeners love their fashion and why. We’ve heard them poor their heart out about their favourite shop as well as their favourite pair of jeans but also tell us how much quality, customer care and a good brand means to them.

For more information and a full list of brands please e-mail Joanna Knights