Although trend for the so-called quiet luxury became viral last year, its regular consumers of in fashion fall into a small group of people. They usually do not like to be in the spotlight, but like to be sure about their choices. Today I am going to review the product pages in e-shops of the same item category from three brands which I consider first in the context of menswear quiet luxury brands - Brunello Cucinelli, Loro Piana, and Zegna.
There are some differences in e-selling luxury to men and women. For men it’s important to have information displayed clear and fully and to focus on functionality and status, rather then storytelling and emotional connection, including the following:
Presentation: E-shops selling luxury clothing for men often adopt a sleek and minimalist design aesthetic to mirror the brand's image of sophistication and exclusivity.
Navigation: Men's e-commerce platforms tend to prioritize ease of navigation and functionality, allowing shoppers to quickly find specific items or categories without unnecessary distractions.
Information: Detailed product descriptions, including fabric composition, fit.
Visuals: High-quality imagery is essential, showcasing the clothing from multiple angles and providing close-up shots to convey the texture and craftsmanship of the garments.
Sizing: Clear and accurate sizing charts are vital to assist male shoppers in selecting the right fit, as men are often more particular about sizing compared to women.
Styling: Providing outfit inspirations and suggestions on how to incorporate the clothing into different looks can help male shoppers visualize how the item fits into their wardrobe.
With that in mind, let’s find out who - Brunello Cucinelli, Loro Piana, Zegna - sells the ultimate men’s wardrobe item - shirt - better. Starting from the Google search results to the product page itself. As I often mention the importance of both - desktop and mobile version of the e-shop - we will check mobile versions this time.
Google search results: Official websites and online stores have an obvious advantage over other retailers - Google ranks them to be on top of Google search for the brand. So it is important to provide a brief general overview of what a person will see on the website.
Brunello Cucinelli: Provides a very general understanding of the contents, not mentioning what kind of shop it is. Further from the category collections which are automatically added by Google, it’s clear that there are women’s and men’s collections, but collections of what? Hats, cups, clothing?
Score: 0
Loro Piana: gives insight into their expertise as a manufacturer dealing with fiber processing. When exploring their categories, one might assume that Loro Piana has ventured into creating shoes made of cashmere.
Score: 0
Zegna: Gives a very clear understanding of what the website and shop is about - designer menswear, including clothing and shoes.
Score: 1
It is important to mention that out of the three brands, Zegna only offers a men's collection, while Brunello Cucinelli and Loro Piana also offer womenswear, kidswear, and lifestyle items. Therefore, while there is no need to think of dividing the website and online store into multiple sections for Zegna, Brunello Cucinelli and Loro Piana need to differentiate theirs.
Category display and communication: how clear the menswear is displayed and communicated on the website.
Brunello Cucinelli: From start page we can further follow to men’s page. The newest arrivals and some categories are displayed. Menu contains clear categories.
Score: 1
Loro Piana: While menu categories for menswear are clearly displayed, there is a link for the newest collection, but there is no main page for menswear. This neglects the display entirely, as the website lacks a regularly updated and communicated menswear category.
Score: 0
Zegna: clear display of collection. Updates on new collection which reflect the season. Main categories are displayed - clothing, shoes, hats.
Score: 1
Small details: I emphasize the importance of implementing what makes the online shop stand out. This is a continuation of marketing strategies in luxury; such details make the whole picture complete. These small details include using distinctive brand symbols such as favicon, logos, colours, and fonts in the design.
Brunello Cucinelli: The logo is used during the wait time while uploading the page and for the help chat.
Score: 1
Loro Piana: The same. Logo slightly incorporated within the structure. The website's colors and fonts perfectly display the brand identity.
Score: 1
Zegna: A very simple and straightforward display. While Zegna has an amazing brand story design and display, the e-shop itself doesn’t fully utilize its brand identity.
Score: 0
That was a short (but definitely not full) overview on general e-shop display and now let’s check the product page for men shirt - one of core items in men’s wardrobe.
Item description
Brunello Cucinelli: I love the idea of short item name, followed by more broad key features overview. Further information provided is too overloaded. While we can get the full feature list out of provided text, we need to make an effort for it. The logical order of placement is disrupted as well. First it comes description, then details list, and then we can play with all the other categories about the item or order placement.
Score: 2 out of 3
Loro Piana: the description is very concise while full. There is a great idea of displaying material under the name. I would still give under a short name with main qualities and details of the item.
Score: 3 out of 3
Zegna: very clear, yet full item description.
Score: 3 out of 3
Visuals
Brunello Cucinelli: There is no picture of the single item without being worn by a model. There are close-ups of the texture, how it looks on the model from the front and back, and how the item is styled. The quality of the pictures is good enough to understand the texture. However, viewing on the mobile version is slightly challenging, as almost half of the screen is occupied by text.
Score: 2 out of 3
Loro Piana: There are pictures of the item from the front and back. The close-up images provide a clear understanding of the texture. The display of the pictures is extremely comfortable to view on the mobile version. However, there are no pictures of the item being worn by a model, which makes it challenging to understand the fit. Additionally, there are no styled outfit pictures, which would be helpful for customers.
Score: 1 out of 3
Zegna: Easy navigation through pictures on the mobile version of their website. Item is shown in a single shot, worn by a model, without additional styling, as well as in a styled outfit. There is also a close-up of the material, although the quality slightly diminishes when enlarging the image. However, there is no picture showing the item worn by the model from the back.
Score: 2 out of 3
Size guide
Brunello Cucinelli: provides universal item measurements for similar models of shorts. There's a body measurements guide, which appears to be tripled for some reason. However, the size worn by the model is not mentioned.
Score: 1.5 out of 2
Loro Piana: offers a very general size guide, lacking measurements of the item itself and relying on body measurements to determine the appropriate Loro Piana size. Since the item is not pictured on a model, there are no sizes mentioned that the model is wearing.
Score: 1 out of 2
Zegna: provides body measurements to fit each size and offers a tool to check the recommended size (which I personally don’t like, but it shows the brand's concern about providing comprehensive size information). Basic model measurements and the size worn are mentioned.
Score: 2 out of 2
Extra information: In this comprehensive check, our focus is solely on item choice, so I won’t be reviewing the policies mentioned on the page or any touch points that could be additionally used to engage with the customer. Instead, I'll pay attention to one more detail. When catering to a male audience, it's crucial to simplify the decision-making process. Therefore, mentioning items used in styling not only aids in understanding how to integrate the item into one's wardrobe smoothly but also provides an additional touchpoint for the brand.
Brunello Cucinelli: mentioned all the items used for outfit.
Score: 1
Loro Piana: Although there is no outfit or item worn by model - there is still complete the look items. It seems they come completely from different outfit. Otherwise I can slightly imagine wearing linen shirt with cashmere beanie.
Score: 0
Zegna: mentioned all the items used for outfit, except shoes.
Score: 1
SUMMARY
After comprehensive overview we have the following final point:
Brunello Cucinelli: 8.5
Loro Piana: 6
Zegna: 10
- which means Zegna knows how to sell the quiet luxury men's shirt the best. Loro Piana is the worst seller out of three as the information provided is not complete enough to make an informed decision, and Brunello Cucinelli might be good enough, but with some gaps. Overall, not a single brand out of those mentioned fully utilized the possibilities of the e-shop to sell the shirt..
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