As the weather has turned sharply colder lately, the fashion industry is gaining momentum. Demand for cold-weather goods such as winter outerwear like padded jackets and coats, as well as underwear, thermal wear, and mufflers, is rising, and sales at fashion platforms and brands are jumping across the board.
According to Musinsa on the 11th, transaction value in the underwear and thermal wear category for the week from the 1st to on the 7th rose 245% from a year earlier. Cumulative transaction value for "Hitstandard," the winter functional innerwear line rolled out by Musinsa Standard, increased about 2.2 times year over year. Musinsa's recent largest discount event of the year, "Mujinjang 25 Winter Black Friday," also surpassed a combined online and offline sales value of 380 billion won, setting a record high.
Women's fashion platform ably also saw searches for "lightweight padded jacket" rise 121% from a year earlier from on the 24th of last month to on the 4th of this month. Transaction value increased 48%. Transaction value for "fur jacket" and "fleece" increased 79% and 27%, respectively. Transaction value during the Black Friday event held from on the 17th of last month to on the 3rd of this month also rose 20% year over year.
Shinsegae Group's women's fashion platform W Concept also saw sales of winter-related products increase 20% from on the 1st of last month to on the 7th of this month. Sales of apparel such as outerwear, knits, and hoodies rose 21%, and sales of footwear such as boots and cold-weather shoes increased 10%. Sales of fashion accessories such as mufflers and hats also rose 22%.
The comprehensive shopping mall 29CM under Musinsa also saw transaction value in the winter outerwear category increase 30% year over year during the same period. Transaction value for padded products rose 122%, and fur jackets increased more than fourfold.
Various brands under LF Corp. also saw broad-based increases in sales related to winter apparel. The New York contemporary brand "Jill Stuart New York" recorded increases of 40% and 90% year over year in men's outerwear and women's outerwear sales, respectively, from on the 1st of last month to on the 7th of this month. In particular, the women's fur lineup surged 140%.
The men's brand "Maestro" also saw outerwear sales increase 36% year over year during the same period. The contemporary men's brand "Allegri" saw sales of lightweight padded jackets and short padded jackets rise 157% and 48%, respectively. The brand "Daks" recorded increases of 48% and 40% year over year in its midweight down and heavy down lineups, respectively.
LF Corp.'s outdoor brand "Teton Bros." also saw sales of heavy down items rise 150% from a year earlier. The sports brand "Reebok" recorded a 30% year-over-year increase in sales of lightweight padded items from on the 1st of last month to on the 7th of this month. During the same period, "Daks Golf" and "Hazzys Golf" also saw outerwear sales increase 30% and 20% year over year, respectively. In addition, the "Hazzys Accessories" and "Daks Accessories" brands saw sales of muffler lineups rise 45% and 15%, respectively.
Along with the noticeably colder weather, stronger consumer sentiment for fashion ahead of this winter appears to be affecting actual sales. According to the Bank of Korea, the "apparel expenditure Consumer Survey Index (CSI)" gradually rose from 91 in Jan. this year to 100.0 on last month, recovering the baseline (100).
When the Consumer Survey Index (CSI) is above 100, it means more consumers responded positively about increased apparel spending than negatively. The apparel expenditure Consumer Survey Index returning to the baseline level is the first time in seven years since Oct. 2018.
Buoyed by this kick-start, the fashion industry is aggressively expanding year-end marketing. Musinsa is holding the "2025 year-end settlement of account big sale" from the 1st to the 11th of this month, offering up to 80% off on 300,000 items from more than 2,100 brands.
W Concept is holding a "Holiday" special exhibition from on the 4th of last month to through the 14th, showcasing more than 80,000 fashion and lifestyle products, including apparel and winter accessories. ably is holding a "Holiday Last Big Sale" promotion from on the 8th to through the 16th, offering a 30% discount coupon.
A fashion industry official said, "With the full-fledged cold wave and year-end and New Year spending demand coinciding, demand for winter fashion is expanding," adding, "Lately, as consumers increasingly select products based on various factors such as materials, functionality, and design, a wide range of items—from lightweight padded jackets to premium down, leather outerwear, and cold-weather accessories—are drawing steady attention."