Luxury Brands Want Yummies, AKA The New Metrosexuals

Photo: That Awkward Moment/Facebook

There’s a new term floating around in the crowded sea of fashion jargon, and you should know what it means: YUM (young, urban male). HSBC coined the term in a new report they just released, and according to Business Insider, Yummies are ”twentysomething men with smartphones and self-esteem issues” who are concerned with being fashionable and looking good. They’re what metrosexuals were in the 90s, but cool rather than ridiculed. And fashion brands are taking note.

Brands like Michael Kors and Coach who have seen a strong comeback in the past couple of years are looking to capitalize on their growing menswear lines by leveraging Yummies. These young guys tend to live in urban areas, have money to burn and the will to do so (making them perfect possible customers), and be totally obsessed with grooming and personal health–a trend we’ve noticed and appreciated, FYI.

“Not only are these gents making generous incomes, but thanks to increasingly global marketing and media, they don’t have to be anywhere near the epicenters of luxury to know what’s on-trend,” says Business Insider. That’s where the smartphone part comes in. Brands like Burberry who have easy-to-use mobile apps are particularly appealing to the iPhone/Android-clad Yummy who wants to stay up to date with what’s happening in the fashion world but may live in Seattle or Chicago, outside of the traditional fashion landscape.

Part of the reason we’re seeing this trend in young men today is a generational shift in priorities; men are marrying later in life, which frees up time and money to be spent on new interests in their 20s (like getting expensive haircuts, investing in selvedge denim, and hanging out in whiskey bars), rather than a wedding, a family, and a mortgage.

Basically stylish men are the future of fashion right now. Did you see this coming? In any case, it’s a good reason to check out who GQ picked as the Best New Menswear Designers in America for 2014.

Normcore, thy name is “so last season.”

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