Dresses and lace tank tops peek from window displays around Westwood and advertisements picture smiling women welcoming customers into stores.
Westwood Village, which advertises itself as having unique boutiques and popular brands, has recently filled some of its empty storefronts with new women’s apparel stores, including Heavenly Couture and My-Dressed. However, men’s clothing stores are hardly in sight.
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American Apparel, Urban Outfitters and Target are the only businesses in Westwood that offer men’s fashion. Some store workers say the lack of male apparel stores may be due to a small customer base.
Natalie Silbar, a manager at Brandy Melville and fourth-year economics student, said she thinks men mostly dress in athletic gear that can be bought in the UCLA student store and do not go out shopping regularly.
Men have walked into Brandy Melville inquiring about the band T-shirts and sweats on display in the window, but are often disappointed because the shirts only come in women’s sizes, Silbar said. However, the store does not plan on selling men’s apparel anytime soon because its business model geared toward teenage girls is working well, she added.
Priscilla Vargas, a Heavenly Couture employee and fourth-year sociology student, said she thinks the way Westwood store spaces are designed can deter men’s clothing stores from coming into the Village.
Westwood is made up of little boutiques that are more appropriate for women’s clothing stores, Vargas said. She added she thinks men’s clothing is often not sold in tiny stores, but rather malls and outlets.
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However, some say men do not even frequent the stores that offer apparel for them.
Women are the main customer base at Urban Outfitters because shopping in general is geared toward women, said Adam Blair, a manager at Urban Outfitters. There are advantages to offering clothing for both sexes, but there are also downsides to being one of the only stores that offer men’s clothing in Westwood.
“We want customers to find what they’re looking for, even if it’s not at our store,” Blair said. “It can be frustrating to have no other place to direct them.”
Some students said they prefer going home to shop instead of buying apparel in Westwood.
Mayur Bhandary, a third-year electrical engineering student, said he brings all his clothes from his home in Pennsylvania.
“Guys don’t have a lot of variety when it comes to clothes or just don’t buy many clothes in general, so the clothes I bring from home can last me for many years,” Bhandary said.
Khashayar Goshtasbi, a third-year electrical engineering student, said he typically buys his clothes when he goes home for break because he doesn’t have time to go to Westwood during the school year.
“It would be nice to have a place to buy clothes when I go on a date with a girl, but overall it doesn’t bother me,” Goshtasbi said.