Abstract :-

The Menswear market has expanded worldwide as young men are becoming more conscious of the image they present to the world, which they believe should reflect their individuality, creativity, and connectivity. The casual shirt has become one of the ways of projecting these qualities, so it has now become an extensively worn item of clothing in men’s wardrobes globally. Consequently, the casual shirt is currently being treated as a kind of fashion statement. The range of casual shirts available in the Sri Lankan market is wide in variety and the sales of this product have been growing exponentially over the last few years. However, to date, no research evidence is available on the preferences of young men concerning casual shirts. Hence, the research aims to thoroughly explore the preferences of young men concerning casual shirts to assess the current market gap for this item in Sri Lanka. Three data collection techniques were employed concurrently. Menswear fashion outlets in Colombo area were visited to note the styles and designs, brands, prices, fabrics, and finishing methods in respect of casual shirts. Interviews were carried out with selected young casual shirt consumers in the age group 15 to 29 when they visited the fashion outlets. Extensive in-depth information was obtained from them regarding their needs and taste in casual shirts. A questionnaire survey was also conducted with casual shirt consumers in the Colombo district to understand their preferences. It was evident that the young men in Sri Lanka wear casual shirts when attending parties and get-togethers, sports events, and other functions while going on trips and for work. The highest priority was given to ‘appearance’ when selecting a new casual shirt. The findings revealed that the majority (67.8%) preferred dark colors over light colors and further, 65.2 percent were attracted to single-color shirts. As for design, the highest preference was shown for stripes. Further, it came to light that the majority of young men preferred semi-fitted cotton and linen casual shirts since they were more comfortable to wear all day long. The findings of the study will not only fill the literature gap in the area of men’s casual shirts but will also benefit future studies and prove to be of value to the designers and retailers of menswear who are catering to the men’s casual shirt market in Sri Lanka.

Keywords: casual shirts, preferences, Sri Lankan market, young men