What people say is often different than what they do. We gleaned a lot of information from interviews and directed storytelling, but how do men act when they are in the process of shopping?

We watched men sort through racks of clothes, looking for good deals. We watched a regular come in and go straight to the new items and chat with the salesman about Spring color trends. One man stayed in the dressing room for his entire shopping experience while his girlfriend brought him item after item to try on.

These observations backed up some of the stories that we heard in the interviews: men do ask for advice (we saw girlfriends, salesmen, and even strangers helping out), price is important, and some more expert users who know what they want do not need hand-holding, but a more sophisticated level of personalized information.

We also talked to a menswear expert?a sales associate at Banana Republic?who emphasized the importance of fit (tailoring is a must) and the importance of making the shopper feel confident and comfortable.

"A lot of my customers have no clue how to dress."
"I make him feel comfortable. Shopping can be embarrassing."
"First I determine his body shape... it?s all about a tailored fit."

The expert also reinforced that some men don?t know about fashion and need guidance to discover their own style.