Testimonials
“Having Baymard is like having access to a magical UX super power. I can't believe how helpful and easy to use it is, given the vast array of tools and information they provide!”
Apparel & Accessories research
Understand how people shop for apparel online
Explore research on product discovery, fit, imagery, reviews and returns. Use the findings, real site examples and UX benchmarks to inform your team’s next design decision.
Research for the apparel shopping experience
Apparel shoppers need to find the right style, judge how an item will look and choose a size with confidence. Baymard’s research turns these decisions into practical UX guidance, supported by observed shopping behavior and real site examples.
Research around the decisions apparel shoppers make
From discovering a style to deciding whether to keep it.
Can I find something that suits me?
Product discovery: navigation, curated paths and browsing by style or occasion.
Which size should I choose?
Fit and sizing: measurements, fit guidance, size conversions and model information.
What will it look like on me?
Product imagery: human-model images that communicate length, proportions and fit.
Does it fit people like me?
Reviews: fit summaries and structured review information that add context.
What happens if it is not right?
Returns: clear access to shipping and returns information before ordering.
Apparel & Accessories
The findings from Baymard’s large-scale testing of Apparel & Accessories sites provide you with 500+ UX guidelines, along with 13,000+ UX performance scores and 12,000+ best practice examples from Apparel, Footwear, and Accessory sites.
The UX research covers the entire online shopping experience, including:
- How to best convey ‘fit’ and ‘feel’ to users, incl. international size guides
- Product visuals, image size and interactions, color variations, etc.
- Cross-sells, incl. ‘Goes well together’, ‘buy the outfit’ etc.
- The returns process, both the pre- and post-purchase UX related to returns.
adidas, Allbirds, American Apparel, ASOS, Anine Bing, American Eagle Outfitters,
8 × Themes
Turn a finding into a design decision
Use the evidence, examples and benchmarks together to inform your team’s work.
- Read the guideline. Understand the shopper difficulty, observed behavior and recommendation.
- Compare real examples. See how other apparel sites address the same issue in the benchmark and annotated implementations.
- Inform your next design. Bring the evidence into a review, a brief or a discussion about what to test next.
How the apparel research was conducted
2024 apparel usability study
1,765 hours of research across 18 US and European sites, covering apparel, sportswear, jewelry and footwear at discount and midrange price points.
2026 shopper survey
A survey of 1,922 US online shoppers adds evidence about fit, reviews, returns and other purchase decisions.
The apparel findings also draw on Baymard’s wider ecommerce research. Luxury retail has its own research collection.
How apparel teams use the research
Testimonials
“I can not tell you how much help your benchmark studies have been for our company, e-commerce and UX teams. We have used and continue to use these reports for baseline benchmarks as we build test protocols or eye tracking scripts etc. in lab.”
Testimonials
“I really like the work Baymard Institute does around usability. Their articles often get my Ecom gears turning.”
Apparel research questions
Where can I explore sample findings?
Read the linked apparel articles and browse the public benchmark. A demo shows how the full library connects guidelines, annotated examples and scores.
Which plan includes apparel research?
Compare current access options, or book a demo to discuss the research and tools your team needs.
See the apparel research in action
Explore findings, annotated examples and benchmarks relevant to your next apparel UX project.