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Maturialism is short for “mature materialism”: a trend revolving around consumers' increasing receptiveness to products, services and advertising campaigns that are edgy, controversial and push social boundaries. In Trendwatching.com's account, it relates to Baby Boomers' determination to treat themselves to high-end goods, services and experiences simply because they can afford them — visible in luxury apartments, international travel, designer furniture and appliances, luxury cars and motorbikes, and in stepping up quality and price in cosmetics, food, wine and fashion now that the children have left home. A precursor trend is SKI-ing — Spending the Kids' Inheritance. The combination is mature consumers pursuing a seemingly restrained “best of the best” materialism, ditching mundane goods for more professional, premium or sassier versions.
Maturialism in Fashion by Apparel Search - Terms of Interest to the Fashion Industry
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Maturialism: Short for “mature materialism,” this trend revolves around consumers’ increasing receptiveness to products, services and advertising campaigns which are edgy, controversial and push social boundaries.
According to Trendwatching.com, maturialism relates to Baby Boomers’ determination to treat themselves to high-end goods, services, and experiences simply because they can afford them.’ This trend is playing out through the rise in sales of luxury apartments, international travel, designer furniture and appliances, luxury cars, and motorbikes.
It's not just larger consumer goods that Baby Boomers are upgrading, but they are treating themselves to higher-end cosmetics, food, wine, and, of course fashion. They are also taking a step up in quality and price range now that the children have left home. A precursor and related consumer trend to maturialism is known as SKI-ing - or Spending the Kids’ Inheritance - the term derived from a popular bumper sticker.
The maturialism trend represents a vital combination of 'mature' consumers pursuing a seemingly restrained 'best of the best' materialism. In other words, they are driving the trend in ditching mundane goods and services for more professional, premium or sassier versions. From heavy duty power tools to state-of-the-art cameras to grown-up ice-cream flavors, and more.
The delights associated with maturialism are enjoyed on a more intimate level: the pleasure of consuming (and sometimes subtly showing off) premium goods and services, with the 'professional-grade' or 'mature' label justifying the purchase of items that might otherwise have been considered 'flashy'.
The ‘risqué’ part of maturalism makes for fun material and the trend will become about more mature, real conversations with customers. It will be about educating consumers about the products and services sold, how to make the most of them, or about displaying the same transparency and openness about a brand's processes and actions as individual consumers now display about their own lives.
Another source describes maturialism as a desire by adults to move beyond the “dumbed-down” teen/tween culture that dominates everyday life to pursue a higher quality of products and services.
By Regina Cooper - August 2010
If you are interested in reading another "ism" term, you may want to read about minimalism in fashion.
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The trend has a communications side as well as a spending side. Mature consumers described here respond to more real, adult conversations from brands: education about the products and services sold, how to make the most of them, and openness about a brand's processes and actions that matches the openness consumers now show about their own lives. Dumbed-down, teen-and-tween-dominated marketing is precisely what this audience is moving beyond, so the premium product has to arrive with premium information attached.
Clothing is a natural maturialism category because quality differences are visible and wearable daily: better fabric, better construction and a better fit announce themselves every time a garment is worn, and a smaller wardrobe of premium pieces suits a consumer who no longer needs to prove anything with logos or volume. The trend also explains demand for the professional-grade version of ordinary things — the same logic that sells a serious camera or power tool sells the serious coat, boot or watch.
Mature materialism: older, affluent consumers deliberately upgrading to premium, professional-grade or more daring versions of goods, services and experiences — from power tools and cameras to grown-up ice-cream flavors, cosmetics, wine and fashion — and enjoying them on an intimate level, with the “mature” label justifying purchases that might otherwise look flashy.
Spending the Kids' Inheritance — a precursor and related trend, named from a popular bumper sticker, in which parents spend on themselves rather than preserving money to pass on. Maturialism grew out of the same empty-nest, can-afford-it moment.
They pull in opposite directions. Minimalism strips a wardrobe or a life down to the fewest, simplest elements. Maturialism keeps the restraint of taste but spends up within it: fewer, better, more premium things. The minimalism term in this directory is linked on this page as the contrasting “ism.”