Everything’s Bigger In Texas, Even The Fashion Market
Explore The Multi Billion Dollar Texas Fashion Market
This report serves as an initial examination of the expanding Texas fashion market. It outlines key market segments, presents insights gathered from boutique operators, and assesses the viability of rental services within this growing industry.
Market Overview
Ranked as the 2nd largest retail economy in the U.S, Texas is a rapidly expanding fashion market for designers and brands.
Here’s the Texas-sized numbers:
17.5 billion: Estimated worth of the Texas fashion market
$9.4 billion: Revenue generated by retail storefronts
$100 million: Revenue generated by fashion designers
4,326: Fashion boutiques statewide
Major Retail Cities
Three major cities represent the growth of fashion retail in Texas, and the already booming landscapes aren’t stopping them from expanding even further.
Houston
Home to over 2.3 million people, it stands as Texas’s largest city and a leading retail destination across the U.S.
823 Fashion Boutiques
17,000 Retail Clothing Stores
Most Popular Districts
Uptown/Galleria District: Spanning over five million square feet of retail space, it’s a premier shopping area that attracts over 19 million visitors annually.
River Oaks District: Open-air luxury shopping destination, hosting over 60 high-end global brands.
Dallas
Known for its upscale shopping experiences and boasting the largest economy in Texas, Dallas serves as a key hub for luxury brands and business innovation.
463 Fashion Boutiques
$107 million generated by fashion retail
Popular Fashion Hubs
Dallas Market Center: Premier global wholesale trade center spanning approximately 5 million square feet across a 100-acre campus.
Design District: Mix of boutiques and showrooms, including specialty fashion retailers, artisan jewelers, and vintage shops.
Austin
As Texas’s fastest-growing city, its expanding population and dynamic creative community fuel a rapidly evolving market that continues to attract national brands and foster local talent.
273 Fashion Boutiques
2.1 million square feet of retail space
Major Shopping Areas
The Domain: Home to Austin Fashion Week, it attracts affluent customers featuring luxury boutiques and high-end brands.
South Congress: Eclectic mix of retro and trendy fashion, appealing to fashion-forward customers seeking one-of-a-kind pieces.
Fashion Organizations & Programs
The Six Fashion Weeks
Texas Fashion Week
Austin Fashion Week
Houston Fashion Week
Dallas Fashion Week
Texas International Fashion Week
Texas Minority Fashion Week
Universities Fashion Programs
University of Texas at Austin —Offers a B.S. in Textiles & Apparel with a focus on design, conservation, and retail.
Texas State University —Offers a B.S. in Fashion Merchandising, covering product development and retail management.
University of North Texas — Offers a B.S. in Apparel Design, which covers design, patternmaking, textiles, and merchandising.
Student Organizations
University Fashion Group: UT Austin professional fashion organization
Fashion Merchandising Association: Texas State University fashion club
Fashion Design Student Organization: University of North Texas fashion organization
Nonprofits & Collectives
Central Texas Fashion Coalition: Empowering sustainable designers and brands by providing support and networking.
Fashion x Texas: A nonprofit organization that helps cities facilitate fashion weeks, runway shows, and pop-up events across Texas.
Texas Fashion Industry Initiative: A nonprofit that supports people with jobs in fashion by providing entrepreneurship opportunities, sponsorships, and workshops.
Boutique & Designer Survey
In a June 2025 survey, we spoke to eight Texas fashion boutiques and designers regarding their interest in fashion rental. This survey only accounted for a very small percentage of the Texas market, but it was prevalent that Texas fashion brands want to incorporate rental into their business model.
Demographics of Businesses Surveyed
Combat Concerns & Provide Value
Our solutions combat concerns shared by surveyed businesses about the wardrobe rental model. By presenting businesses with software demonstrations and detailed pitches, we support a higher lifetime value for the brands and designers.
Top Concerns:
Ensuring their items would not be damaged or unusable
Logistics behind shipping and getting items back
Inventory management would be time-consuming and not valuable
Our Value
Inventory dry cleaning and maintenance partners to promote the longevity of items
Supplier repository for tagging, packaging, and shipping with ease for businesses
Software management by Looks For Leases let’s businesses rest easy and only focus on the data that benefits them.
The Future for Rental In Texas
The growing size of the Texas fashion market and its large stake in the retail economy makes it a strategic place to capitalize off this emerging interest in wardrobe rental.
Our Recommendations To Expand Wardrobe Rental to Texas
Prioritize High-Growth Markets: Focus outreach efforts in rapidly growing regions like Austin and Dallas.
Facilitate Personalized Engagement: Schedule one-on-one meetings with interested businesses to address specific needs.
Engage Local Talent Networks: Connect with designer organizations and student fashion clubs to host workshops and build early brand advocates.
Broaden Boutique Outreach: Increase the number of inventory holders and boutique partners being targeted to expand reach.
Demonstrate Platform Value: Conduct software demonstrations to help brands visualize the technology’s functionality and potential ROI.
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