Dive Brief:

• Retail market research company The NPD Group has found that women’s apparel sales in the U.S. rose 4% last year to $116.4 billion from $112.3 billion the year before.

• Tailored clothes and outerwear sales helped drive the boost, the research found.

• Online sales were 15% of women’s clothing sales in 2013, rising 17% over 2012 and accounting for much of the growth. Prices on average for web sales were higher than prices on apparel bought at physical stores.

Dive Insight:

The NPD research found that discount and off-price retailers still saw much of the activity in 2013, but that women are looking for nicer things​ in professional clothing and outerwear (likely driven by the severe winter). That women are seeking out quality over quantity -- and perhaps spending a bit more for that trade-off -- has implications for fast-fashion, especially as millennials continue to grow up and possibly find better-paying work.