"I love that type of woman," enthuses Deborah Kirkland, Sales Manager for XCVI, a clothing line, about the Fashion Innovator. "Not only does she keep me in business, she keeps me motivated to be better and to personally continue evolving." Evolution in style appears to come instinctively to Fashion Innovators. According to the Monitor, a considerable 62% of Innovators said their clothing purchases were made on impulse; 36% said their purchases were planned. 44% of average female respondents let their impulses rule; a larger 53% said their purchases were planned.

While many statistics about Fashion Innovators appear obvious, a careful parsing of the data from the Monitor reveals a few surprises. It is no surprise that the Fashion Innovator spent more on clothing each month and shopped more often; but she spent less money and time on average on each trip than her counterpart in the general population. Spending a total of $126.66 in the 3.47 times a month that she shopped for clothing, the typical Innovator spent $36.50 per trip; the average female respondent spent $82.59 over the 2.15 times she shopped in a typical month, thereby spending a slightly higher $38.41 per shopping trip. The female Innovator spent a total of 124.15 minutes shopping for clothes in the last month, averaging 35.78 on each jaunt; the average female respondent spent a lesser 105.69 total minutes, but averaged a much higher 49.16 minutes per trip.

Bastos, the researcher, offers an opinion. "One explanation may be that the Innovator shops often for clothing and relies on her instincts, so she is likely to just buy one garment on an average trip, knowing she will be back. The average female respondent is more likely to pick up a few garments, particularly when on sale, since she will not be in stores as often, thus explaining the near same amount spent on a typical shopping trip. As for average shopping time, the Innovator is highly practiced and familiar with her favorite retail territory; she shops efficiently."

When it comes to the retail landscape, both groups shopped a variety of sources for their clothing, although there were preferences among the groups. Innovators were more likely to shop specialty stores and department stores and less likely to shop mass merchants and chain stores than average female respondents.