Amazon might know how to sell books, tech and functional basics, but can the online retailer play in the league of high-end fashion? It's now hoping to win over the hearts of affluent fashionistas by offering up garments made up to customers' measurements.

In an increasingly saturated market, multi-brand retailers such as ASOS and Amazon are investing in their own private label clothing lines to bolster margin, add market share and offer shoppers something they couldn’t find elsewhere. How has own-brand fashion gone from underdog to on-trend?

Shoppers are splashing out on wardrobe staples, opting for basics crafted with premium fabrics over flashy showpieces. As priorities shift from flaunting logos to forming a long-lasting, quality wardrobe, basics – think white T-shirts or the perfect pair of jeans – are becoming the new status symbols.

Despite their love of online shopping, young Americans still see great value in supercentres, with many visiting a Target and Walmart on a weekly basis. In the first of a two-part report, we explore how big box retailers are tapping into aspirational consumerism to grab the interest of Gen Y.