The present study empirically investigates the latent factors that influence branded apparel purchase decisions among Indian consumers, with a special focus on variations across gender and age cohorts. Accordingly, primary data were collected from branded-apparel consumers across five high-GSDP districts of Uttar Pradesh through the use of a structured questionnaire and quota sampling (N = 660). Exploratory Factor Analysis confirmed the suitability of the dataset for factor analysis: KMO = 0.637; Bartlett’s χ² = 2867.702, df = 231, p <.001. Nine interpretable components thus emerged, cumulatively explaining ≈ 65.29% of the variance in the data: Aspirational Appeal, Direct Promotional Communication, Cognitive and Familial Influence, Post-Purchase Dissonance, Peer Influence, Impulse and Mood-Driven Buying, Digital Media Influence, Traditional Media Exposure, and Self-Evaluation and Emotional Ambivalence. In summary, subgroup analyses revealed that decision structures are not uniform: the knowledge/experience anchored factor and close relational validation of family and friends become the dominant factor in male consumers’ decisions, whereas the symbolic aspiration-led dominant factor was status, pride, celebrity cues for female consumers, followed by sensitivity to promotional communication at the point-of-purchase. The findings provide a segmentation-ready explanation for branded apparel decision-making and offer actionable implications for positioning, message framing, and channel strategy within India's diverse fashion market.