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Consumer Trends / UK Clothing

Average UK Citizen Owns 118 Clothing Items, One-Fourth Remain Stashed Away

A survey in the UK on ‘Clothing Longevity and Circular Business Models’ reveals that cost is the primary reason why pre-loved, rental, upcycled and repair models are not yet popular. And, UK citizens stack an average of 118 items of clothing in their wardrobes, with 26% or more not worn in the past year.

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8 October 2022

 4 minutes
Long Story, Cut Short
  • Almost half (45%) of UK citizens purchase clothing at least once a month. Age is a key factor, with 81% 18-24s purchasing clothing at least once a month. Clothing purchase frequency also increases with rising household income.
  • About 54% of UK citizens are happy to purchase second hand/vintage, compared to 46% who say they deserve better.
  • The numbers come from 'Clothing Longevity and Circular Business Models Receptivity in the UK', published Friday by climate action nonprofit WRAP under the Textiles 2030 project.
UK citizens purchase clothing from a wide range of brand-retailer channels. Four in five (80%) buy at least some of their clothing at a supermarket, followed by medium-low cost retailers (76%), medium-high cost retailers (73%) and low cost retailers (70%). Two in five (40%) purchase at least some clothing from higher cost brands/retailers, while one in three (33%) buy from designer brands/retailers.
Branded Stuff UK citizens purchase clothing from a wide range of brand-retailer channels. Four in five (80%) buy at least some of their clothing at a supermarket, followed by medium-low cost retailers (76%), medium-high cost retailers (73%) and low cost retailers (70%). Two in five (40%) purchase at least some clothing from higher cost brands/retailers, while one in three (33%) buy from designer brands/retailers. Backbone Visuals / Unsplash

UK citizens stack an average of 118 items of clothing in their wardrobes, and 31 of these (just over a quarter at 26%) would not have been worn in the past year. Cost is the primary reason why pre-loved, rental, upcycled and repair models are not yet popular.

The key reasons for owning but not wearing items include:

  • The item is for occasions only: this is dominant for dresses and frequently cited for skirts, shirts/blouses, formal trousers and coats/jackets.
  • The item is no longer a good/comfortable fit: this is often cited for jeans, formal trousers, skirts, shorts, T-shirts/polo shirt/jersey tops, bras and underwear.
  • I like the item but it is not a priority: this is cited for knitwear, sweatshirts/ hoodies, T-shirts/polo shirt/jersey tops, jeans, coats/jackets and underwear.

The report: The numbers come from Clothing Longevity and Circular Business Models Receptivity in the UK, published Friday by climate action nonprofit WRAP under the Textiles 2030 project.

  • The insights outlined in the report are based upon two largescale pieces of online consumer research commissioned by WRAP in the autumn of 2021: Clothing Longevity and Circular Business Models (CBMs).

The numbers thrown up: The key findings include:

Purchase behaviours and clothing outlooks

  • Almost half (45%) of UK citizens purchase clothing at least once a month (with around one in eight (13%) purchasing clothing weekly). Age is a key factor, with over four in five (81%) 18-24s purchasing clothing at least once a month. Clothing purchase frequency also increases with rising household income.
  • Around one in four (23%) regularly buy clothing with the intention of using it for a short amount of time, highest among 18-34 men and 35-54 women.
  • Just over half (54%) of UK citizens are happy to purchase second hand/vintage, compared to 46% who say they deserve better. Women are more comfortable with second hand than men; and those aged 65+ are least comfortable.
  • Close to two in five (39%) say their wardrobes are disorganised and it can be difficult to know what is there, increasing among 18-34s (46%) and those with children (43%).
  • Almost three in five UK citizens (59%) go through a lot of effort to maintain their clothes, compared to 41% who do not. A similar proportion (57%) look for ways to repair damaged items. However, there is only a weak overlap between these groups, indicating that maintenance and repair are two discrete behaviours.

Estimating clothing longevity

  • Estimated clothing longevity is highest for non-padded coats and jackets (6.3 and 6.1 years, respectively) and lowest for underwear and bras (2.7 and 2.6 years respectively).
  • Where direct comparisons are possible with the 2013 research, the results indicate that predicted longevity of clothing items has increased. This is true, for example, of jeans (estimated to be 3.1 years in 2013 and 4.1 years in 2021), dresses (3.8 vs. 4.6 years) and T-shirts/polo shirts/jersey tops (3.3 vs. 4.0 years).
  • Items purchased second hand/vintage have a higher estimated longevity than items purchased new (5.4 years compared to 4.0 years).
  • There is a strong association between longevity and repair – with the results suggesting that a repair adds 1.3 years to the life of a garment, on average.
  • There is no association with gender (with men and women reporting similar estimated longevities across their items) and only a weak relationship with age.
  • Longevity is relatively consistent across different brands/retailers.

Items owned and in use

  • •Skirts and dresses are the items most likely to be owned but not worn in the past year (44% and 43%, respectively). Utilisation is higher for other items like underwear (12% of those owned were not worn in the past year), socks (17%) and bras (20%).

Wash frequency

  • Wash frequency varies considerably across different items of clothing. Padded jackets/coats are – on average – likely to be worn 17 times in between washes, followed by jeans (5.5). Wash frequency is notably higher for skirts/blouses (an average of 2.3 wears in between washes), T-shirts (2.6) and dresses (2.6).
  • In addition to the overall average, the range of responses is also notable – with a significant proportion of UK citizens in the survey washing all items after a single wear. 18-34s are consistently more likely to wash items after fewer wears.
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Close to three in five (61%) say their wardrobes are well organised and tidy, with everything having its own place. By contrast, close to two in five (39%) say the opposite and that it can be difficult to know what is in their wardrobes. 18-34s are more likely on balance to say that their wardrobes are not well organised (46%), as are those with children (43%).
Wardrobe Organisation Close to three in five (61%) say their wardrobes are well organised and tidy, with everything having its own place. By contrast, close to two in five (39%) say the opposite and that it can be difficult to know what is in their wardrobes. 18-34s are more likely on balance to say that their wardrobes are not well organised (46%), as are those with children (43%). Teena Cobb / Pixabay

Factors holding back circularity: Cost is a key motivator and most frequently cited for the pre-loved, rental, upcycled and repair models. It also manifests as a way of accessing brands that is cost-effective, and this is particularly true for the subscription, rental and pre-loved models. Lower environmental impact is also a frequently cited motivator, particularly in relation to the pre-loved, upcycled and repair models.

The main barrier for those who say they are unlikely to consider the CBMs is psychological and rooted in self-identity, for example the idea that it is ‘not really me’. For those who are receptive to any degree, the barriers are focused on practical considerations, as follows:

  • Cost is a potential barrier, with ‘too expensive’ appearing in the top five barriers for all CBMs - particularly the repair, upcycled and subscription models.
  • The key barriers for both the rental and subscription models are concerns about damaging the items, as well as the size/fit of the items.
  • For both the pre-loved and upcycled models, the size/fit and condition of the items are key concerns. Another potential barrier is a perception that it would be more difficult to return items.
  • For the repair CBM, a key concern is if the item will still look as good/fit the same after the repair has been done (and therefore justifying the cost of attempting a repair).
 
 
  • Dated posted: 8 October 2022
  • Last modified: 8 October 2022
 
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