Fast fashion slows down as more Britons choose to buy long-lasting items

By

Barbara Santamaria

Published
Feb 19, 2019

A new survey has revealed that consumers are moving towards long-lasting clothes amid ongoing efforts from activist groups to raise consumer awareness of the environmental impact of the fast-fashion industry.

Indeed, 13% of consumers are more likely to buy expensive longer-lasting items over cheaper fashionable clothing, and nearly 39% say they would prefer to spend more on expensive better quality clothing, according to research by the Fashion Retail Academy.

By contrast, just 26% of UK consumers say they will buy cheaper more fashionable clothes that are unlikely to last until next season.

Additionally, 25.4% of Britons are wearing their everyday items for over two years, with the average consumer now wearing their jeans and t-shirts for almost a year and a half. There is also a significant proportion of consumers (25%) who have continued to wear an item of clothing for over 10 years, the survey found.

The results suggest a possible move away from throwaway fashion as years of campaigning begin to bear fruit. Just this week, a group of MPs called on the government to make fast fashion retailers take responsibility for the waste they create by charging one penny per each garment produced to fund clothing collection and recycling initiatives.

“After years of shopping for trendy and - invariably - cheaper fast fashion, could consumers finally be making the move towards longer-lasting and timeless items?” suggested Lee Lucas, principal of the Fashion Retail Academy.

“This shift towards quality over quantity is surely a reflection of how customers are increasingly mindful of sustainability and the supply chain of clothes manufacturing - as well as acknowledging that more expensive price tags might mean more mileage from certain items of clothing.  

“There are still many people browsing the aisles or scrolling the internet for the latest trends and picking up seasonal items with a smaller price tag, but there are also new waves of consumers who are willing to invest in higher quality items, which may save them money in the long run.”

According to the survey, men are 7% less likely to buy cheap fashionable clothing than women, and 23-26 year olds are 5% more likely to buy expensive long lasting clothing than 31-35 year olds.