THE DARK SIDE OF IMPULSE BUYING

By Dan Hutton on May 23, 2017 in

Have you noticed the frenzied look on the faces of those shopping at Zara on a Friday? We’ve all been one of those desperate women stalking the racks searching for that perfect Friday night desk-to-disco outfit.

An impulse shop is nothing new, but wearing your purchase only once is. According to a study by charity group Barnados, modern women are adopting a ‘wear it once’ approach to their wardrobes, with the average purchase put on just seven times. The survey of 1,500 women over the age of 16 found that one third consider clothes ‘old’ after wearing them fewer than three times.

Charities like Barnados directly benefit from well made, unwanted clothing, but when it comes to pre-worn fast fashion pieces, they’re often in a state not fit to be on-sold in their shops. So where are we sending all these joyless garments once we’re done with them? To landfill.

The concept of wearing something once actually misses the point of what fashion and style are about. Fashion is about appreciating the beauty of clothes and style is the ability to effortlessly put together outfits from your wardrobe that show you’re comfortable in your own skin. However, social media fuels the idea of not being seen in outfits more than once for fear of the social faux pas of being ‘tagged’ wearing the same dress to two consecutive events.

Such is the level of scrutiny under which we place our wardrobes, even a royal duchess like Kate Middleton is praised for her ‘thriftiness’ if she wears an outfit more than once. The challenge for all of us (myself included) is not to clutter our wardrobes with pieces we hardly wear, shop smarter for clothing that we’ll value and hang onto for longer, and consider what happens to our clothes once we’re done wearing them.

Try changing your shopping habits with these five tips for avoiding your next impulse purchase:

1. Side-step situations that prompt a panic purchase, like flash sales, late night internet browsing with a glass of wine in hand (9pm is Net-a-Porter’s most profitable hour), or shopping on your pay day.

2. Always shop for your current body shape, not the shape you think (or wish) you’ll become.

3. Make a mental list of three things in your wardrobe that will go with the new item and three occasions on which you will wear it. If you can’t think of any, don’t buy it.

4. If you’re unsure, put the item on hold for 24 hours. If you don’t think about it again once you’ve left the shop, or you can’t be bothered to go back and purchase it, you know it’s not for you.

5. Enquire about the returns policy at the till and always keep your receipts.

On the streets I found:

Name Michelle
Lives Bondi
Occupation Owner of Mischka Boutique
Street Style Michelle wears Tom Ford sunnies, a vintage recycled leather jacket and denim shirt, skirt and boots by Spell, Benah x Karen Walker bag, and jewellery from Mischka Boutique.

Name Karina
Lives Bondi
Occupation Interior Designer
Street Style Karina wears a hat by ACF, Gunners tee from Top Shop, denim shorts by Camilla & Marc, Lucy Folk jewellery and Birkenstocks.