Research shows Australians only wear half of their clothes regularly

By MiNDFOOD

Does every item in your wardrobe get regular wear? Unlikely - between unnecessary compulsive purchases, clothing we save for special occasions and items that have gone out of fashion, much of our wardrobes can end up going untouched for long periods of time.

In fact, research shows that of all the clothes we own, only half (55 per cent) of them are being worn regularly.

And of all the new clothes purchased by Australians in the past 12 months, more than half (54 per cent) of people acknowledge that about 10 per cent of clothes are only worn once, or don’t end up being worn.

These findings come from research on apparel consumption in Australia conducted by leading denim brand, Levi’s.

The research was commissioned as part of Levi’s Buy Better, Wear Longer campaign, which urges us to reconsider our fashion consumption choices for the sake of the environment.

Another key finding from the research was that 45.3 per cent of Australians say they aren’t getting long-term use out of their wardrobe due to the items being out of season and unfashionable, or because they are bored of wearing them.

Globally, it’s estimated that more than half of what fast fashion has produced is disposed of in under one year. But if we wore our clothes for twice as long, we could reduce our environmental impact by 44 per cent.

It demonstrates that more thoughtful shopping choices by the consumer are required in addition to sustainable production practices if we are to mitigate fashion’s impact on the environment.

It’s been estimated the global fashion industry creates 20 per cent of the planet’s total water pollution, and 10 per cent of humanity’s carbon emissions.

Levi’s has invested in material and technology innovations to produce its garments more sustainably.

For example, Levi’s is reducing its own natural resource footprint through its Water<Less manufacturing process, built on a series of finishing techniques and water recycling guidelines that have saved more than 4 billion litres of water.

Notably, the high quality and durability of Levi’s denim offers the consumer a product that is long-lasting and never out of style, therefore more sustainable.

“Ultimately, Levi’s denim is meant to be worn for generations, not seasons,” says Jennifer Sey, Brand President at Levi Strauss & Co.

“So we are also using this campaign to encourage consumers to be more intentional about their apparel choices: to wear each item longer, for example, to buy SecondHand, or to use our in-store Tailor Shops to extend the life of their garments.”

The brand hopes its Buy Better, Wear Longer campaign can act as a reminder that a sustainable future is one where companies and consumers around the world come together to rethink fashion.

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