Clothing Sales are down - No surprise

[TheSuggestedAmendment]

So the ONS data on retail is out. And sales of everything including food and leisure went up in December - except clothes.

Just a suggestion here but could it be because clothes have become wildly over priced at every level and consumers are just saying no?

London has become really casual. There will always be the odd few who dress up, but most everybody is in jeans and athleisure.

I think things have got more casual but as a Londoner I always found it much more casual than other places, I got a shock when I went to uni!

It might also be demographics. Not sure about the uk but in counties where most people are 40+ the fast fashion market shrinks

This is true, I shopped in places like New Look & Primark when I was younger. As I got older I buy less which is more expensive & I also don’t want to be dressed in the same clothes as someone else.

It’s good news. More people buying secondhand and ‘shopping their wardrobe’

yes it’s cost but also its environmental and anti disposable fashion. The message has got out which is amazing

I think some of the clothing fast fashion spend has moved onto fast interiors, that market has really grown.

What are the stats for Vinted and other second hand clothes retailers?

I'd love to buy some new clothes but everything is so boring and samey. I don't want another shapeless midi dress or suit jacket.

I agree - vinted is where everyone is these days!!

It's not the cost to me it's the quality. I don't mind spending on a good fabric but thin fabrics that cling rather than hang well and then go bobbly in one wash? No thanks!

Yea! I’ve really noticed this- I even thought it would be nice to change my cushion covers seasonally and then caught myself wondering why this is necessary! I know people are looking for content for their IG accounts but I am shocked how often people redecorate their rooms!

Is anyone worried about the brands though? I think there are quite a few brands that made a mess of their pricing and ended up folding.

Yes, nothing seems to have a lining these days either.

I don't mind if it's cheap, but if I'm spending £££ on a dress I want it to be lined. It doesn't hang properly otherwise.

Have bought a few items from M&S this season . They seem to have upped their game which is about time.

I wish we had an equivalent to Warehouse, Oasis or TopShop on the high street. Now it’s either New Look, Primark or Jigsaw and Whistles with nothing between.
I guess Mango or Zara might be considered to be holding that middle ground but I miss having more choices.

I hate the ethics around fast fashion/goods. Slave conditions for workers, environmental damage, negative impact on the high street and on our creative independents. Temu, Shein etc horrific.

i agree.

I buy mostly online. Trousers that were £70 are now £89 or £99 with the online shops shouting out their buzzword ‘sustainability’.

I agree. I live in a city and it’s very casual. The only people who ‘dress up’ are visiting the city for an specific event eg theatre, good restaurant etc
They stick out a mile!

Yup, missing the middle ground high street stores. I have a lot of good Oasis, Warehouse, Topshop in my wardrobe. There isn’t anything better in the shops than what I already have. I really miss the shopping experience, though. Now, it’s either charity shops or a boutique where I might buy one item.

I think the quality is also so bad it doesn't really justify buying.

I agree!! £25 for a dress for a 5 year old in NEXT. Absolutely ridiculous.

I dislike the rebranding of synthetic materials to appear eco . Plastic shoes are now ‘vegan’ and instead of wool jumpers they are recycled polyester. No thanks.

I've noticed this month that there is nothing I want to buy. I've looked in a few shops and nothing jumps out that isn't very similar to what I already have.

The problem with these shops was the quality decline. People weren't willing to pay a premium when they could get the same quality in New Look or H&M.

I think the go to 'middle ground' place is M&S these days, although some people like Next, FatFace etc.

No. They deserve to close for being so shite. Also for making shopping a very stressful experience.
I buy all online now brands like Thought, Rapanui, Komodo some of my faves.

Would be very interested to map out Vinted sales against the drop in online clothing

I'd say 70% of clothes and shoes 70% of my friends buy are Vinted or Depop

It can't last forever though - if everyone switches to Vinted, who's buying new stuff to sell on there?! It could end up like charity shops - full of cheap shit

Another one who buys a lot of second hand, due to the quality of much of today's clothing. To get the sort of quality which until fairly recently was standard you now have to pay a fortune, or put up with synthetic stuff which still costs a lot. I can never seem to find exactly what I want anyway. I would love to shop in my local shops, but they rarely have what I'm looking for, so I'm forced online, which of course entails things having to be returned and the associated postage costs. Thankfully I don't really need anything now.

I'm even older than you, and feel the same. I used to agonise over which of the several items I saw on a shopping trip to the city I could afford to buy - now I hardly ever see anything I like. I really don't think my tastes have changed, just the clothes, they all seem a bit boring.