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?

But the good thing about reselling is that as long as the clothes stay in OK condition, it’s not a one and done deal. I put on weight, bought new stuff on Vinted, lost the weight, sold it again and bought more. It’s way more circular. So you could have clothes - even fast fashion clothes - being bought and worn by several people rather than just one and disposed of. And there is SO MUCH stuff out there. I read somewhere there’s enough clothes in the world to clothe everyone for seven lifetimes. We’re not going to run out.

Absolutely this.
Also Whistles clothes mostly cheap horrible materials but no reduction in price. They used to be exclusive almost a boutique. Now its massed produced rubbish and really poor quality for the price.

I'm another one who feels totally underwhelmed by what's in the shops. I wonder if it's an age thing - shopping felt exciting when I was younger and dressing to go out more and fashion seemed new and exciting. Now it all just seems like more expensive, worse quality versions of things I've already got.
I'm also spending more time on Vinted than I am in shops.

I read somewhere there’s enough clothes in the world to clothe everyone for seven lifetimes. We’re not going to run out.

Maybe so, but what clothes are they? In terms of materials and quality, in terms of sizing, in terms of cuts? Colours at least you can redye. If something is a flimsy crop-top, it's not something I'm willing to wear. It's not about the quantity. Things which you're willing to wear are only a very tiny proportion of all those clothes out there.

I really think its because shops like Topshop and Oasis and Warehouse are missing. I'm not keen on River Island and New Look. There are very few shops out there now.

I loved Topshop. I really miss it. On ASOS it is just not the same.

Went into my H&M recently and they are selling badly creased, crap material. I like some of their shapes but the fabric is so poor.

I make most of my own clothes, these days, and in the 3.5 years since I seriously got back into sewing, decent fabric has gone up by a similar amount.

(it also means that if I see a top that I like for £90, my first thought is how can make a better quality version of it that actually fits me for £45)

It used to be a leisure activity going shopping on a Saturday. Now there's no decent shops so no one bothers anymore. I too miss Warehouse, Topshop, Oasis, Miss Selfridge even Dorothy Perkins! At at least there was some choice then. I used to love Outfit - having them all under one roof.

Yes it is the middle ground in terms of price point but it’s a bit staid, style-wise, for my tastes, ditto Next and FatFace. I can only really think of some of Zara’s range filling the gap left by TopShop, Warehouse etc. No offence if anyone’s a fan but I find River Island too blingy.

Clothes are cheap, disgustingly cheap. And utterly crap quality. Even the more expensive ones, that's probably why sales are down

@GellerYeller

I dunno, I think it's just nostalgia with Topshop. I loved it when I was in my teens and early 20s, but by the time I hit my mid to late 20s I felt too old for it (and slightly sheepish about going in!). Topshop's target demographic was 13-24 so it kind of makes sense. Not to say that older women can't shop there, but I don't think that you would look at it in the same way if it was still on the high street. Same with Miss Selfridge. I just couldn't imagine shopping there in my 30s.

The target market for Oasis (and probably warehouse) was supposedly early to mid 30s, and I do think that they had more mature styles, but the fabric quality was dire towards the end. It's no suprise that they went under.

River island I never liked. Not even in my teens.

@GellerYeller I agree. Back in the early 90s River Island was great but it’s gone very blingy/ girl band.

My DD 24
goes into the office twice a week so can rotate fewer outfits.

Also people dress up less when they go out to eat these days .
I’m eating out less because the prices have got silly for not very much or not very good food and I can do better at home . So then I don’t need so many new clothes.

I dunno, I think it's just nostalgia with Topshop. I loved it when I was in my teens and early 20s, but by the time I hit my mid to late 20s I felt too old for it (and slightly sheepish about going in!). Topshop's target demographic was 13-24 so it kind of makes sense.

In the days of Jane Shepherdson it definitely was a wider demographic & with things like the Boutique range.

The Boutique buyer is the Raey designer & there are lots of similarities

Not read the whole thread but people maybe are more considerate of the environment and waste. Also so many new clothes are expensive but the fabric or styling is rubbish. Fashions don't change as quickly as they used to. Less money to spend on clothes so wear what we have or buy second-hand.

Clothes are awful at the moment.

Garish colours, horrible styles, vile materials no thanks

I don't buy much now. I don't like current styles, I don't like garish colours, I like clothes to fit rather than being hugely oversized, I'm not a fan of polyester (although I don't mind viscose - all my knitwear is viscose because I'm allergic to wool). All the shops I used to browse in have gone, so no chance to seeing something I liked, trying it on and buying it.

Online isn't the same, the browsing isn't the same online. Then paying for delivery (which has to be to work, as I'm not at home), dragging it home on the tube, train and bus, trying it on, not liking the colour/fit/fabric/quality and paying to send it back. And repeat. No. I was never a huge clothes shopper, but enjoyed the whole process in the past. Now it's bloody hard work with none of the joy, or even nice clothes at the end of it! And it still costs me money.

And I'm in the office (which is not casual), and I go out, so I do need stuff.

same - I rarely go into the office now and if I want something new to wear I buy on Vinted

Maybe the "fast fashion is an environmental disaster" message is getting through?

Buying less clothing is really easy to do & positively benefits the individual, the family, the community, the country & the planet.

I now buy very little clothing & when I do it's from small indie makers, Vinted or charity shops.

I think that there has been a change in attitudes towards buying second hand and an acknowledgement that while people may want ‘new’ it can simply mean new to them. It’s the attitudes of people that will drive a change in habits more than cost I believe.

Totally agree the quality at Oasis etc. plummeted in latter days. But when TS peaked around the Kate Moss collaboration years, I was shopping in there and my mum/ 50 year something old neighbour was too. They had some good choices, denim, shoes etc. The market has moved on though, I get it.

As well as buying from Vinted and FB group with second hand Kettlewell stuff, I've started buying from Sainsburys. I go there a lot - my gym is in the building- and as most shoos now using man made fibres, I'd rather pay £15 for a polyester blouse from Sainsburys than £70 for a not dissimilar one from Jigsaw.

Plus I used to buy loads in John Lewis. They didn't have big collections, but the buyer at the time seemed to have a lot of good choices for middle aged ladies. Now they have more but it's displayed like Primark with huge racks of the stuff everywhere and different collections for different age groups, I don't go into browse anymore as it's not enjoyable.