Standing despondent in front of your closet, because you really don’t have anything to wear. We have all been there. And how tempting is it to shop for a new outfit for every wedding, vacation or birthday? You’re not the only one, but unknowingly you spend a lot of money on all these clothes. There are hundreds of dollars of unworn clothes in our closet.
To be honest: How many of your clothes are you not wearing? Probably you don’t expect this to be that high. Of course, those shorts only come out of the closet during a vacation. And that dress is only meant for that fancy party, really. And oh yes, you don’t take that little sweater out of the closet very often…
So there’s always a part of your wardrobe that you don’t wear very much. However, research by Movinga shows a very shocking number. They studied 18,000 closets in twenty different countries. This shows that the average woman leaves a whopping 71 percent (!) of her clothes unused in the closet.
the average woman leaves a whopping 71 percent of her clothes unused in the closet
Huge amount
Not only is it a shame to wear so few pieces of clothing, but there’s also a hefty price tag on all these unused pieces. The clothes hanging in our closet are worth 3000 dollars on average. A huge amount of money! This may also be due to the fact that you only use more expensive clothing, such as a suit or a gala dress, sometimes just once. But also all those cheap garments together may be worth more than you think.
More conscious shopping: tips
The ideal situation is to just wear 100 percent of your closet. This way you get the most value for money and save literally hundreds of dollars. How do you make sure your clothes don’t get stuck in the closet unworn? Keep these tips in mind when shopping.
– Has your eye fallen on a beautiful piece of clothing? Think about how many outfits you can make with it. If you can’t make at least three different combinations, you probably won’t be able to take this garment out quickly. Multifunctional basics are therefore very important.
– Pay close attention to the fabric and the quality of the garment. Cheap is expensive and often applies to clothing. That 5 dollar shirt may be a bargain, but after washing it once it’s pale and your money is actually wasted.
– Does it really fit? We like to lie to ourselves in the mirror. But say for yourself, a pair of pants where you constantly have to hold your belly down or a dress for which you actually have to lose a few pounds will most likely remain unworn in your closet.
– Sell your unused clothes. Clean up your closet and think about what you haven’t worn in the last 12 months. Chances are that you won’t wear it soon. Is the clothing still in good condition? There are numerous options to sell it. Think of websites like Facebook Marketplace, Vinted and United Wardrobe. But also some second-hand stores will give you an amount of money when you hand in your clothes.
– Make a shopping list. Yes, also when you go shopping! If you need warm winter boots, don’t leave the shoe store with summery steps because they happen to be on sale. Stick to the list of clothes you can’t miss in your wardrobe and don’t buy anything else. Your wallet and bulging closet will love it!