How much of an impact has the ‘wear it once’ culture had on our society?

After WUKA revealed 40 per cent of British people made shopping sustainably one of their 2022 New Year’s resolutions, it begs the question of just how much of an impact the ‘wear it once’ culture has had on our society for us to get to this point – Lucy and Yak have the answers.

With the festive party season well and truly over, the first month of the year is known as a time to instil change in our lives for the better. But how many people were still spending too much time aimlessly strolling for new garments, only to wear them once?

One in eight British people said most of the time they will only wear an outfit once and never again, with the main reason being they don’t want others to see it twice on their social media – I’m sure we all could have seen that one coming with the prevalence of influencer culture.

10 per cent also said they want to come across as fashionable, they want to prove they can afford a new outfit for each occasion, or they want to avoid judgement from their friends.

It’s no surprise there’s hesitancy around wearing an outfit more than once, as Lucy and Yak also revealed more than a quarter of individuals said they would judge others if they wore the same outfit more than once – who knew what others wear is such a big deal in so many eyes?

Whether it’s due to fear of judgement or for financial status, we all know opting to only wear something once isn’t sustainable. Making subtle changes to your fashion habits – like engaging with eco-conscious influencers to see how they’re wearing old clothes – may offer the answer to how we can all confidently make the most of our garments for all occasions.

“The cotton in most of our clothing tends to be grown in dry environments, requiring about 7,500 to 10,000 litres of water to produce,” said Ilyanna Peters from Treepoints.

“That’s about 10 years’ worth of drinking water for one person. By combatting our compulsion to overconsume, being mindful of the things we buy and support, and repurposing, we would live a more planet positive and socially responsible life.”

Before you purchase your next item of clothing, consider the quality and how long you’ll be able to love and wear it. We may now think the quality of clothing is worsening with time, but it’s worth holding out for the best you can find. If we stop buying poorly made garments, we’re putting more pressure on brands to improve the quality – let that be your motivation.

Edited by Miette Dsouza