Are We Affected By ‘Wear It Once’ Culture?

Are We Affected By ‘Wear It Once’ Culture?

Are we affected by ‘wear it once’ culture?

Here at Lucy and Yak, sustainability is at the heart of what we do. That’s why we wanted to take a look at what Brits really think about sustainability, by finding out how many people are affected by ‘wear it once’ culture.

‘Wear it once’ culture is how we describe the effect of only wearing an outfit once before either getting rid of it, stuffing it to the back of your wardrobe or giving it away. Find out whatwe discovered and keep reading to find out our tips for feeling confident in outfits you’ve worn before - including how to make subtle changes to make it feel brand new while still using pieces you already own.

How serious is ‘wear it once’ culture in the UK?

In order to find out just how many people in the UK actually believe the idea that you can never repeat an outfit, we took a survey of 1000 people and asked them several questions.

How many people only wear an outfit once in the UK?

Of everyone that we surveyed, 8% of Brits will only ever wear an outfit once and then never wear it again, while 12% said that most of the time they will only wear an outfit once and then never wear it again. Together, that makes up about 1 in 5 of our respondents who are frequently wearing an outfit only once and then never wearing it again.

Do we judge others for wearing an outfit more than once?

It transpires that 27% of Brits said that they judge others who wear an outfit more than once. What we wear does have an impact on how we are perceived by others, but it’s interesting to see that it’s not just what outfits we are wearing, but how often we are wearing them that is now also being judged by over a quarter of our respondents.

Why do we wear an outfit only once?

We were curious to know the reasoning behind the stats we gathered on ‘wear it once’ culture, and why as many as 1 in 5 people feel the need to abandon clothing after only one use.

For the 12% of respondents who answered that they only wear an outfit once, the most common explanation was because they don’t want people to see it twice on social media. Another 10% said the reason that they will only wear an outfit once is to avoid judgement from their friends.

A further 10% said the reason that they will only wear an outfit once is to come across as fashionable, and to prove they can afford a new outfit for every occasion. Finally, 8% of our survey respondents said the reason they will only wear an outfit once is because that’s what influencers do – which maybe suggests that influencers could do more to encouragesustainability and more thoughtful fashion.

So now that we know some of the reasons why ‘wear it once’ culture is so pervasive, it’s time to take a look at how we can provide people with alternative, sustainable options, and our top 10 tips on how to wear an outfit again with confidence.

How do we move on from ‘wear it once’ culture?

As our survey shows, about one fifth of the population are wearing an outfit once. That’s a lot of unworn clothes ending up in the bin! So how can we move on from this damaging culture and help people find ways to make an outfit feel new - even if it’s not? Here are our 5 hot tips for making an outfit feel fresh and rejuvenated (without buying anything new!).

Our top tips for repeating an outfit with confidence

1. Mix and match – If you have a favourite top you’d really like to wear, but don’t want to wear the same jeans or bottoms you’ve worn before, try mixing and matching it with different pieces in your wardrobe – a dress can look very different with heels and a sparkly bag than it does with a white t-shirt under it matched with sneakers.
2. Have a fashion show – Another top tip is to take all your clothes out of your wardrobe (or at least the ones you’re bored of), put your favourite happy playlist on and dance about your room trying on different outfits, seeing what sparks joy, what creative combinations your happy mind comes up with and how much fun you can have with trying on clothes!
3. Accessorize – Any outfit can feel renewed with some layered necklaces, a vintage rucksack, or a thrifted hat. Take out all your accessories and lay them out on the bed – look at the colours, the shapes, and patterns and match them up with items of clothing that pair well, or even clothing that clashes to create a statement!
4. Try dye - Got a white t-shirt that you’re considering getting rid of because it has some slight discolouration, or it just feels a bit basic? Try experimenting with fabric dye to give your t-shirt a new lease of life, either going for a classic tie-dye, or maybe even trying dip-dyeing. This colourful combination would go perfectly with our bright dungarees!
5. Find inspiration – Check out Pinterest or Instagram to see what your favourite influencers are wearing right now – but before you follow the link, think about whether you have something similar in your wardrobe to recreate the look. We love seeing eco-conscious influencers reuse their clothes in fun ways. This is a great way to look at all your clothing in a new light, and perhaps pull together outfits you would never have thought of yourself.

You can check out Our Progress on reaching the ambitious sustainability targets we’ve set ourselves to keep us accountable, and reach out to us on Instagram, Twitter or Facebook if you have any queries or would like to send us your favourite resources on recovering and detaching yourself from fast fashion. In the meantime, check out some of the resources we’ve collated on our blog to help you learn and support changing the way the fashion world works.

Back to blog