Fashion-loving Brits have almost £800 worth of unworn clothes sat in their wardrobes, with one in three (32%) admitting they have too many clothes, according to a study.
But the poll, of 2,000 adults, found that three in 10 can't resist the lure of a new outfit, as 30% intend to buy yet more items before clearing out some of their unloved garments.
Almost half (43%) of those polled have bought an item online and not liked it, but kept it anyway – with three in five (59%) of those who have done so admitting they “couldn’t be bothered” to return it.
And rather than give away or sell such items, 55% have thrown clothing in the bin which was either perfectly good or easily fixable – although 34% felt guilty afterwards.
Just over two-thirds (67%) have so far decided against both clearing space in their wardrobes, and making money in the process, by selling old items online.
But the study, commissioned by Samsung UK, found the 33% who have tried their hand at selling garments in this way have earnt an of average £350 to date – with one in five bringing in £500 or more.
Love Island star Tasha Ghouri, pictured using the Samsung Z Flip4 to snap her own second-hand buys, said: “Selling clothes online is about to become your next side hustle.
“Putting the effort in to capturing the best photos for your online listing will help you sell more items, for better prices, and at a faster pace.
“When I shop second-hand, I always want to see what it looks like with someone wearing it, so make sure you capture pictures with you in it to drive more interest.”
The study found that on average, those polled can become bored of wearing the same piece of clothing after adorning it as little as six times.
And 30% have clothes in their wardrobes with the tags still attached to them.
It also emerged that, despite many of those polled successfully trying again further down the line, half (49%) have tried to sell clothes online at one time or another but simply given up.
And two in five (39%) admitted they found it hard to do the clothes justice through photos.
But they may well be on to something – as 35% said poor quality images put them off purchasing pre-loved clothes online through marketplace sellers.
Other factors which have a similar negative impact include vague or unclear descriptions (40%), and price (34%).
However, the study, carried out through OnePoll, found almost half (48%) would prefer to recycle or re-sell their clothes rather than bin them, amid landfill crisis concerns.
Ashrita Seshadri, from Samsung UK, said: “People are clearly wanting to find alternatives to throwing away their unwanted clothes, but many are feeling held back by the thought and process of reselling.
“We want to arm everyone with the tools to get better quality pictures and videos that do their pre-loved garments justice.”
For tips and tricks about pre-loved clothes, visit here.
