Spring is traditionally the season for an intensive cleansing – and maybe also a decluttering. Take stock and clean up somewhat freshening things up domestically.
A well-liked latest route to try this This involves targeting your wardrobe by making a digital inventory of your clothes – after which tracking what you wear. You note the worth, brand and category of your clothing items (in addition to shoes and bags) after which record how often they’re used.
The idea is that this information can lead to raised decisions in the long run, whether it's saving money or pursuing a more sustainable approach to fashion.
And Better decisions are needed. The clothing industry in Europe ranks fourth by way of its harmful impact Ecological damage for accommodation, transport and meals.
Clothing is severely underworn, reports indicate that one item of clothing is worn so often Decline of 36% worldwide between 2000 and 2015. In the UK, an estimated 65% of girls and 44% of men have clothing of their wardrobe that they wear still must be wornwhile a survey found that many ladies consider wearing garments a couple of times “be old.
As brands compete with online services to supply ever-increasing quantities of clothing for consumption, and there are popular tools for selling unwanted clothing, we wondered whether digital tracking could make your wardrobe more sustainable.
For our research, we worked with Save Your Wardrobe, an app designed to assist people organize and categorize their clothes. We surveyed users to seek out out whether digitizing their wardrobe has led to noticeable changes.
From the outset, we discovered that customers were anxious and dissatisfied with how they dressed and managed their wardrobe. There was a desire to raised understand what was of their closets and the way they used their garments.
One woman told us, “Personally, I would be happier if I felt like I was making really thoughtful decisions.” [about what clothes I buy] And they didn't come from a state of fear or a state where I continually felt like there was a brand new gap in my wardrobe that I needed to fill.”
Another said: “I feel loads about reducing the environmental footprint of my lifestyle. And I feel clothing is an area where I get frustrated because I feel like my values don't align with my behavior.”
She added: “I think we should just consume less, but then I get anxious and stressed and feel like I need something and those two things are incompatible.”
Do it and fix it
For many, the initial organizing process required to upload photos of clothing items to the app became a moment of reflection and a chance to query and alter existing patterns of behavior. The effort involved also led to an appreciation of the clothing we already had.
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A key aspect of this was the flexibility to quantify what was within the wardrobe – and lots of the people we spoke to were surprised (and even shocked) by the quantity of clothing they owned.
One said: “I spotted 50% of my wardrobe comes from Primark. It's ridiculous and I believed, 'Oh my God!'”
She continued: “I knew I would go crazy if I went to Primark but I didn't have a complete overview of all the things I have.”
Another commented: “I definitely felt more organized. When I looked at old clothes again, I saw what I have in my closet. That was good because I [had been] I wanted to buy something new, but realized I didn’t need it.”
This sort of response was common as users of the app understood and sought to alter their behavior patterns around clothing. Items were rediscovered and put back into use, leaving owners feeling like they were “shopping their own closet.”
When they realized how much money that they had spent on clothing, some items were put aside to be repaired so that they might be worn again, while others got away.
Overall, we found that clothing consumption fuels consumer anxiety – but using an app may also help people feel more accountable for their wardrobe. Tracking data about their behavior made consumers feel more accountable for their actions and where they’ll make changes.
The ability to quantify and gain insights in this fashion was seen as comparable to other digital solutions, reminiscent of wearable fitness trackers that may record data and supply motivating incentives.
A greater awareness of the clothing they already owned increased people's appetite to own more. With the climate change crisis and the fee of living reducing income, perhaps it's time to ditch the shopping apps – and spend a while reacquainting yourself with the garments you already own.
image credit : theconversation.com