Fashion has to do with ideas, with the way we live, with what is happening.
It is one of the many phrases that she left Coco Chanel
for posterity .
As with almost all of her statements, she was very right.
That is why it is impossible for the wardrobe of Spanish women today to be similar to that of her grandmothers 60 years ago.
Women live differently, we have rushed into the labor market, and we are influenced by the world around us and bombarded not daily, but minutely, by trends on mobile phones and social networks.
In the time of Coco Chanel, in the first decades of the 20th century, women's dressing rooms were much more concise than now.
That's why she listed the essential garments: from the first women's pants to that
little black dress
that still lasts today or a sailor-striped sweater.
Purchases by age
Before, the seasons were clearly marked for renewing clothes, but now we buy continuously: four out of 10 Spaniards buy
a garment every three months,
and up to 29.5% do so once a month.
How often do you go shopping and buy clothes?
40.2%, every 3 or more months;
29.5%, once a month;
2l 22.6%, every 2 months;
5.5%, every week, 2.3% do not know, do not answer
But can so many clothes fit in a standard closet?
Do we use it season after season or does that use and throw that we talk so much about work here?
75% of those surveyed say they use each garment
at least 20 times before throwing it away,
but be careful! Here, a generational gap begins to open: as age increases, the number of times a garment is worn also increases. .
The gap is so big, from 54.5% of the youngest to 82.2% of the oldest.
Pieces that last
We then move into the scenario of a dressing room that is renewed every so often.
Although, it is true, when asking Spanish women how old is the oldest item of clothing in their wardrobe that they continue to use and is not inherited, 60% say that they have a piece that is
more than 10 years old.
ILLUSTRATION: CARMEN CASADO
But with this antique garment or accessory there are others that have not yet been released, according to more than half.
And not one or two... 80% affirm that, at the time of being asked, they had
between one and five unused pieces.
Once again, it is the young women who stand out for buying and postponing the premiere (if it ever occurs).
Desired or necessary?
This phenomenon could be due to the fact that we buy more clothes and accessories than we really need, something supported by
nearly 45%
of those surveyed, particularly the youngest ones.
What leads us to do this?
We consulted
Pedro Mir,
professor of Marketing and Consumer Behavior at ISEM Fashion Business School (University of Navarra), who points out that there are several psychological and social factors involved: «Constant exposure to advertising and the life of influencers on social networks can create a feeling of need or desire to acquire new products to be fashionable or create an idealized lifestyle.
Another factor may be the search for happiness and satisfaction: shopping as a form of instant gratification, improving mood or self-rewarding.
It could also be due, the expert continues, "to the desire to fit into certain circles since shopping is seen as a way to relieve stress, the so-called retail therapy."
Do you think you have more clothes than necessary?
44.8% think so;
52.3% do not, and 2.9% do not know, do not answer
Perhaps this buying more than necessary is a trend that will not last, because almost 90% have decided
to control their habits,
either to monitor their current account - in 42.7% of cases - or to adapt to sustainable consumption (Four. Five%).
Fashion and environment
Here we have come across another of the great key factors in the consumption of clothing and accessories: sustainability.
Fashion is the second most polluting sector according to the United Nations and concern for the planet is growing.
An interest in eco that resonates especially among young people, who, Mir believes, "look for brands that align with their personal values regarding the environment and social responsibility."
But let's not get too excited, because the expert assures that
"there has not been a substantial behavioral change
in fashion consumption habits" in recent years.
In fact, that does not mean that "when push comes to shove, young people do not discriminate against brands with a less sustainable image."
A few words that are also supported by the result of the survey: 50.4% of Spanish women say they do not
currently have
any second-hand clothing and just over 38% have some certified as ecological.
A percentage that decreases if we talk about the majors.
What do we buy as if we were collectors and where?
As seen so far, we buy more and are guided by trends more than ever.
The star piece among accessories are
shoes,
since 37.5% have between 6 and 10 pairs, followed by bags.
42.4% have between 2 and 5 bags, although if we look at young women between 16 and 25 years old, it is between 6 and 10. The price?
More than 64% buy them for less than 100 euros.
Exactly the same as they spend on their best shoes.
What are the most repeated pieces in our closets?
41.6% say that pants;
20.3%, sweaters;
18.6%, shirts
The gap that separates the closets of older women from those of younger women is not closed here.
They are also distinguished by their way of shopping, although not too much: 10% of those between 16 and 45 years old prefer to do so
online,
while only 2.2% of those over 56 years old do so. .
So much so that brands insist on online sales, a system that has not yet caught on in Spain.
Pedro Mir attributes this to the fact that our country "has very walkable cities and shopping is a leisure plan, unlike the peripheral shopping centers of Anglo-Saxon countries.
Visiting physical stores is part of our consumer culture.
This happens with practically all clothing, although bags and jewelry-type accessories are often purchased online.
Why so many clothes?
For the fact that the abundance of clothes in the closet is the main change observed in recent years, Pedro Mir offers an explanation: «Although it is not a completely new phenomenon, the scale on which it occurs today and the accessibility of fashion For a wide range of people they are
distinctive aspects of the modern era,
driven by technological advances, cultural and economic transformations, and the omnipresent influence of the media and social networks.
* Population: women aged 16 and over residing in Spain.
Information collection technique: Panel Sigma Dos by Trust Survey.
Online (CAWI)/RRSS.
Field date: January 24 to 29, 2024. Sample: 1,447 interviews.
The sample allows working with a margin of error of plus or minus 2.4% for a confidence level of 95.5% and assuming variables with two equally distributed categories.