Young people who want to dress environmentally and responsibly are having a hard time due to inflation

It is a study with unsurprising conclusions, but which helps to measure the extent of the phenomenon. In the UK, a Primark survey of 2,039 adults and broadcast by the professional media ecotextile.com measured that nearly a third of UK adults fear that the cost of living will prevent them from shopping responsibly from a social and environmental point of view.

Young people who want to buy responsibly but cannot afford it

It is especially young people who bear this fear. Indeed, almost half of people between 18 and 34 (45%) say they feel forced to move away from the issue of eco-responsibility. And this, even if it is also the segment of the population for which it is most important.

As for people aged 35 to 54, only 23% say they worry about eco-responsibility issues when shopping for fashion and reselling their clothes.

18-34 year-olds double their creativity to dress eco-friendly without breaking the bank

But that doesn’t matter, since first-hand fashion is far from being the greener choice to consider. The study also highlights that young people are doubling their creativity to do what they already have. The Primark survey therefore finds that almost a third of those under 34 say they build a minimalist wardrobe (” capsule cabinet ”): Having personal foundations that go well together.

Among the under 34s, 41% barter and resell clothessince the second hand can turn out to be a particularly green practice (as long as you avoid certain excesses deciphered in Raw material).

The study also emphasizes this 77% of the people surveyed in this age group are involved in the repair of clothes. Among them, 62%, of whom 95% are between 18 and 24 years old, say they have done so. save money.

The cost of living crisis is also having an impact on fashion in France

As noted by the media The independent, the consumer price index rose to 10.1% in the twelve months to July 2022 in the UK, according to the National Statistical Office. According to forecasters from the Bank of England, inflation is expected to peak at 13.3% by the end of the year, making it the highest rate in 40 years.

The same is certainly true in France, where inflation also continues to rise and in July it just reached 6.1% in a year.according to INSEE: “this increase in inflation would be due to an acceleration in the prices of services linked to the summer period, of food and – to a lesser extent – of manufactured goods”.

If the textile sector still seems relatively spared, it will soon get worse. INSEE noted a + 3.2% price increase in 2021 and expects a further 5-15% for 2022. The reason: commodity prices are exploding, particularly due to international conflicts, in addition to consequences of the pandemic still not Above.

Why expect a clothing cost crisis?

For example, cheap clothes often rhymes with polyester. Who says polyester says oil, but many Western countries are trying to boycott Russian barrels to influence the conflict in Ukraine. Not to mention the dyes that often come from Eastern European countries. We can see a similar price increase for cotton, which is massively produced in China, where it is difficult to tell whether or not it comes from Uyghur forced labor: wanting to get around Chinese cotton comes at a significant cost.

In short, all these major geopolitical complications affect the price of clothes. So the little leeway we have on the fashion side, especially if we have a limited budget, consists of dress with what you already have. Repair, reuse, reuse.

A photo credit: Capturenow via Canva.