Recent CivicScience data show that 40% of Americans are ready to part with much of their wardrobes or have already recently done so.
That’s according to a November survey of more than 4,400 U.S. adults, the results of which show that only 14% love their wardrobe and want to leave it fully as-is. While a quarter of adults only think they need to part with a few items, 20% indicate they want to overhaul their closets soon, and another 20% have recently gotten rid of items.
Not only could this sweeping post-COVID era closet overhaul be a huge opportunity for retailers who could market to these folks via an ‘update your wardrobe’ message, but also one for the growing prominence of used clothing apps and services like Poshmark, thredUP, eBay, and the like.
Overhaulers
Americans older than 35 are less likely to be content with their closets and more likely to want to get rid of a bunch of items.
Men are much more content with their closets than women are.
Nowhere to Wear
For the remote workers out there, chances are you haven’t even really reached in your closet on most days over the last year and a half – that is unless sweatpants and other athleisure are hung up there.
Data show a strong correlation between those who have recently purged or want to do so soon with working from home. All that business casual may not really serve a purpose any longer with many not going into a physical office space.
So what will the future of wardrobes look like? Will people replace items they no longer need or love with new ones, continuing the cycle? Or will closets get smaller and stay that way? CivicScience will continue to study this trend, including adoption of used clothing selling options, in 2022.
