IF IT’S BEEN a few weeks since you last bought yourself a new item of clothing, it’s very likely you’re over the age of 35.
More than half of young adults are buying themselves new things to wear “at least” a few times a month, according to new research for the Environmental Protection Agency.
The study showed Ireland has a firm fast fashion habit, with frequent purchases facilitated by the widespread availability of ultra cheap clothes everywhere from online to the aisles of supermarkets.
Even people who buy clothes a few times a month still spend just €95 on average on clothes each month.
Almost half of Irish people now buy “a lot” or a “fair amount” of clothes from supermarkets or low-cost shops and brands, the survey found.
Second-hand is not first choice
“Pre-loved” and vintage clothes may have a cool image at the moment, but the survey showed Irish people are overwhelmingly buying new.
Almost nine in 10 people said the last three items they had bought were new – and they hadn’t considered buying second-hand when they made those purchases.
Irish people’s good intentions to be economical and unwasteful when it comes to clothes don’t necessarily match with our behaviour in reality.
While the majority said they never buy clothes with the intention of wearing them for only a short amount of time, one in four people admitted never wearing some of the clothes in their wardrobes. Young women were more likely to do this.
Tad Kirakowski, chief executive of environmental NGO Voice, said: “There’s a real disconnect between our attitudes and what we’re actually doing.”
Kirakowski said the survey highlighted the profound influence of the fast fashion industry on Irish people’s consumption habits.
The EPA said the survey did provide evidence that people under the age of 35 are repairing, swapping and renting clothes, which all helps to support wearing them for longer.
However, it added that “there is a need to reduce consumption of clothing to prevent waste arising, particularly in this younger age group who are the high frequency purchasers”.
Older people buy less
When it comes to buying a lot of clothes, there’s a stark difference across age groups, with only a third of older millennials and Gen X – those aged between 35 and 54 – shopping as often as a few times each month.
Over-55s buy clothes far less often, with almost half buying something only every few months.
The research found that people who live in urban areas are significantly more likely to buy new clothes more often.
Kirakowski, of NGO Voice, said the survey showed the need for policy measures aimed at the fashion industry. France’s legislature is currently considering a draft law that would impose eco-taxes on fast fashion items. The measure is particularly aimed at regulating low-cost clothing from Chinese e-commerce platforms Shein and Temu.
Kirakowski said greater transparency on what happens when clothes get sent to the clothes bank – with many going from there to landfill or incineration rather than for reuse or recycling – could also help to influence consumers’ shopping habits.
The research comprised a nationally representative survey of over-16s by Behaviour & Attitudes for the EPA conducted in August 2024.
