Fall is my favorite time of year. While I’m not prone to indulging in retail therapy, I usually splurge on the latest fall trend. Nothing makes me happier than putting on a big, bulky sweater and sipping coffee from a giant mug. But in general, I buy clothes for two reasons: to replace worn out items in my closet or to have a new outfit for an event.
According to a recent study by Research For Good, my clothes shopping habits are pretty on-par with other U.S. females. When asked for the main motivation behind their most recent clothing purchase (for themselves), just under 30% of respondents selected “I need to replace an old garment,” and 26% selected “I wanted something new for an event.” Only 2% of respondents selected “to impress others.”
Research For Good’s report, which surveyed 400 U.S.-based females, ages 18-75, focused on female clothes-buying behavior, particularly “why [women] shop, what’s important to them when purchasing an item and how much they spend when they do.” Here are a few other findings:
- When asked about the motivation behind their most recent clothing purchase (for themselves), 30% of females aged 18-24 selected that they “purchased their most recent item of clothing to make themselves feel better, more than double the number of women aged 25-39 and 55-75 purchasing for the same reason.”
- On average, just under 30% of respondents reported that they spend up to $25 a month on purchasing clothes for themselves. Less than 16% of respondents stated that they spend over $151 each month.
- When asked, “How often do you purchase a new item of clothing for yourself?” the majority (29.75%) selected once a month, followed by every three months at 22.5%.
- Thirty-eight percent of respondents selected cost as the most important factor when purchasing a new item of clothing for themselves. Only 1% selected “If it’s ethically made.”
To dig deeper into the results, check out the full study, which includes a breakdown of each response by age group. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to go shopping for a patchwork fall cardigan.