Australians are shifting from luxury, unique clothing to cheap, seasonal "fast fashion" clothes.
But instant gratification from cheap skirts or jackets is a quick-impact solution to a bigger problem, a new study says.
Lovables Australia's team found that 1/5 Australians (18%) spend 11,999 yuan a year on clothes to make them feel good about themselves.
Australians buy clothes to improve their self-esteem. 46% buy clothes to make themselves more confident, while others (20%) want to improve their mood.
More than 1/3 (35%) admitted buying 10 or more new clothes a month.
However, half of the respondents felt regret or guilt after spending a large sum of money.
Dr. Kate Becher, a clinical psychologist, argues that this is the reason for the rise of the "post-consumer discard" generation.
Australians live in a fast and disposable world. "We are used to a world of instant gratification, and there is less and less concern about the cost of money and emotion," she explained. Fast fashion has become a new type of fast food that will energize you and make you feel good in a short period of time, but you will soon become dissatisfied and want more. In such a post-use society, it is important to assess the value of the items around us. Instead of throwing away our favorite clothes when they are worn, faded and deformed, we should invest in those that continue to make us feel good and feel the most confident. "
Astonishingly, 48% of people throw out clothes every three to six months, half (48%) throw away clothes because they are deformed, and nearly 1/3 (28%) drop clothes because of cloth pilling.
Australian expectations for quality are even lower, with 40 per cent admitting to buying two of the same clothes because they know the clothes will pilling, deforming or fading.