5s3: Worldwide wardrobes, inside consumers’ clothing systems

Abstract

The current clothing system is a complex and linear system, which is wasteful and polluting (Ellen MacArthur Foundation, 2017). Decreasing the impact of the clothing industry on the environment requires efforts in all phases of the garment life cycle, such
as production, selling and use phases, and requires behavioral change by all associated stakeholders in the value chain including the consumer. Extending the use of garments is often seen as an important strategy of decreasing the impact of the fashion industry, however currently there is a lack of data and understanding of consumers’ wardrobes. Consumers are increasingly willing to buy second-hand clothes and it is expected that the amount of second-hand clothes will make up one third of the wardrobes in 2033 (ThredUp, 2019). Nevertheless, in order to turn these predictions into real behavioural change, it is essential to get more insight in actual wardrobe contents and behaviour.