Why Buying Clothes Doesn’t Make You Happier

The biggest problem with clothing shopping isn't the clothing.

For years, retailers have been selling clothes to solve all of life’s problems, and it looks like people have bought into it. Sales of clothing and accessories in the US alone are estimated to be worth more than $400 billion each year, with fast-fashion brands such as H&M and Zara setting the standard for everyone else to follow. The problem?

Sustainable Fashion Has Its Limits

It’s great that we are becoming more conscious of social and environmental issues. This generation is a major driver behind how fast fashion has grown in popularity over recent years—and, in theory, that’s a good thing. We’re talking about businesses like H&M, Shein, and Zara, which can churn out trendy clothing at an impressive rate while still being environmentally friendly. But there’s a limit to how much sustainable fashion we actually need. In fact, some experts say it’s not always better for us or for our planet to be buying clothes so quickly. So maybe it’s time to stop buying so many clothes and start thinking about what you already have in your closet first? If you want to learn more about sustainable fashion and why buying new clothes might not make you as happy as you think, it will keep reading!

Buying ‘Green’ Won’t Make You Any Happier But Buying Less Will.

Fashion is an ever-changing industry, with new brands and ideas being constantly developed. Sustainable fashion is one of these trends that has emerged to increase awareness about environmental issues. The assumption behind sustainable fashion is that consumers will buy clothing from companies doing good to make them feel better about themselves or others. However, a recent study suggests otherwise. Researchers found that people were more likely to purchase items they liked regardless of whether they were environmentally friendly or not. This means people aren’t buying sustainable fashion for altruistic reasons; they’re buying it because they like how it looks on them. And when you consider how fast our society moves, there’s no doubt we live in a world where fast-fashion reigns supreme—so much so that we can get something new within days if not hours after purchasing something else.

The New Sustainable Fashion Movement

The sustainability movement in fashion has been around for decades, but only recently a new type of sustainable fashion began to take off: fast fashion. Fast fashion is essentially buying clothes as frequently as possible and not spending too much money on each purchase. Although fast fashion is often viewed negatively because it’s easy to get caught up in a cycle of purchasing cheap clothes from online stores, fast fashion is actually part of a larger (and positive) trend toward sustainable fashion that people should embrace and support.

What’s Next For Sustainable Fashion?

When it comes to sustainable clothing, experts say that organic and fair-trade clothing are great starting points—but in terms of creating a real revolution in how we make clothes, we need to think even bigger. Could 3D printers take over manufacturing? Could new fabrics improve everything from waterproofing to insulation? Let’s face it: when buying clothes doesn’t really make people happy, there’s plenty of room for innovation.

So What Does Help With Happiness?

When we talk about shopping, there’s a lot to consider. What do you buy? How much do you spend? Is it worth it? Who buys these things anyway? Understanding these factors is crucial to understanding why buying clothes don’t really make people happy. These questions and more are explored in detail in my upcoming book: Buy More of What Matters:. Why It’s Time to Stop ‘Using’ People, released in two months.

Sustainable Fashion Has Its Limits

It’s great that we are becoming more conscious of social and environmental issues. This generation is a major driver behind how fast fashion has grown in popularity over recent years—and, in theory, that’s a good thing. We’re talking about businesses like H&M, Shein, and Zara, which can churn out trendy clothing at an impressive rate while still being environmentally friendly. But there’s a limit to how much sustainable fashion we actually need. In fact, some experts say it’s not always better for us or for our planet to be buying clothes so quickly. So maybe it’s time to stop buying so many clothes and start thinking about what you already have in your closet first? If you want to learn more about sustainable fashion and why buying new clothes might not make you as happy as you think, it will keep reading!

Buying ‘Green’ Won’t Make You Any Happier But Buying Less Will.

Fashion is an ever-changing industry, with new brands and ideas being constantly developed. Sustainable fashion is one of these trends that has emerged to increase awareness about environmental issues. The assumption behind sustainable fashion is that consumers will buy clothing from companies doing good to make them feel better about themselves or others. However, a recent study suggests otherwise. Researchers found that people were more likely to purchase items they liked regardless of whether they were environmentally friendly or not. This means people aren’t buying sustainable fashion for altruistic reasons; they’re buying it because they like how it looks on them. And when you consider how fast our society moves, there’s no doubt we live in a world where fast-fashion reigns supreme—so much so that we can get something new within days if not hours after purchasing something else.

The New Sustainable Fashion Movement

The sustainability movement in fashion has been around for decades, but only recently a new type of sustainable fashion began to take off: fast fashion. Fast fashion is essentially buying clothes as frequently as possible and not spending too much money on each purchase. Although fast fashion is often viewed negatively because it’s easy to get caught up in a cycle of purchasing cheap clothes from online stores, fast fashion is actually part of a larger (and positive) trend toward sustainable fashion that people should embrace and support.

What’s Next For Sustainable Fashion?

When it comes to sustainable clothing, experts say that organic and fair-trade clothing are great starting points—but in terms of creating a real revolution in how we make clothes, we need to think even bigger. Could 3D printers take over manufacturing? Could new fabrics improve everything from waterproofing to insulation? Let’s face it: when buying clothes doesn’t really make people happy, there’s plenty of room for innovation.

So What Does Help With Happiness?

When we talk about shopping, there’s a lot to consider. What do you buy? How much do you spend? Is it worth it? Who buys these things anyway? Understanding these factors is crucial to understanding why buying clothes don’t really make people happy. These questions and more are explored in detail in my upcoming book: Buy More of What Matters:. Why It’s Time to Stop ‘Using’ People, released in two months.

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Vera Lovici

Vera Lovici work's as a digital marketing consultant and inspires, motivates and educates businesses on leveraging emerging technologies and digital marketing to stand out from the noise and reach their target audience.

Working as a growth strategist with purpose-driven for - or non-profit brands, Vera also has a Weekly Sustainability Newsletter that focusses on fashion, consumer behaviour, digital, Fashion Tech and Social Entrepreneurship.