How digitally tracking Fashion clothes consumption is taking off online
In a Fashion world where step counts and screen time dominate our digital reflections, a new trend is emerging—digitally tracking our clothing consumption. Fashion enthusiasts are taking to social media platforms to document their daily outfits over a 12-month period, aiming to understand the frequency of each garment’s use, reduce unnecessary consumption, and save money in the process.
The Fashion movement is diverse, with some individuals opting for daily mirror selfies accompanied by a detailed list of each item worn, while others are conducting meticulous wardrobe inventories, breaking down their clothing into cost-per-wear calculations.
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The surge in popularity of apps allowing users to create virtual wardrobes by uploading photos of their clothing indicates a growing interest in this trend. Whering, for instance, reports a 34% year-on-year increase in uploads, with over 600,000 items submitted in the first four days of January alone.
Spearheading this wardrobe-tracking wave are sustainability advocates like writer Aja Barber. For her, the practice serves as inspiration to utilize her entire wardrobe, fostering experimentation with new ensembles and providing insights into the frequency of wear for each item.
Laura Reilly, founder of the shopping newsletter Magasin, has taken the concept a step further by sharing a comprehensive list of her 2023 purchases along with a cost-per-use analysis, revealing the economic and environmental aspects of her fashion choices.
TikTok has not been left untouched by this trend, as the “75-day hard style challenge” gains momentum. Coined by fashion analyst Mandy Lee, this challenge diverges from the fitness norm, urging participants to document their daily outfits for 75 days without making any new purchases. With over 390,000 views within its first five days, the challenge reflects a collective shift in consumer behavior, particularly among age groups ranging from 12 to 27, seeking alternatives to fast fashion.
This digital tracking fashion movement aligns with broader sustainability challenges like “no buy January” and “30 wears,” encouraging mindful and repeated use of clothing to minimize environmental impact. It represents a conscious departure from the fast fashion culture, where retailers like Shein inundate their sites with an average of 10,000 new items daily.
For Hannah Rochell, founder of slowette.com, a sustainable style website, daily tracking serves as a preventative measure against reverting to old shopping habits. She notes that it offers valuable insights into personal style preferences and acts as a reminder of having “enough” in one’s wardrobe.
Mandy Lee emphasizes the challenge’s role in breaking the cycle of impulsive online shopping, urging participants to appreciate and maximize the utility of their existing wardrobe. The challenge, she says, helps shift the focus from mindlessly adding items to the cart to appreciating and making the most of what one already possesses.
As this movement gains traction across age groups, it marks a significant step towards a more sustainable and mindful approach to fashion. By fostering an appreciation for existing wardrobe contents and encouraging responsible consumption, digital tracking is transforming the way we perceive and interact with our clothing.
Fashion enthusiasts are increasingly embracing digital tracking to document their daily outfits over a year, aiming to understand garment usage, reduce consumption, and save money. Whether through mirror selfies, detailed wardrobe inventories, or virtual wardrobe apps, individuals seek transparency in their clothing choices.
Sustainability advocates, like Aja Barber and Laura Reilly, champion this movement, while TikTok’s “75-day hard style challenge” gains popularity, emphasizing documenting outfits without new purchases. Aligned with broader sustainability goals, this trend signifies a shift away from fast fashion and encourages mindful, repeated use of clothing, promoting a more conscious and responsible approach to personal style.