BHF shops urge people to donate their unwanted stuff to Bag It. Beat It.
The average person in the North West holds on to at least 3 items of clothing that have never been worn and 6 items that no longer fit according to a new survey released today by British Heart Foundation (BHF) shops as they launch their Bag It. Beat It. stock donation campaign this September.
The survey delves into Britain’s bulging wardrobe secrets, highlighting that one in ten people (10%) even admit to hanging on to more than 16 items of clothing that no longer fit. Surprisingly, it is not only women’s wardrobes that are bursting at the seams. With females racking up an average wardrobe worth £2,270 – their male counterparts aren’t far behind amassing a closet full of clothes tallying £1,722.
Almost a third of people in the county (30%) admit the top 3 items they struggle to part with the most are 1) jeans, 2) shoes and 3) dresses and on average each item they own is worn just 15 times.
Interestingly, nearly 1 in 4 of us (24%) feel guilty about how much money we spend on clothes, with almost 1 in 8 people (12%) admitting to lying about their spending habits to those closest to them. Over 1 in 10 people (11%) even admit their wardrobe spending habits have got them into debt.
As part of their Bag It. Beat It. campaign, the BHF is encouraging people to beat the wardrobe bulge by clearing out the clutter and donating their unwanted stuff to BHF shops to help fund life saving heart research.
BHF supporter and fashion blogger, Poppy Dinsey, founder of What I Wore Today, has today revealed her top tips to combat those expanding wardrobes.
Poppy said: “A one-in one-out policy may seem a bit extreme when it comes to wardrobe management, but I do try to have a clear-out twice a year to keep on top of things. I try to be completely honest with myself and if I haven’t worn something in 12 months, it goes straight in the donation bag!
“I organise my wardrobe and drawers by garment type – all long sleeve tops are in one drawer, all trousers are in another – that way I can easily find my favourite pieces. If it’s not a favourite, it doesn’t belong there! I’d much rather someone else got some joy out of wearing something I no longer use, especially when it means I get some much needed space in my wardrobe and it can help the BHF to save lives in the process.”
Over half of Brits surveyed said the idea of downsizing their wardrobe does appeal; with over 1 in 3 people (36%) admitting they actually don’t struggle to part with their clothing. When probed about their current de-cluttering efforts though, the average Brit could only admit to having a clear out once a year.
Caroline Jones, Area Manager at the BHF, said: “We all have items that we can’t bear to part with, but this survey reveals that many Brits are long overdue a clear out!
“Of course we don’t all have piles of unworn clothes in our wardrobes, but every little helps. By simply donating one item that you’ve never worn or that doesn’t fit to your local BHF shop you’ll be making your wardrobe more manageable and helping the BHF fund life saving heart research.
“Over 18,700 people die each year with cardiovascular disease in the North West, but with donations to our Bag It. Beat It. campaign this September the BHF will be able to fight harder to reduce this figure”.
Last September over 1 million bags of unwanted items were donated to BHF shops as part of their Bag It. Beat It. campaign.
For more information and to find your local BHF shop click here
To read more about Poppy Dinsey and her top fashion tips visit PoppyD.com
