So, the Office for National Statistics delivered a blow for the retail industry this week; fast fashion mega lords Primark, Forever 21 and H&M’s sales are down, down, down. For Primark, shrinkage for the second quarter in 3, and at Marks and Spencer an enormous 10% plunge on quarterly like-for-like performance for the month of July. The retail sector’s got issues.
Apparently, and unsurprisingly, we had a wet April here in the UK and everybody was discouraged from buying a bikini 4 months before their actual holiday. This supposedly had such a snowball effect on everyone’s mood that we refused to buy any summer clothes for the rest of the season.
I’m travelling to Italy with 11 of my best pals in 2 weeks time and found myself super hyped at the prospect of buying a new swimsuit (I can do 10 push ups now and feel healthier than ever). We’re currently cruising towards August, the height of the British Summer but WOAH, shocker. The swimwear is in a grubby sale pile at the back of the store. No matching sizes, huge red tags, a scratchy flamingo towel and one pair of sandals in a size 9 await me and my money. This is the state of the high street; an old pile of fallen clothes under a red flag of defeat.
The high street might be willing to admit that they’ve backed themselves into a tight corner by promising shoppers new stock every week. The summer items that didn’t shift in April because of some bad weather are now on sale in June, completely devaluing the summer stock at a time when most people want to buy it. We’re so used to buying discounted items that shoppers are asking themselves, ‘How much should fashion cost?’.
My boyfriend has given me a hard time in the past about fast fashion, sorry, ‘quick response’ (eat my shorts, Primark). He champions brands like cult British label Sunspel, who design and manufacture most of their garments in the UK and are very proud of that fact – as they should be. A T shirt may cost him £65 but that T shirt will keep it’s shape 6 x longer than a £10 Gap substitute and his carbon footprint and ethical conscience are lighter for it. I get it, maths takes the fun out of shopping, we covet ‘new’ and ‘updates’ but where are our options?
I’d like to see more womenswear labels with a focus on lasting quality that don’t just come with a price tag because they have a designer tag. Classic styles made from ethically sourced fabrics under fair manufacturing standards that are available all year round would be a pleasant surprise. Olive, keep doing what you’re doing, gurl.
Back to the issue of my swimsuit. I didn’t find a new bikini on the high street and I can’t afford a £250 Mara Hoffman, so this year I’m wearing last years bikini and it looks better than anything in the bargain bin at Topshop, *smug face*.
Mel x
Loner Store 