Second Hand September builds on signs Britons are buying fewer clothes

More than half of UK adults say they have deliberately tried to buy fewer clothes over the past year, providing a backdrop for Oxfam’s Second Hand September campaign.

Overproduction and short-lived wardrobes consume resources and create waste. Oxfam’s survey found that almost a third of the average wardrobe had not been worn in the previous year, while one in five people discard unwanted clothing instead of donating, repairing or reselling it.

The charity’s campaign, launched in 2019, asks people to choose pre-owned clothing, donate unwanted items and keep garments in circulation for longer. Its State of Style poll questioned 3,037 UK adults in July. Alongside the 57% reporting reduced buying, four in ten respondents said they had worn an item only once.

The findings suggest appetite for reuse is becoming mainstream, and Oxfam’s 500-plus shops provide practical infrastructure. However, the survey is self-reported and cannot show that the campaign caused the shift or quantify savings.

Oxfam plans to repeat the survey annually, creating a clearer picture of whether buying and disposal habits continue changing.