Have you ever thrown a tantrum in your undies before a big night out because you have nothing to wear? Based on recent research from CollectPlus most of us have plenty of items lurking in the recesses of our wardrobes that are brand new and have never been worn.
New data released by the parcel service shows that there is £4.6 billion worth of unworn clothing hidden away in the nation's wardrobes, an average of £93 worth per person.
To rescue these #neverbeenworn items, CollectPlus are partnering with Oxfam and will be offering free delivery on 500 parcel donations. Participants can download a label from CollectPlus' website and drop it off at one of over 5,900 UK parcel points to be sent to Oxfam's online depot where the charity can put them to good use.
A closer look at the nation's stash of unused payday treats shows that the average Brit will have seven completely mint-condition items waiting to be unleashed; that's estimated to be a staggering total of 350 million separate pieces across the UK.
The nation's five most commonly unworn items of clothing are:
1. T-Shirts/Tops - 53%
2. Trousers - 30%
3. Sweaters - 29%
4. Jeans - 26%
5. Coats - 24%
While there is likely to be something about these garments that has kept them on the hanger, some responses show the nation's addiction to buying fashion online has exploded in the last few years.
Men were found to be the biggest money wasters, amassing an average of £100 worth of unused clothes, £10 more than women. While shoppers from Sheffield had the most high value unworn items, collecting a whopping average of £223.05 worth of unworn clothing. Adults in Norwich topped the nation's hoarders with an average of ten items of shop-fresh threads.
Catherine Woolfe, Marketing Director at CollectPlus said "Many shoppers buy items online that don't quite work when they try them on at home. As the partner to over 300 retail brands CollectPlus offers savvy shoppers an easy way to return unwanted items and see that cash come back into their accounts. Realising however that many people have items that are too late to return we've teamed up with Oxfam and will be offering free postage on the first 500 parcel donations to their main depot"
Fee Gilfeather, Oxfam Trading's Head of Marketing said "By having a clear out of your unworn clothing, you could be helping to provide clean water for a school, or vital supplies to a family in an emergency. We will sort your donations and sell them in our shops or on Oxfam's Online Shop, so you can be sure that every last item donated is used to raise money to help fight poverty worldwide."
For more information about how to send your unworn clothes for free to Oxfam and be in with a chance of winning a fashion voucher worth £50, head over to http://www.collectplus.co.uk/news/neverbeenworn
If you haven't worn something in a while, donate it.