Paris – 18.06.2026: In France, the increasing number of clothing items purchased is leading to increasingly st￭ wardrobes. A recent study confirms that every French person buys an average of 43 garments per year. This significantly increases the amount of clothing kept at home, often without these garments actually being worn. Experts speak of a veritable textile flood, which can be explained especially by the prevailing consumer culture and the dominance of the fast fashion industry.
According to the French environmental agency ADEME, the French own an average of 175 clothing items — although the affected individuals themselves believe they only have about 79 pieces. This discrepancy reveals a lack of awareness of their own consumption habits. Fast fashion providers such as Shein and Temu make it possible to buy large quantities of cheap clothing. The consequences are often impulsive purchases of inexpensive goods that are only worn briefly and then put back in the closet or even thrown away.
Especially young women and people with lower incomes increasingly turn to such offers, which further increases the mountain of clothes. At the same time, the attractiveness of second-hand markets and swap meets is growing — however, this is still not enough to counteract the enormous growth in fashion items.
The quality defects of many garments also complicate recycling: Often, the materials are so damaged after a few uses that they can neither be repaired nor meaningfully reused. As a result, large amounts of textiles end up in landfills or are incinerated. Existing recycling and reuse systems are reaching their capacity limits.
Experts emphasize the need for a more responsible approach to fashion. They advise reducing the purchase of new clothes, focusing more on sustainable and durable products, using second-hand options, and caring for and repairing garments for longer. Expanding repair services and promoting initiatives for reuse are also important steps to reduce the environmental impact of the fashion industry.
The large amount of unworn clothing in French households shows how urgent a rethink is. More conscious consumption not only protects the environment but also alleviates finances. The fashion industry faces the challenge of developing more sustainable offers and motivating consumers to behave less wastefully.
The overflow of wardrobes is therefore not just an individual matter but a societal problem that demands political, economic, and cultural responses. Only through coordinated measures can the textile flood be contained and the ecological footprint of the fashion sector in France be sustainably reduced.