2023-11-27 18:21:25
TESTIMONIALS – Known under the terms “wardrobing” or “carry-back”, the practice is all the rage among young people and certain professionals. Weakened by this widespread freeloading, ready-to-wear brands are chomping at the bit.
«Let’s just say that I got into the habit of wearing my clothes with the label on, even when it’s itchy», begins Camille* mischievously. If this twenty-year-old is subject to this strange constraint, it is for a very specific reason: unlike the vast majority of customers, the young woman does not buy clothes to keep them, but rather to wear them and then return them. , in exchange for a refund. The well-established mechanics allow him to afford the pieces of his dreams… at a lower cost. Named “wardrobing» or “carried and returned”, this practice is increasingly widespread among French consumers, youth especially.
At only 24 years old, the young woman already has several years of “wardrobing” to his credit. “I started because the money my parents gave me wasn’t enough to buy the outfits I dreamed of“, she explains. “I couldn’t break the bank for outfits worn for an evening. Parisian by adoption, the student first gained experience in fast fashion brands. “It was very easy because in reality the cashiers barely inspect the returned clothes,” she explains.
Intoxicated by these first successes, she ended up eyeing the gates of accessible luxury brands. “I had some hot moments, because these are more discerning brands, the pieces often exceeding 300 or 400 euros. But I remained impassive in the face of the suspicions expressed by the sellers, and it always passed“. With her experience, Camille now knows all the tricks to cheat with complete impunity.
Sensitive to issues of overconsumption, the twenty-something is not particularly keen on owning her clothes. “I like the principle of renting pieces, rather than seeing them rot at the bottom of a drawer“. She also does not bother with other customers, who are likely to repurchase the previously worn item of clothing. “It doesn’t seem that dirty to me“, she evacuates. She obviously thought about putting her clothes back on sale on Vinted, but “it’s less financially interesting than a refund“. Free riding is also more “exciting» what to recycle. “It’s not theft but there is something risky, first of all for oneself», she analyzes.
An “open secret” in certain professions
Camille is far from being an isolated case. Obsessed with brands – seen as a social marker, in real life and on social networks – many French people indulge in them regularly. “It’s a way of living beyond one’s means», Recognizes the young woman. Including when you earn a good living. Young active in finance, Clément admits to using it several times a year. “I do it occasionally, during important meetings or for Instagram photos. I don’t see why I would buy for the sake of buying.” he whispers. The back-and-forth is also all the rage in certain prestigious professions, such as audiovisual production or the media. TV host, Julia* has also become a champion of “wardrobing».
She started by borrowing clothes through a press agency that represents brands. “The idea is to wear the clothes with their label during the show and to take care of them in order to be able to return them immediately.», Explains the thirty-year-old. So far, nothing reprehensible: the practice is perfectly in order. Except that Julia started using this same technique for other professional events, not covered by her press agency. “For award ceremonies or galas… Clothes from brands I like are absolutely out of my budget“. The presenter therefore buys them herself a few days before the event and then returns them the following week. A small arrangement with the rules which is not without remorse for the young woman. “The hardest part is lying to the salesperson who advised you on the choice of outfit, especially with brands that have real customer service and advice…“, she admits.
Losses for brands
The fraud may seem anecdotal, but it is not that much for the brands that are victims of it. According to researcher Regina Frey, author of numerous works on the subject, returns fraud can reduce up to 20% the overall profitability of a retailer. A study published in 2021 by the National Retail Federation estimates 7.8 billion dollars per year losses caused by fraudulent returns. Even when the garment is returned in good condition, retailers would lose around $10 for every $100 return accepted, due to shipping, receiving and sorting costs.
As strange as it may seem, the world of ready-to-wear seems to turn a blind eye. With the elimination of return costs, the gradual extension of withdrawal periods and refund facilities, returning clothing has never been easier. Anti-“wardrobing» however, remain marginal. While some brands now rely on a second, conspicuous label placed on the front of the garment, most brands limit themselves to a single, highly concealable label. If we add to this the generalization of deferred payment (“try first, pay later“), nothing seems to be able to prevent the explosion of the back-and-forth.
The silence of the sector is also eloquent. When contacted, the main ready-to-wear brands did not wish to comment on the subject. It is difficult, in fact, to fight effectively against “wardrobing» without depriving yourself of sales. As Regina Frey recalls, “fast fashion relies on volume”. A garment purchased, even for the wrong reasons, always has a high probability of being kept by the customer.
Ecological disaster
It would also be better if the piece “borrowed» stays warm in a cupboard. Because, if fans of worn-and-turning may have the feeling of de-consuming (by refusing the accumulation of clothes), their carbon footprint is disastrous. In 2019, returning items – whether worn or not – would have resulted in 15 million tonnes of carbon emissions in the United States. In 2018, the figure stood at 238,000 tonnes in Germany, the equivalent of 2,200 daily Hamburg-Moscow journeys. Brands, some of which have reintroduced return costs payable by the customer, no longer make a secret of it. Asos indicates that 12% of its total carbon emissions arise from customer returns.
The fact remains that brands are less verbose about the destruction of returned clothing. Some fast fashion brands may show a white hand on the subject, but a large part of the returned items still end up in landfills, according to Regina Frey. Logistics company Optoro estimates that 25% of returns are destroyed by retailers. For clothes that have already been worn and are often shabby, it is a safe bet that this percentage is around 100%. “It is often cheaper to get rid of unwanted items than to store them and refresh them for resale.“, explains Regina Frey. This should make the followers of “wardrobing»…
*First names have been changed
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