Between fashion posts on social media and the near-constantly cycling micro-trends, it’s hard to stay in style. Americans love looking good and embracing fashion– but does their budget appreciate their flair? How much do Americans spend on looking good in 2024, and how vast are their closets?
We surveyed nearly 900 Americans nationwide on their fashion spending habits as well as the current state of their closets. It turns out that the average American closet has huge style potential– but at a price.
American Shopping Habits: 3 in 5 Feel the Cost of Living is Cramping Their Style
Nearly 3 in 5 Americans consider themselves fashionable; broken down by generation, 65% of Gen Zers, 59% of Millennials, 51% of Gen Xers, and 44% of Baby Boomers self-identify as stylish. This makes sense considering most of the fashion industry is geared towards youth. But how much does it cost to stay on trend?
Our survey respondents answered that they spent an average of $1445 annually on clothes and shoes, or roughly $120 per month. As for jewelry, Americans are spending an average of $457 a year on a little sparkle.
With the rise of thrifting on social media as a trendy way to find clothes, we were curious how much Americans were actually buying second-hand clothing; it turns out, the answer is not much. Americans estimate that 87% of their fashion purchases are bought new, and roughly 38% of all Americans said that they only buy new clothes.
To cut costs, nearly half (46%) of those polled only buy clothes when they’re on sale, and over half (56%) repair their wardrobe as the need arises. This might help contribute to the perceived longevity of America’s wardrobe: respondents said that the average piece of clothing in their closet lasts roughly a decade.
We also need to address how the current cost of living crisis is affecting the American closet. Over 3 in 5 (61%) say that the current cost of living has prevented them from being able to have the wardrobe they want. Nearly 1 in 3 (32%) have been forced to buy more second-hand clothes, and 57% are embracing “underconsumption,” or the act of minimizing new purchases in exchange for repairing or reusing existing items.
The cost of living has also spurred self-reflection: 58% are rethinking the role of fashion in their budgets due to the current crisis. Perhaps this is why 18% plan on participating in “No Buy” challenges in 2025, which are challenges that ask participants to refrain from any non-necessity purchases for longer periods of time, typically a month.
Americans Own an Average of 34 Pieces of Jewelry
As a jewelry company, we were dying to know what the contents of America’s jewelry box look like. Just under half of Americans (48%) wear jewelry daily– but what types of jewelry?
When we polled Americans on how many jewelry pieces made from precious metals they owned, the answers varied: 1 in 6 stated they owned over 10 pieces of jewelry made from materials like sterling silver, gold, platinum, etc., while 21% said they had no jewelry made from precious metal.
The average American owns 34 pieces of jewelry, and 48% include family heirlooms or hand-me-downs in that collection. Whether it’s mom’s ring or dad’s chain necklace, these pieces stand the test of time and bring sentimental value to any outfit.
What do people consider the three most important qualities in jewelry?
- Quality (37%)
- Style (31%)
- Durability (10%)
The Average American Has Enough Clothing to Make 135 Outfits
Just how big is the average American closet? When we asked our survey respondents to estimate how many outfits they could make with the clothes they owned, they estimated an average of an incredible 135 outfits. Now that’s variety!
Despite all this outfit potential, 59% still repeat outfits during the week; over 1 in 4 feel pressured not to do so, however.
The most important aspects of clothes Americans look for include quality (55%), price (32%), and material (10%); designers or brands only capture 3% of American attention. Nearly 2 in 5 (39%) purchase fast fashion items as part of their wardrobes.
While there’s lots of exciting potential in having a closet full of over 100 outfits, it might be a red flag, too: 87% believe that social media fuels the overconsumption of fashion, and 59% believe that Americans value quantity over quality in their fashion choices.
Top Places Americans Purchase Clothing
- Department stores 72%
- Online major retailers 77%
- Online major brands 48%
- Thrift shops 41%
What about clothing that doesn’t fit, or has strayed from your current personal style? Americans, it turns out, have a charitable streak: 72% donate the clothes that no longer suit them, while 8% sell and 8% throw away their clothing. Other options also include swap meets, where one trades others for clothes, or upcycling, or repurposing clothing into something new.
Given respondents’ concerns over overconsumption and valuing quantity over quality, we also asked how they would change America’s relationship to fashion. Here’s what they said:
Top Ways Americans Would Change Their Relationship to Fashion
- Owning fewer items of higher quality 35%
- Ethically made clothing 21%
- Elimination of plastic-based fabrics 9%
- Ban fast fashion 7%
- Make our own clothes 6%
Clearly there are many ways to change America’s fashion habits, but it seems reducing the quantity of clothing overall is an overarching theme.
No matter how large or small your closet, looking your best and feeling your best is what’s most important. From the perfect statement accessory to an entire planned fit, fashion is a huge component of self expression and personal identity. We love to see you shine!
Methodology & Fair Use
In September 2024, we surveyed 885 Americans on their spending habits around fashion. Ages ranged from 18 to 73 with an average age of 40. 49% were men, 48% women, and 3% were either nonbinary or chose not to disclose.
Fair Use
When using this data and research, please attribute by linking to this study and citing Luke Zion Jewelry (lukezionjewelry.com).