London - Looking good and staying up to date with the latest fashion is a costly business.
Growing numbers of women, however, now admit to finding a sneaky way around the problem.
They are buying clothes, wearing them once – and then taking them back for a refund.
In a survey, one in six admit to ‘wardrobing’, as it is called, with more than one in ten confessing that it is a regular habit.
Weddings, job interviews and black-tie events are the occasions most likely to make a woman consider what is known in America as “return fraud”. The money-saving scam is most often done with expensive clothing – hence the name – but the practice is also common with tools, electronics and even computers.
Fourteen percent of women said they bought and returned clothes so they could have the chance to wear the latest trends just once. The same percentage admitted that when they wanted to impress they would not think twice about the price of an outfit because they knew they could get a refund.
The process is not for the faint-hearted, with a snagged thread or a spilt glass of wine holding the potential to spoil a well-laid refund plan.
However, the most experienced “wardrobers” have plenty of tricks up their sleeves to avoid awkward questions at the till.
Nine percent of women surveyed sought out clothes that have the price tag attached by a safety pin, which means it can be removed for wearing and then replaced for taking back to the shop.
And one in 20 spray the item with air freshener before returning it.
Anita Naik, consumer editor at VoucherCodes.co.uk, which conducted the research, said: “Our research reveals that over a quarter of women who admit to “wardrobing” feel guilty about it, but the pressure to look good on special occasions makes it feel like the only option for some to look good on a budget.”
The survey found that those who earn a living in the entertainment industry are the most prolific”‘wardrobers”, with 39 percent admitting to it.
On the other hand, teachers are the most honest in their shopping habits with only 10 percent having returned a worn item. - Daily Mail