Britons spend over 65 per cent more on clothing than the famously chic French, according to the startling results of a new survey.
The average Briton shells out more than £1,000 on new clothes and shoes each year, while the average French person devotes a mere £600 to achieve ‘le look’ that others covet.
Expenditure on clothing and shoes accounted for only 3.7 per cent of the average household budget in France compared to 5.6 per cent in Britain in 2016, the EU statistics agency Eurostat has revealed.
Between 2006 and 2016, the proportion of British household budgets spent on clothes rose by 0.5 per cent, whereas in France it fell by 0.8 per cent.
The British Fashion Council says the British fashion industry contributes some £26bn to the UK economy each year, but France still has a reputation as the more stylish nation.
According to Laurent Thoumine, a retail expert, the French are still passionate about style, but are increasingly inclined to buy clothes from cheaper outlets or hypermarkets rather than from France’s world-famous fashion houses such as Chanel, Dior and Hermès.
Since the 2008 financial crisis, Mr Thoumine said, “a trend which has hit different parts of France is buying and selling second-hand clothes.”
According to Leah Bourne of StyleCaster, a fashion website, “when it comes to style, the French do it better.”
But she pointed out that many French women “say no to most trends and develop a signature look.”
Another money-saving Gallic fashion secret, she said, is to “investment shop”.
French women tend to buy fewer but better clothes rather than constantly renewing their wardrobes.
“A big-ticket purchase that you love can actually turn out to be a value when compared with an endless string of disposable purchases,” she advises.
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