Social media has groomed users to think they need a "constant refitting" of their wardrobe, according to a minimalist.

That's according to PR expert, Lisa Regan, who gave herself the challenge to not buy any new clothes for a year after she first watched the Netflix documentary 'Minimalism' in 2017.

"I just had a look around at myself and my wardrobe and my presses and my life and I thought, 'I have enough clothes here,'" she told The Pat Kenny Show.

"I'd say if I never bought anything ever again, I'd be fine," she said.

"We're hardwired, our generation, to constantly think that we need new and more."

'Disposible'

Ms Regan said that as her yearlong ban on shopping carried on, she found herself researching more and more into the psyche of compulsive buying.

"It's really social media pressurising because what happens is a lot of the time is people post when they're out and about ... then they feel this level of accountability to society that they can no longer wear this outfit again," she said.

"We've become so disposable with our clothing and it's the marketing is so subliminal.

"On social media, it's done by non-traditional ways of an advert, it's driven by somebody that you might look up to and aspire to be like.

"They're just constantly getting all of these clothes and doing these hauls which are so tone-deaf."

Revelation

Shopping has now become something Ms Regan is careful and considerate about.

"It was a real revelation of a year for me and now it's 2023 and I still have held on to many of those learnings that I got from 2017," she said.

"I was shopping too much up until that point, and now I have this feeling where I really question myself."

Environmental impact

Ms Regan said with sustainability, there are some products that you should buy new, but invest in.

"Runners for me are a huge thing, and I'm constantly on the move so I always invest in good quality," she said.

"I don't really think that it's really about runners. It's more just about T-shirts, jumpers, jeans, dresses, and shorts.

"It's just this constant refitting of your wardrobe with basically the clothes that you have already and that's where the problem lies.

"Footwear is something that everybody needs and is a very practical need – we don't all need 700 floral dresses."

Western world

Ms Regan said she does not believe there is "joined-up thinking" between bargain prices and costs of labour.

"This t-shirt has been sold to us here for €5 and we don't question how that's even possible, and what sacrifices have been made for people who are not as fortunate as us, in order for us to get these constant trends," she said.

"I just don't think those things really come into play when people step inside fashion stores or if they're shopping online."

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