1 . Buying clothes for special events, hiding the price tickets and returning them to the store the next day has for years been the method of money-saving shoppers. Today people are doing it just for social media.
A survey conducted by the credit card company Barclaycard showed that nearly one in ten UK shoppers admits to buying clothing only to post photos on social media for likes. After the “outfit (装束) of the day” (OOTD) makes it online, they return it back to the store. According to Barclaycard, the “try before you buy” policy of online retailers (零售商) — where people pay for clothing they order online after they try it on at home — could be leading to this rising trend.
But the rise of social media means that everyone, not just superstars, expects to build and maintain a personal brand. Since we’re recording our lives and posting them online for public judgement, getting caught in the same outfits more than once should be avoided. And the cost of all those outfits of the day adds up, which makes returning a popular way.
There are brands that make clothes specially for social media shoppers, like Fashion Nova. “These are clothes made for social media: meant to be worn once, photographed and abandoned,” Allison P. Davis wrote in her report about the brand. Another favourite of the social media age is Rent the Runway, which lets customers rent designer clothing for a fee.
Some, however, are moving in the opposite direction. Groups promoting “work uniforms” have increased greatly in recent years, aiming to free women from “the trouble of clothing decisions”. The concept of the “capsule wardrobe (胶囊衣橱)”, which calls for purchasing a small number of high-quality pieces instead of lots of trendy throwaway clothes, is also making a comeback.
1. What does the survey by Barclaycard suggest?| A．Britons follow the fashion stars closely. |
| B．Some Britons over-order and return clothes. |
| C．Britons try on clothes before online purchases. |
| D．Some Britons send outfits back after taking pictures. |
| A．Renting top designers’ clothes. |
| B．Offering customers single-use clothes. |
| C．Creating unique shopping experiences. |
| D．Helping shoppers improve their clothing style. |
| A．Better fewer, but better. | B．Less addition, but more enjoyment. |
| C．Less uniform, and more freedom. | D．More choices, and less trouble. |
| A．To compare different wearing trends. |
| B．To introduce Britain’s new wearing trend. |
| C．To support buying high-quality clothes. |
| D．To criticize the “try before you buy” policy. |
