No wonder we aren't buying clothes – we don’t need anything new

Bad news for planet fashion: retail analysts reckon we are falling out of love with buying clothes. Retail spending after the Brexit vote dipped but has rallied in recent weeks. Consumers are parting with their cash again – but not on stuff to wear.

We have shifted our attention to spending money on drinking and eating, and there are signs that the boom in cheap clothing is coming to an end too. The Office for National Statistics says retail spending went up in August compared to the same time the previous year yet we’re visiting high street shops less. The number of empty shops in the UK rose to a two-year high in the quarter to July, as online sales increased. The glorious warm weather of recent weeks has not helped to shift winter clothes, either – who needs a thick jacket or a sweater just yet?

There is a world of difference between the “seasons” that fashion editors talk about, with different styles offered up to four times a year, and the real world, where people put on layers and just don’t see the need for a new coat every October. According to one high street retailer, Urban Outfitters, real changes in fashion which spur the public into spending money on a whole new look are few and far between. In mainstream terms, the last really big trend was skinny jeans 10 years ago. And we’re still wearing them.

Marks & Spencer, our biggest clothing retailer, is failing to shift apparel and continues to report lacklustre figures. Primark has also reported a drop in UK sales, its first in 16 years.

At the posh end of fashion, business goes on as usual. Dolce & Gabbana, Gucci and Prada have just shown their collections for Spring and Summer 2017. But is the actual clothing on offer very different to that which they showed a year ago? Fashion is so full of retro-inspired looks that it’s hard to tell.

We are offered skirts of every length, long or cropped trousers, bomber jackets or baggy coats. There’s something for everyone, and a look for every discount retailer to copy.

But today’s shoppers are savvy. The wardrobes in their cramped living quarters are packed, and vintage sales on eBay or in street markets are thriving. In 2016, in the UK the average person bought 60 items of new clothing – the first drop in seven years, according to market analysts. Sales now happen monthly, so it’s easy for shoppers to wait for bargains. There are discounts galore.

One expert commented: “Food is the new fashion. Retail stores can seem boring, whereas there are lots of inspiring restaurants and food concepts.” As someone who owns 10 pairs of identical skinny jeans and about seven leopard print sweaters, I couldn’t agree more.