Comfort is now the main priority for British shoppers when buying new clothes. That’s according to a study conducted by Censuswide among 2,000 UK consumers on behalf of Damart.

The company said its research shows “that shoppers are moving away from the ever-evolving trend cycle, in favour of finding clothes that they feel confident and, most importantly, comfortable in. The research found that 62% of shoppers now prioritise comfort when shopping for new clothes, while just 16% choose new clothing based on how fashionable it is.”

Shoppers take price into careful consideration (57%) too, with one-third also saying that the type and quality of the fabric also plays an important role in helping them refresh their wardrobe.

It’s perhaps no surprise that the importance of trend varies across age groups. For the 55+ group, comfort is by far the key priority (73%). But while it stays important, it diminishes as we go down the age scale, with the 45-54 group at 62%, and 35-44 group at 61%.

For younger consumers, choosing fashionable items is important with 31% of those in 16-24 age group rating this highly. But this also diminishes as we rise through age groups with 26% of those aged 25-34 prioritising trend and 18% of those aged 35-44.