Fashion

Aussies Buy More Clothes Than Any Other Country

by Marc Cuenco

No matter how much you think you shop, a new report says that Australians buy the most clothes out of any other country in the world. According to Women's Wear Daily, Aussies spend an average of $1,050 a year on apparel, even beating out shopaholics in the U.S., which ranked fifth globally with an annual spending of $686. Canada and Japan placed 2nd and 3rd behind the current shopping powerhouse from Down Under.

The report is rather surprising, given that Australian shoppers will begin paying a 10 percent goods and services tax on products from international retailers. Even though the GST will not go into effect until 2017, the country is already preparing for the tax increase from purchases made through overseas companies such as Amazon and Etsy. Meanwhile, American consumers are spending more since the financial crisis, but the majority of our purchases are spent on electronics, appliances, and cars — not clothing.

With a growing number of Australian designers making their mark in fashion, it won't be long until the rest of the world will catch up to the country's spending habits and adopt Down Under style. To get you started shopping like an Aussie, here are three local brands that you need to know about:

Seafolly Australia

Model-of-the-moment Gigi Hadid is the face of this Australian brand that specializes in swimsuits and beachwear.

Sass & Bide

The Aussie label was featured in the runway finale of America's Next Top Model back in 2007.

Dion Lee

If it's good enough for Lady Mary Crawley, it's good enough for commoners.

Images: seafollyaustralia, sassandbide, dionlee/Instagram (3)