Could less is more be the best choice?

The suggestion that people are wearing less clothes these days especially in the West, would probably gain quite a few affirmative nods — or indignant denials — depending on the demographics being surveyed. Indeed, the increased interest in more voluminous attire — including burkinis — would belie the entire premise.

But the news that the number of clothes sold in retail in the UK has dropped by an average of 4.4 per cent in the last six months — and not merely because buyers have switched to online purveyors — is intriguing, especially as retail sales in general have risen.

Blaming the weather is easy as sunny skies certainly conspire against clothing in the West. The notion that people now want to spend more on having a good time — eating out and taking vacations — rather than merely looking good is worth examining.

That fashion fatigue could be setting in will cause consternation in some rarefied circles. The last thing anyone in retail would want to hear is the possibility of a decline in vanity — especially among millennials, as some are conjecturing.

That it could be the consequence of a glut of choices from brands and retailers leading to jammed cupboards and jaded shopaholics is even more worthy of alarm. Could the old adage "less is more" be the key to reviving the fortunes of retailers and the mojo of their customers?