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Sick of your partner’s terrible dress sense? You’re not alone.

This news post is over 7 years old
 

The British Heart Foundation has uncovered a major cause of relationship strife - we hate our partner's clothes

Scots men should be donating more of their clothes to charity shops because more than half of their partners hate how the dress.

The British Heart Foundation (BHF) is urging couples to have a heart to heart about their poor fashion choices and agree to get rid of some of the unwanted garments.

It’s not just women who are ashamed to be seen in public with their hoodie wearing husbands, more than a third of men also admit to being embarrassed by their girlfriend's leggings and cardigans.

One survey respondent even threw their partner’s T-shirt out of the balcony while on holiday – and he didn’t even notice!

The charity discovered the extent to which couples dislike each others dress sense in a survey carried out to help promote its annual stock donation campaign Bag It Beat It.

The charity found people are taking drastic action to stop their loved-ones wearing certain items rather than persuading them to turn their clothes into cash for life-saving heart research by donating them to BHF shops.

Two thirds of women want to take drastic action to get rid of unwanted clothes and nearly half have already sneakily got rid of clothes they didn't like, with 17% hiding them, 17% throwing an item out and 8% admitting they deliberately washed something on such a high temperature it shrank.

The study found that jogging bottoms, football shirts and slogan T-shirts are the most-hated items in a man’s wardrobe. Hooded tops, brightly patterned shirts, baseball caps and comedy ties are also among the garments women are desperate to banish, with one in ten saying they are embarrassed to be seen out with their other half.

Clothes which men are most likely to hate in their partner's wardrobe are leggings, baggy jeans and sweat pants. They also despair when they see their partner in big granny pants and cardigans.

It seems men are even sneakier when it comes to dealing with the garments they never want to see again. Nearly one in ten (8%) have deliberately spilt something to stain it, while 7% have 'accidentally' burnt an item of their partner's clothing they don't like.

Niki Elliott, BHF retail area manager, said: “It’s surprising to see that more than half of women are unhappy with their partner’s dress sense, but what’s even more interesting is the lengths that people will go to get rid of the offending items. One survey respondent even threw their partner’s T-shirt out of the balcony while on holiday – and he didn’t even notice!

“If you or your partner are in need of a wardrobe refresh why not visit your local BHF shop? This September we are appealing to the public to donate unwanted items so that we can raise vital funds for life saving heart research. An ill-fitting dress on one person can be a show stopper on another, so why not clear out the clutter and treat yourself to a new look while you’re at it?”

It’s not all bad news as far as our partner’s wardrobes are concerned. For both men and women, well-fitting jeans came out as a wardrobe favourite with 1 in 5 listing them as their favourite item of their partner's clothing. Other hits included a black dress for women and a smart shirt or suit for men.

If you’re inspired to have a clear out this September simply visit bhf.org.uk/bagit. The BHF even offers a free collection service for donated items.