More than 80 per cent of the respondents admit they worry about clashing with another girl and would be “mortified” to discover they had.
One in four said they had suffered the fate, in what has been dubbed Same Dress Syndrome. And 18 per cent of those say they have been left so jealous at having a rival lookalike that they’ve done something to ruin the other woman’s outfit.
A quick-thinking 16 per cent changed their look by adding extra accessories. Four in 10 said they managed to smile about it, while 39 per cent went over and spoke to their rival, but only if they thought they looked better in the dress.
Helen Gunter, from discount retailer TK Maxx, which carried out the study, was quoted by the ‘Daily Express’ as saying, “People want to feel special in what they are wearing, especially over the festive party season.
“Our research shows many people are sticking to a 50 pounds party wardrobe budget this year so, to reduce the risk of SDS and make your money work for you, shop early to give yourself time to discover those one-off finds that work for you.”