In the United Kingdom, the crop top, this little T-shirt or sports bra that stops above the navel, took over the suits of British gentlemen.
This year, the country's Office for National Statistics (ONS) has decided to exclude for the first time the traditional male work dress from its basket of the seven hundred most representative goods and services of citizens' consumption.
The basket, created in 1947, is used to accurately calculate the annual rate of inflation.
In March, inflation across the Channel reached its highest level in thirty years, at 5.5%.
It should increase further in the coming months, following the rise in energy prices.
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“Times are changing and the 2022 basket shows it well. The consequences of the pandemic on our consumption habits are very noticeable”,
explains Sam Beckett, the chief economist of the ONS.
With a large number of Britons having been teleworking for two years, the demand from the English for costumes continues to decrease.
At the same time, the long periods of confinement in the country have pushed more and more Britons to exercise at home.
And women have turned to buying sports bras and casual clothes like the crop top, which is very popular among younger generations.
Entry of vegetable sausages in the basket
In one year, the standard ONS consumption basket has evolved somewhat.
The Institute has notably decided to withdraw coal, in anticipation of the ban in 2023 on the sale of fossil fuels in the country.
While antibacterial wipes, pet collars, which reflect the boom in dog and cat adoption, and plant-based sausages made their way into the basket.
Furthermore, in order to respond to the criticisms of certain activist associations, who believe that the official inflation figure does not reflect the true cost of living for the poorest households, the Institute of Statistics has announced the launch of a "
personal inflation calculator
".
This online tool should allow each inhabitant to calculate the consequences of the price increase on their purchasing power, according to their consumption habits.