Fashion
I used to be a shopaholic but haven’t bought any new clothes in three years and it’s saved me £20,000
WITH fashion trends moving so quickly it can be hard to keep up.
Not only that but constantly splashing the cash on new clothes to stay stylish can really add up.
Fashion-lover Iso has managed to curate a designer wardrobe for a bargain priceSWNS
That’s partly why Iso Neville, 24, decided to ditch fast-fashion for good and committed to only buying second-hand in 2019.
She spends hours each week browsing charity shops for pieces, also hitting up vintage markets and online market places to bag a bargain.
She even managed to secure a One of her top buys was a £1,500 Burberry trench coat for just £100 from a vintage flea market.
Not only that, but she estimates she’s saved a whopping £20,000 by getting classic designer items this way.
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The fashion lover spends around £150 a month second hand clothes with designer labels.
Although that may still seem like a lot, she insists that’s less than when she was buying brand new clothes from the likes of Boohoo and Pretty Little Thing.
The social media manager, from central London, said: “When I was at university, I would shop fast fashion websites every week.
“But I realised it made me look just like everyone else and I felt I’d lost a bit of my identity.
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“I use second-hand shops and apps like Depop and Thrift Plus every day and go charity shopping once a week.
Growing up in Westbury, Bristol, Iso explained how she used to trek to local charity shops when she was younger, rather than getting a bus into town to visit high street shops.
But once she started studying at University of Roehampton in 2016 she swapped her unique second-hand style for online fast fashion brands because it was quicker and easier.
Despite being able to wear a new dress every night in doing so, she found her style changing as a result.
She confessed: “I realised I looked like everyone else, I felt I’d lost a bit of my identity.”
“I realised I could get much better fabrics and quality buying second-hand,” she continued.
Iso has since developed a weekly routine to ensure she always grabs the best items that charity shops have to offer.
Thanks to savvy shopping, she has snapped up an Acne Studios leather jacket – originally costing £1500 – for £100 on Vinted.
She also bagged a vintage Maison Margiela coat – which retails at around £2,500 – for just £25 at a charity shop in Balham.
She explained: “I don’t pay more than any of my friends do who buy their clothes at Topshop, Zara or Boohoo.
“I’m there for the better quality – I wouldn’t be able to buy a £2500 coat new, or access that quality of material on my budget.”
“Even if I buy second hand, I won’t buy anything I’ll only wear once,” she said.
“And when I am done wearing something, I’ll re-sell it online and contribute to a circular economy.”
“People think it’s all worn-out and discarded items from Primark.
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“There is some of that, but there are great items out there too.
“If you spend a bit of time looking, you will find the good stuff.”
Bargain hunting has more than paid off for the savvy shopperSWNS
SWNSIso manages to look stylish and timeless with her bargain finds[/caption]
PA Real LifeThere’s no limit to what you can find in charity shops[/caption]