How to buy great fashion that doesn't cost the earth
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Loading... - Szabo Dominik
- 11 Jul 2022
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Do a wardrobe audit
The average person owns 115 items of clothing, 30 of which have never been worn. So, before you buy any more, go through your whole wardrobe. Pull everything out; reacquaint yourself with that once-loved dress and consider whether repairs or alterations would breathe new life into what you already have.
Also, consider selling, giving away or donating items you don’t wear. This will help make space for you to see, and appreciate, what’s left. Analyse the items you wear the most – think about colour, cut, silhouette, fabric and print – to home in on your personal style.
Doing this will really help avoid future failed purchases. Look at the way similar items are styled on fashion retailers’ websites to get ideas on how to combine them into fresh outfits.
Secondhand or ‘preloved’
With £140m worth of clothing ending up in landfill each year, many environmental campaigners advocate buying secondhand first.
Even if you don’t have a brilliant charity shop nearby, the market is booming online: there’s eBay, Vinted and Depop for high street clothes and Vestiaire Collective and The RealReal for designer.
Many charity shops have online portals, too, says Wendy Graham of the sustainable-living platform Moral Fibres.
Oxfam, the British Red Cross, Cancer Research and Barnado’s on Asos Marketplace are among her favourites. Thrift+ is also worth exploring.
Filter by category, size, brand, colour, condition and budget, and you can set up eBay alerts to find specific pieces.
Shopping out of season can reduce competition and therefore price (now is the time to seek out that Toast Fair Isle jumper).
If you have items to sell, do this first and use the proceeds to buy new-to-you secondhand items.
Get swishing
Swishes – events in which you swap your old clothes for other people’s – are popping up all over the country.
Try Big Sister Swap or Don’t Shop, Swap, or set up your own group with friends or family.
Sending out an outfit SOS to similarly sized friends on WhatsApp before a holiday or event could also save you a packet.
Try renting
With judicious searching, the rental market can be great value for one-off events. For example, a £210 Reformation dress would be ideal for a wedding guest, and costs £25 for four days through Rotaro; a £1,980 red mesh Alexander McQueen number would be a memorable big birthday outfit for approximately £100 for four days via Hurr Collective.
There are lots of sites to try – from My Wardrobe for luxury to the cheaper Hirestreet – as well as maternity wear at For the Creators; (from about £15 for six days) and basics via the ethical brand Baukjen, which starts at £13 for a simple dress for a genuinely useful two-week timeframe.
Read the small print – check whether repairs, cleaning and delivery are included and what the refund policy is if an item does not fit. Many sites offer 10-20% off the first rental. Read More...
