A fashionista shopaholic hasn’t bought a single brand new bit of clothing from shops for three years - and says it has saved her £20k.
Iso Neville, 24, vowed to only buy second-hand in 2019 and ditched Boohoo for brands such as Burberry – but without paying designer prices. Fashion-lover Iso spends hours every week scouring charity shops, vintage markets and online marketplaces to catch the best deals.
One of her top buys was a £1,500 Burberry trench coat she bagged for just £100 from a vintage flea market. She reckons she has saved £20,000, compared to if she had bought all her second-hand designer goods new.
READ MORE: Cribbs Causeway gets world's first wax melt vending machine
Savvy Iso spends up to £150 a month on designer high end second hand clobber. She reckons that's less than when she was buying new every week from fast-fashion giants like Boohoo and Pretty Little Thing - and says she'll never go back.
The social media manager, who now lives in central London but grew up in Bristol, 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.
"So in 2019 I made the decision to go second hand only - because I realised I could get much better quality and it was better for the environment too. I use second-hand shops and apps like Depop and Thrift Plus every day and go charity shopping once a week.
"I've got amazing clothes for a fraction of the original prices - I calculated I have saved £20k compared to if I bought them new. I probably only spend the same amount as I did when I was buying new from fast fashion websites, but so much better quality."
Iso grew up in Westbury, and told how in her younger years she would walk to local charity shops over getting a bus into town to visit high street shops. But this changed when she started at University of Roehampton in 2016 and she swapped her unique second-hand style for online fast fashion brands like Nastygal for convenience.
But despite being able to wear a new dress every night that way, she found her style changing as a result.
She said: "I realised I looked like everyone else. I felt I'd lost a bit of my identity.
So in 2019, she made a vow to ditch cheap fast fashion altogether after also grasping the damage it was doing to the planet. She said: "I realised I could get much better fabrics and quality buying second-hand."
Iso has now developed weekly routines to ensure she always catches the best deals and second-hand offerings. She uses online marketplaces such as Depop, Vinted and Ebay every day to scout out second-hand steals from top brands.
She also uses Thrift Plus - which she describes as 'the ASOS of second-hand' to help her search for specific items on her wish lists. But it's not all online - she makes sure to go charity shopping once a week.
Thanks to her sharp eye, she has snapped up an Acne Studios leather jacket - originally costing £1500 - for £100 on Vinted. She also bought a vintage Maison Margiela coat - which retails at around £2,500 - for just £25 at a charity shop in Balham.
And Iso also snapped up a Burberry trench coat - originally costing £1500 - at a vintage flea market in central London. Iso never buys fast fashion, even second hand - reserving her cash for designer pieces at tiny prices.
She said: "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."
Iso calculated her savvy shopping habits have saved her £20k compared to if she had purchased all her designer gear new.
"I've created a luxury style for myself based on the same budget of my fast fashion-loving friends," she said. "I keep an eye out for things I think my friends would like, too - I'm constantly sending them links."
Iso said making a pledge to second-hand feels like a big deal - but actually it's easy to do, as well as being better for the planet. She said: "Even if I buy second hand, I won't buy anything I'll only wear once. And when I am done wearing something, I'll re-sell it online and contribute to a circular economy."
Iso wants to change the way people see second-hand and pre-loved shopping - and encourage more people to make the same pledge she did.
She said: "I think there is a misconception, maybe a taboo, around second-hand shopping. People think it's all worn-out and discarded items from Primark. There is some of that, but there are great items out there too.
"It doesn't have to be a big commitment - maybe just nipping in the charity shop on your commute home from work. If you spend a bit of time looking, you will find the good stuff."
Want our best stories with fewer ads and alerts when the biggest news stories drop? Download our app on iPhone or Android
