It has taken me a number of years to build up a wardrobe that I’m really happy with. I had to learn what I needed, gradually sell the things I didn’t and start buying with purpose. There is nothing in my wardrobe now that I don’t wear, and before any purchase, I always ask myself: do I need this, what’s it made of and will it last?
Most people use the notes app on their phone for jotting down work ideas, but I use it to itemise what’s in my wardrobe. I break it down by the number of T-shirts, coats, jumpers … everything apart from underwear and socks. Twice a year, I do a wardrobe audit to assess what I have – and anything I don’t need, I sell or pass on to friends.
We all have too many jumpers in the loft and T-shirts that we never wear or forget we have. This exercise helps me keep track of that, so right now I know I have exactly 17 coats and jackets, one suit, 21 tops and two pairs of jeans, so I won’t accidentally buy a surplus of anything. It has completely reset the culture of how I shop.
This year, I’ve been inspired to do my own version of the five-item challenge. I challenge myself to only buy five new items of clothing within the year, except for footwear and accessories. Everything else must be pre-loved. It makes you think “do I really need this?”.
My job as a content creator means I am often sent clothes. When I started out I was still at university, so this felt like the best thing ever. But as time went on, I started to feel guilty and the volume of clothes I had was a bit overwhelming. Since then, through a process of giving away clothes to friends and selling items on Vinted, I have narrowed my wardrobe to quality clothes that will last. I only replace items that are irreparable or no longer fit me.
When it comes to secondhand, I’m more of a seller than a buyer. On Vinted, I find that clear photos really help when selling – always take them in natural daylight where possible, or under white light instead of yellow, to capture the garment’s truest colour.
Sometimes, if you’re selling a batch of things at once, you can miss vital details. Make sure the brands and sizes are correct when uploading, to avoid negative feedback later. Photographing a label showing the material composition is helpful, and I often include the RRP of an item in the description. This shows buyers they can get quality clothes on Vinted at a fraction of the price.
That’s particularly the case with technical gear and sportswear. I recently moved from Leicester to Manchester and started running as a new hobby. It was a way to find a community and make new friends because I didn’t know anyone in the city. When I started, I wasn’t sure how emotionally invested I was going to be – so I didn’t want to buy new sports kit and then feel guilty if I stopped running after a few weeks.
At first, for somebody who doesn’t have any children, getting up and going for a run at 9:30am on a Saturday morning was not my idea of fun. But that quickly changed and I now run 5km every Saturday and 10km every Thursday with a community called Snappy Runners in Manchester, who I found on Instagram.
My job can be quite isolating because I work independently, so being able to go out with a bunch of people, to just talk and run, has been incredible for my mental health.
With somebody running to my left and right, I find I can talk more openly to strangers, compared with sitting face-to-face. You pick up on somebody having a rough week, or if something has happened in their family, work or personal life. Going on long runs helps to process things – you feel so much lighter afterwards.
There’s no barrier to entry because you can pick up high-quality running gear on Vinted. I was able to find two long-sleeved technical tops – one in great condition, the other basically brand new. I wear them on rotation every week.
If you are choosing pre-loved running shoes, think of your level of running first. My tip would be to check with the seller the mileage and on what terrain, to understand how much life they have left. They might be perfect for a weekly parkrun but not if you’re training for a marathon.
The trick to extending the lifespan of your clothes – for you and for whoever buys them next – is to look after them. I very rarely put denim through the washing machine, choosing to spot clean instead. And wool doesn’t need to be washed as much as you think. Fabric sprays or airing will give things a new lease of life and help them last longer.
My best pre-loved find was a designer wool-blend jumper that I tried on in a store. I fell in love with the way it fit, and when I couldn’t stop thinking about it, I kept searching until eventually somebody was selling it almost new for 60% less. I’m in my second winter with it and every time I wear it I feel great.
Don’t wear it? Sell it on Vinted.
Photography: Phill Taylor/The Guardian
