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. She also planned to ditch 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 buying all her second-hand designer goods new.
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, 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.
"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, Bristol, and used to walk to local charity shops instead of getting a bus into town to visit high street shops. However, 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.
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.
Yet, 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.
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: "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. 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. As she explained: "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. According to her "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."
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