Do a wardrobe audit
In the UK, the average person owns 115 items of clothing, 30 of which have never been worn. So before you buy any more, go through your entire wardrobe. Pull everything out; Reacquaint yourself with that once-beloved garment and consider whether repairs or alterations would breathe new life into what you already have.
Also, consider selling, donating, or donating items you don’t wear. This will help you create space to see and appreciate what is left. Analyze the items you wear most – think colour, cut, silhouette, fabric and print – in your personal style.
Doing this will really help avoid failed purchases in the future. Check out how similar items are styled on fashion retailers’ websites to get ideas on how to combine them into fresh outfits.
Second hand or ‘pre-loved’
With £140 million worth of clothing ending up in landfill every year, many environmental campaigners advocate buying second-hand in the first place.
Even if you don’t have a great charity shop nearby, the market is thriving online: there’s eBay, Vinted and Depop for high street clothes and Vestiaire Collective and RealReal for designers.
Many charity shops also have online portals, says Wendy Graham of 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, color, condition and budget, and you can set up eBay alerts to find specific parts.
Off-season purchases can reduce competition and therefore price (now’s the time to look for that Fair Isle Toast t-shirt).
If you have items to sell, do so first and use the proceeds to buy new second-hand items.
Be swinging
Swishes – events where you swap your old clothes for other people’s – are popping up all over the country.
Search Eventbrite for those in your area – Verte in London; A knit to wear at Sutton, Surrey; Search Steal & Lend in Manchester; Wear the Trousers in Norwich and Shrub Coop in Edinburgh are just a few examples.
Try Big Sister Swap or Don’t Buy, Swap or create your own group with friends or family.
Sending an outfit SOS to friends of similar size on WhatsApp before a party or event can also save you a bundle.
Try renting
With reasonable research, the rental market can be a 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 Alexander McQueen red mesh number would be a memorable birthday outfit for around £100 over four days via Hurr Collective.
There are lots of sites to try – from my luxury clothing to the cheapest Hirestreet – as well as the maternity clothes at For the Creators; (from around £15 for six days) and basics through ethical brand Baukjen, which start at £13 for a simple dress for a really useful two-week timeframe.
Read the fine print – check whether repairs, cleaning and delivery are included and what the refund policy is if an item doesn’t fit. Many sites offer 10-20% off the first rental.
Use the “100 times rule”
Buying clothes is one of the most personal purchases there is, an expression of identity and taste tempered by budget constraints, size options and body image anxiety.
No wonder we often confuse it. Things just aren’t that difficult when buying a vacuum cleaner. What we should all aim for when buying clothes, according to journalist Lucy Siegle, is longevity. She suggests only buying clothes you can see yourself wearing 100 times. due to environmental damage.
The 100-fold rule probably relegates extremely cheap items to the value end of the market, most of which don’t fare badly on ethical manufacturing metrics.
Of all, only H&M scored as “it’s a start” on ethical fashion app Good On You, while Primark ranked “not good enough” and Shein “we avoid”.
However, mid-priced high street brands aren’t always the most ethical, and it’s worth checking your favorite store’s Good On You rating. You may be disappointed.
Ethical brands tend not to be the cheapest, for obvious reasons, although some may surprise you: Po Friends sells T-shirts for £7.99 and hoodies for £29.99; People Tree has dresses from £29.50 in its summer sale, although most are closer to the £60 mark; Mayamiko retail starts at around £29, although options are necessarily limited compared to the high street.
Avril Mair, Elle’s UK fashion director, recommends looking towards brands “that aren’t constantly changing their aesthetic”. For Mair it might be The Row, which she buys at a reduced price on Outnet, or used at Vestiaire or RealReal, but the concept could work at Toast, Cos or The White Company.
Consider fabrics when shopping with longevity – and the environment – in mind. You’re likely to wear a dress longer if it’s not made of sweaty, sticky polyester.
Natural fibers, such as organic cotton, are always a better choice than fossil fuel-based virgin polyester, says Graham, who adds that some of the new wood-based fabrics, such as Tencel and EcoVero, are much more sustainable than conventional rayon fabrics. silk thread and modal fabrics.
Sales units and offers
Most experts approach sales with caution. “Because fashion revolves around trends,” says Alexandra Stedman, editor of The Frugality, “these are usually things that brands have to change and almost never buy longevity.” The exceptions, she says, are classic buys, such as a Whistles coat, which she found for £100 a few years ago and wears over and over again.
Outlet stores are proliferating online, with Mango, Adidas, Kurt Geiger and Office now stocking them. Some are expected on eBay, but it’s often pretty easy to figure out why the items didn’t sell the first time.
Many fashion types recommend TK Maxx’s Gold Label section, which features Gucci eyewear and Stella McCartney children’s clothing.
Visit Bicester Village, the outlet in Oxfordshire, where Prada and Loewe sell last season’s stock for a discounted price, but to avoid overspending, it’s probably best to go for just one special item, like a handbag or winter coats, and with a clear idea of your budget.
It’s often a good idea to first find something you like at full price, then try to find it at a discount. Price comparison sites such as SuperSales.co.uk and PriceRunner.com will tell you if it’s being sold cheaper elsewhere.
Look out for discounts for first-time customers, or sign up for newsletters and expect to be invited to loyalty events like flash sales.
Oli Townsend, a deals expert at MoneySavingExpert, recommends using free web browser extensions like Honey or Pouch, which automatically apply coupon codes to your online shopping cart.
Another trick, he says, is to sign into your account on a site, put items in your cart, but abandon the sale. Sometimes retailers will email you a discount code, over the next few days, to try to get you back. It doesn’t always work, but even if it doesn’t, it will give you time to think about whether you really want it.
