'I get such an incredible rush from charity shops'

Meet the women rejecting high street fashion to fill their wardrobes with pre-loved clothes, creating unique looks from bargain finds that don't harm the environment

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Fast fashion is no friend to the planet, from textile production polluting water to microplastic fibres dumped in the food chain by laundry loads of polyester clothes.

According to new figures from Oxfam, by 2050, the fashion industry is on course to produce 138 billion items of unworn clothes every year - enough to almost reach from the Earth to Mars and back, and equivalent to nearly four outfits for every person on the planet.

As only 1% of unwanted clothes are recycled, it means the vast majority are being thrown into landfill or incinerated.

But there is a way to be stylish and eco-conscious without breaking the bank: buy secondhand.

With pre-loved websites such as Vinted, eBay and Depop now hugely popular, not to mention vintage stores and charity shops, we can all buy clothes that last and won't impact the environment.

Here, two women who only wear secondhand clothes share their secret to finding their own individual style without damaging the planet...

'MY CLOTHES HAVE STORIES'

Former nurse Caroline Lewis, 55, who lives in Brighton with her husband, 56, and their three grownup children, has only worn secondhand clothes for the past seven years.

Caroline can't imagine buying new clothes on the high street or online any more - she doesn’t need to.

She has wardrobes groaning with one-off finds, vintage treasures and pre-loved styles that make getting dressed each day a joy.

"I got bored of normal things on the high street," Caroline says. "They were dull. They didn't seem to speak to me any more and I've always loved clothes."

Growing up in the 80s, Caroline wore the bold fashions, makeup and earrings of that decade first time around.