Second Hand September: Changing shopping habits one glittery frock at a time

THE best dress I've ever owned didn’t come from a glossy high street store, nor cost anywhere near three figures.

- SARA ROBINSON

It didn’t arrive in tissue paper from a slick online boutique, and it didn’t involve me doomscrolling through “New In” sections at midnight, panic-buying three days before a big event.

No, my greatest fashion triumph came in the form of a hot pink, puff-sleeved maxi dress covered in multi-coloured metallic dots. It looks like the accidental-but-much-cherished love child of a disco ball and a unicorn; basically, all my fifth birthday party dreams stitched into reality. And the best bit? It cost less than a tenner from a charity shop on Bristol's Gloucester Road.

I've worn it to birthday parties (including my own) and once on a Monday afternoon just to cheer myself up. Every time I wear it, people ask where it’s from. And I get to say the most satisfying thing: “Oh, this old thing? I found it in a charity shop” while making my best not-smug face. Honestly, nothing quite beats the thrill of that line. This is dopamine dressing at its finest.

And that’s the joy of Second Hand September. It’s a challenge launched by Oxfam, encouraging us to ditch fast fashion for 30 days and to shop only secondhand. It’s also a chance to look at our overstuffed wardrobes and our overstretched planet and admit we can’t keep going like this.