A year in pre-loved clothes

When Faith Eckersall stopped buying new pieces, she discovered the joys of being a frugal fashionista

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Hand-me-down clothing was such a fixture of my childhood that for the next four decades, if I saw anything I liked, I'd buy it.

The upshot? A closet crammed with coats (25 and counting), Penelope Chilvers boots, enough jeans to stretch round the M25 – and a bank balance slimmer than Kate Moss' leg.

However, after signing a publishing deal to produce a novel, I knew I'd have to mothball the day job as a freelance journalist and devote 2025 to writing fiction.

Because highlights and Liz Earle skin cream are never negotiable, I decided the axe should fall on my wardrobe. With the exception of pyjamas, swimsuits and underwear, I vowed that for the next 12 months, I'd only wear clothes I already owned or had bought from charity shops, dress agencies or on Vinted. I was strict – it even had to include the three-day, three-dress-codes wedding of a friend's daughter in France.

Getting started

I needed a dress for a big summer party, and within days of joining Vinted I'd snapped up a sassy black Ghost number for £20, saving at least £100 on the retail price. It was so easy, I've never tried any other site.

When it came to finding a kick-ass outfit for ABBA Voyage that autumn, I bought a white sequin Boohoo jumpsuit for a bargain £15 from Vinted. It would have set me back at least £40 new, I reckon.

Just before Christmas 2024, I spotted an animal-print Rino & Pelle blouse, whose usual price would be near to £60. It was on for £4 but I cheekily asked if the seller would accept £3, and she did!