At this time of year it can be tempting to shop for new clothes, especially with all the fashion retailers adding new lines to their sales or offering final discounts. Sure, it’s a cheaper-than-usual way to buy new clothes BUT it’ll still cost you much more to revamp your wardrobe than if you try out some of these thriftier options.
1. Sell before you shop
A great way to give yourself a complete clothing makeover without spending any money at all, is to sell items from your wardrobe before you shop for anything new. Put your unwanted clothes, shoes and accessories onto selling sites like Vinted and the resulting sales will give you a budget to spend on new items from those same secondhand sites.
Some other bonuses of this option are:
- By selling the items you no longer want, you’re giving them a new life with another owner, keeping them out of landfill.
- You’re making space in your wardrobe and drawers for all those new-to-you clothes you’re going to be able to buy with the profits.
- You’ll be buying other people’s unwanted clothing, making it a more sustainable way to shop.
I’ve never sold on Vinted before but this handy guide to selling items on Vinted will tell you everything you need to know to get started. Plus, as a seller, you’ll get a feel for how you like to interact with buyers so, when it comes to shopping for new pieces for yourself, you know how best to approach other sellers on the platform to get a discount or a bundle deal.
2. Shop out of season
At certain times of year I often find that I don’t have something suitable to wear for the weather. For example, this month has been especially windy and I don’t have a wind-proof jacket. And when the temperature soars, I always look in my wardrobe for something light and breathable but find its lacking in airy cotton and linen pieces.
But the most expensive time to buy those seasonal pieces is always during the season you’re in. If you want swimwear for your summer holiday, don’t wait until the summer to buy it as you’ll pay full price. Instead, look for those pieces now and you’ll find them at knockdown prices.
When it’s scorching hot in the summer? That’s the best time to buy snow boots and insulated waterproof coats! What I’ve been buying this month is Christmas jumpers – super-expensive in November and December but the minute the festive season ends, those jumpers are just a few pounds. And I KNOW I’ll want to wear them when next Christmas rolls around. Who am I kidding? When September rolls around!
3. Choose secondhand first
I’ve touched on this in the first section but it’s not only a more environmentally friendly way to shop, choosing secondhand clothing is also the thriftiest option. Fashion pieces are always at the their most expensive when they’re being sold by retailers, even if they’re in the ‘sale’.
Once an item is secondhand – even if it’s still new with tags on – the price drops dramatically. So, the best way to refresh your outfits is to search secondhand markets, online sites and charity shops first, before you buy anything new.
When the cold weather hit last autumn, I headed straight to the Preworn website and snapped up 10 jumpers for the price of one full-priced jumper that I might otherwise buy from M&S. And, interestingly enough, a couple of those jumpers were actually from M&S and were nearly-new!
Plus, I’ve got a 25% off discount code you can use so add FAIRY25 at checkout to save even more on when you’re shopping secondhand on Preworn.
I hope that these ideas will help you refresh your outfits and give you plenty of fabulous options to choose from in your wardrobe – without splashing the cash on new pieces. Please let me know your hacks for shopping secondhand in the comments below, I’d love to hear how you’ve revamped your clothing collection for a fraction of the price of buying new.
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This article is a sponsored collaboration. The pink links in the content indicate a sponsored link or information source. The blog post reflects my own experience and the sponsor hasn’t had any control over my content 🙂
