So apart from a few essentials (underwear, a bikini (yes that’s essential), and a pair of flat shoes and a pair of black trousers), I only bought second hand clothes from my birthday 2016 to my birthday 2017. And it was so. much. fun. Yes, I enjoyed a splurge at H&M (courtesy of my boyfriend), afterwards. But I really enjoyed it.

There is something really liberating about going into a charity shop with £20 and knowing that you could probably afford to buy anything in that shop, if not two or three things. What I really loved about it was, you’re so limited. You can’t just get another size if that one cute dress in the shop doesn’t fit you. It doesn’t come in another colour. And it won’t be there when you come back next time.

I have found that I’m much less attached to my clothes. Not that I love wearing them any less. But I find it much easier to get rid of them when I get bored of them. Rather than hoarding pieces that no longer fit, or I’m just not that into anymore, I’m free to give them back to the charity shop for someone else to enjoy.

Not to mention the uplifting feeling of finding a great bargain. A beautiful, brand new Oliver Bonas dress for less than 10% of it’s original price? Yes please! A Toyshop shirt dress with tags still on for a fiver? Don’t mind if I do! I found myself buying a lot higher quality of clothing, an outcome that surprised me greatly.

A lot of the pieces in charity shops were from Tesco, Primark, New Look and other fast fashion, low quality sources. Which I don’t mind buying from in the slightest. But I found it s struggle to pay £4 for a top which probably only cost £8 originally. But I’m happy to spend £8 on a Coast dress that was probably £60 in store.

According to Love Your Clothes, every year an estimated £140 million worth (around 350,000 tonnes) of used clothing goes to landfill in the UK. I’ve always been good at popping my old clothes to the charity shop, rather than throwing them out, but I’ve enjoyed exploring the other end of that transaction. And after all, who doesn’t love a little shopping trip?