‘I haven’t bought new clothes in 20 years – I even buy second-hand underwear’

A mum-of-two has spent 20 years wearing only pre-loved clothes – saying she even buys underwear from second-hand shops.

Angela Morton, from South Wales, has curated her wardrobe from the likes of eBay and Vinted – and saves hundreds of pounds thanks to her thrifty shopping habits.

In order to save money and look ‘unique’ from others, Angela scours charity shops and online marketplaces – and is powered by the buzz of finding her next outfit online.

‘I’ve saved hundreds of pounds a year shopping second-hand – on just three items, I recently saved around £1,304’ says Angela.

She’s even convinced her husband, David, and children, Ben, 17, and Meighan, 16, to follow her lead.

Angela says her children have worn second-hand or handmade clothing ‘for at least 10 years’ and have never had a problem with it.

‘They didn’t know any different growing up and now they’re older, they like vintage styles and that they can get more for their money,’ she says.

Angela’s best bargains include a Vivienne Westwood bag for £56 and two Stella McCartney bags for £40 each – instead of a whopping £800.

Another incredible find is a pair of Dr Marten boots, which have lasted her for over eight years and set her back just £25.

Angela’s second-hand shopping obsession started when she was 19, thanks to a keen interest in vintage fashion, but now, she’s keen to spread the message of sustainability.

‘I loved the 1950s and 1960s, in particular the clothing and music,’ she says.

‘I never liked the styles of modern fashion and didn’t want to look the same as everyone else.’

Since then, she’s shopped almost exclusively at charity shops, vintage stores, and on eBay for two decades.

The only new things Angela bought are some socks and underwear from a sustainable brand – though most of her lingerie is still bought second-hand.

She says she will buy second hand underwear, as long as they’re unworn and are ‘new with tags.’

‘I occasionally buy new from brands such as Y.O.U. underwear,’ says Angela.

‘It’s ethical and sustainable and has a buy-one-give-two model which means that every time you buy a pair of underwear they donate two pairs of underwear to Smalls for All.’

Now, the mum’s environmental and ethical concerns have led her to set up her own business.

‘I’m passionate about not impacting the planet or the people in the supply chain when making purchases – I set up my business, Equal=ibrium, two years ago to reduce plastic waste in the bathroom,’ she says.

Angela often talks about the ‘impact of fast fashion’ with her children in the hope that it helps them make a more informed choice when it comes to clothes.

‘People need to realise that fast fashion is cheap because someone isn’t getting paid.’

To help others get started with second hand shopping, Angela recommends to ‘shop around’ on different second hand sites such as Depop, eBay and Vinted – and says to set up alerts on anything you need.

‘Vinted is great as you can negotiate the price with the seller,’ she says.

As well as that, talk to your friends about swapping clothes, as this is a great way of exchanging unwanted clothes.

‘Start off with small changes and don’t be hard on yourself – you don’t need to be perfect to make a big difference.’

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