Passion for FASHION

When Emily Smith, 32, from Jersey, ditched high street favourites for charity shops, she had no idea how much she'd love it.

- HANNAH CROCKER

Rummaging through rails of clothing, something pretty caught my eye.

Digging out a dress, hidden at the back, I smiled.

I love it!

It was a floral Zara number, and at just three quid it was a great steal!

I've always dabbled in charity shops and second-hand websites, but three years ago I took on Oxfam's Second-Hand September challenge.

I banned myself from buying anything new for a month.

And I was surprised to discover how easy it was, and fun, too!

I've always been concerned with the environment, and my impact on the planet, and I do anything I can to lessen it.

My boyfriend Jack and I share a car, which we use no more than once a week, as we cycle and walk most places.

We buy local produce, and we don't use carrier bags or cling film.

We do everything we can to be environmentally friendly, so it made sense to do it with clothes, too.

The fast fashion industry is the second biggest polluter in the world-when people think about helping the environment, they consider eating less meat or travelling less, but nobody really thinks about what they wear.

I decided to carry my secondhand challenge on, and see how far I could get.

I'd worked for the local paper in Jersey, but after Jack and I went travelling I wanted a change.

So when I saw an opening for a centre manager at the Salvation Army, I went for it.

And since I started working there in October 2020, I became even more obsessed with finding a bargain.

I haven't bought a single new item of clothing since September 2018-other than underwear, obviously!

Jack tries his best, and when he rarely buys something new, it's always from an eco-conscious brand.

I try not to force what I do down everyone's throats, but I encourage my friends and family to get involved, and for Christmas and birthdays everyone always gets secondhand or homemade gifts.