'I save thousands on brands like DKNY and Burberry and anyone can do it'

A woman who saves £500 a year buying her Christmas presents second hand and now plans to launch a pre-loved business has urged shoppers to skip the festive sales. Iso Neville, a 27-year-old social media manager from south-east London, committed to second-hand shopping in 2019, saving over £25,000 on designer finds like a £1,500 Burberry trench coat for £100 and a £445 Loeffler Randall bag for £30.

She has even furnished her entire apartment second-hand, saving an estimated £10,000, and since 2019, has bought her Christmas presents pre-loved spending around £200 on 15 people this year. Over the years, she has found gifts such as a £250 DKNY handbag for £20, and this journey has inspired her to launch a preloved clothing business in 2025, aiming to make sustainable fashion more accessible and “mitigate eco-anxiety” for shoppers.

Over the festive season, Iso urges others to skip Black Friday and Boxing Day sales, believing these events often fuel unnecessary shopping. Iso told PA Real Life: “I’m seeing a lot more second-hand companies and brands offering an alternative to those sales though… there’s a big movement against those sales because it encourages people to just shop, regardless of whether they need something new or not, it’s just cheaper.”

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Iso, who has always loved finding bargains in charity shops, vowed in 2019 to buy all her clothes second-hand in a bid to save money and help the environment. At first, she found it challenging as she was used to envisioning an outfit and easily sourcing the items from fast-fashion websites.

However, the cost of living crisis encouraged her to keep bargain hunting and even sell her own worn items “for some extra money” on apps such as Vinted and Depop. She added: “People want to pay less but still get nice things, I work and go to Peckham Car Boot, and there are people from every tax bracket shopping there.”

Since embracing second-hand shopping, Iso estimates she has saved over £25,000, often picking up designer pieces for a fraction of their retail price. Some of her best bargains include a £155 Ganni bag for £55, a £1,500 Burberry trench coat for £100, £1,400 Chloe boots bought for £91, and a Loeffler Randall bag bought for £30, which retails at £455.

She also believes her style has become more unique through second-hand shopping, and she receives even more compliments when wearing something preloved because “it’s not the same as what everyone else is wearing”. Iso hasn’t stopped at clothing – over the last few years, she has furnished her entire apartment with second-hand items, mostly sourced from Facebook Marketplace.

She estimates this has saved her an additional £10,000, with her biggest saving being a designer sofa, which she purchased for £800 instead of its £4,000 retail price. Since 2019, she has also committed to buying all her Christmas presents pre-loved – this year, she has spent around £200 so far on all her 15 family members and friends, finding second-hand books, sparkly clothes, and Christmas decorations as gifts.

To date, her best Christmas present finds include DKNY and Self Portrait handbags which she bought for around £20 when they retail at around £250. She believes this has saved her around £500 per year, and her loved ones always look forward to receiving her presents.

Her family and friends have even started buying her pre-loved gifts in return. “I think they’re all so excited to receive their second-hand presents because it’ll be a complete surprise, and it’s often more valuable than something I could afford brand new,” Iso added.

“I tend to buy things for people whenever I see something, but I pick up Christmas ornaments as gifts nearer Christmas when they’re all out.”

Her top tip for people looking to buy second-hand Christmas presents is to keep an open mind. She explained: “I would be less specific with what you’re looking for – I’ve got a friend that really loves board games and rather than identifying specific board games, I’m just going to see what I can get.

“And also, because of that, I’ve been able to find some really cool board games I wasn’t even aware existed.”

She has already found a handful of festive outfits for herself, including sparkly dresses and trousers, and recommends apps like Vinted for others searching for pre-loved attire and gifts. Iso has also discovered that spelling the brand’s name slightly wrong or not filtering by size can be helpful in finding hidden gems online.

Iso would also like to encourage others to not shop in Black Friday or Boxing Day sales, as she believes in those instances a lot of people just shop “for the sake of it”.

This year, Iso has even adopted a “second-hand cat” and sourced most of its essentials second-hand. She said: “In the same way as there are so many clothes, there are so many cats, and you don’t need to buy a new cat or new clothes!”

Looking ahead, Iso plans to launch a pre-loved clothing business in early 2025 and aims to make it her full-time job once it has scaled up. “It will offer the cream of the second-hand crop in one convenient place – premium preloved clothing, designed to make you stand out while standing up for the environment,” Iso explained.

“I think some of the misconceptions around second-hand are still lingering, including the quality of clothing, availability of clothing and sizing, and also the time that people think it takes to find something good. “People are also used to just going to a shop and always finding something nice in there.

“But I think by me taking away those obstacles for customers so they can find something in fashion and second-hand, it allows them to shop how they normally shop just with the knowledge that it is a more environmentally friendly way to do so.”

Iso is also confident that her business will be a success as it will “mitigate eco-anxiety” for shoppers. Reflecting on her journey, Iso can’t imagine returning to buying new clothes.

She added: “I prefer my clothes and style now, and I don’t miss buying new – you just have to be more creative and have a good rummage in charity shops!”

To find out more about Iso’s looks, visit: www.instagram.com/isoneville.