If ever there was an item clothing that it makes sense to buy secondhand, it’s a Christmas party frock. At this time of year, the shops are overflowing with sequins, satin and shimmer. I don’t know about you, but after a lockdown Christmas last year, I am so ready to party I’d consider wearing heels and a metallic maxi dress to my local pub.
Partywear lends itself perfectly to the secondhand market: it’s not a wardrobe staple that will get plenty of wear. According to The Guardian, £2.4 billion is spent annually in the UK on Christmas clothes that barely get worn and sadly the fate of these scarcely-worn outfits is typically landfill. The good news is that an almost-new party dress can be yours, typically saving you around two thirds of the price of something new. Here’s a round-up of some of my favourites:
From Re-Fashion:
A midnight blue sequinned dress by Miss Selfridge for a mere £11. Loving the high neck style which allows you to show off your legs without having too much on show:

Or this New Look beauty. It’s a size 20 – all too often, secondhand isn’t size-inclusive.

From British Heart Foundation
It’s well worth a look in your local charity shop. I saw these dresses in window yesterday. There were Christmas jumpers galore as well. I find Christmas jumpers really not-funny (Scrooge?) but they’re also a good thing to get secondhand:

From Recycled By:
Recycled By has some gently used designer partywear with huge discounts versus the RRP, including this Mulberry skirt which I love. It’s a good thing it’s too small for me – otherwise I’m not sure I could resist the temptation to snap it up:

Enjoy your Christmas parties, whatever you choose to wear.
Thanks for reading
Jen
#secondhandfirst #thanksitsthrifted #preloved #sustainablefashion #christmas #partywear #dresses #circulareconomy