Think of the last time you bought an item of clothing. Maybe it was last night after a targetted ad trapped you on Instagram. Perhaps it was last week during a Zoom call.

Whenever it was, it probably wasn’t too long ago; we love buying new clothes. In fact, according to a study by children’s charity Barnardo’s, we bought around 16 million single-use outfits last year for special occasions. The majority of those were holiday garments…but 6 million were for barbecues.

If that doesn’t sound like a big deal, maybe the fact that we spend £32.5 billion on clothes and shoes in Britain every year, with 1.72 million tonnes of brand-new fashion consumed in the UK annually – 1.5 million of which goes to landfill – will convince you things need to change. The average consumer buys just over four new items of clothing each month in the UK. That’s one hell of a fast-fashion habit.

We’re so used to seeing influencers and celebs in fresh outfits that we’ve forgotten how abnormal it is to wear new clothes every week. And that’s causing a massive environmental issue – to say nothing of the damage it must be doing to our bank balances.

So here’s a worthwhile challenge for those of you who can’t help but hate all your clothes two minutes after you’ve bought them: Second-Hand September.

Set by Oxfam, the aim is to get people to stop buying new clothes in favour of pre-loved items. That might mean popping into your local charity shop to see what gems are lurking behind the racks of dubious DVDs, heading on to eBay to find a bargain, swapping wardrobes with your mates or simply giving what you already own a spruce-up.

For 30 whole days, you’re being encouraged to say no to new clothes – helping us to buck the trend of sending 13 million items of clothing to UK landfill every week.

To be clear, you don’t need to shop for second-hand clothes at Oxfam to be a part of the challenge. If you can, try not to buy any clothes for the whole month. That way, you’ll be saving a tonne of cash while reducing the likelihood of you having to recycle or bin more clothes further down the line.

But if you do fancy a change, then go for pre-loved.

Second-hand doesn’t mean garbage clothes. In fact, there are plenty of really fancy boutiques in the UK that specialise in designer and unique second-hand clothing. Oxfam Boutiques are often stocked with vintage Missoni, Marni and Coach – which are sold at a fraction of the price you’d find elsewhere. On eBay, you can bid for Burberry raincoats starting at £30, Louis Vuitton rucksacks from £112 and Lululemon leggings for a tenner.

Rather than spending your hard-earned cash on trendy bits from Boohoo and other throw-away fashion brands, why not invest in items that cost more but last longer – and have the bonus of making you feel accomplished when you find them?

Make a day of visiting vintage stores for hidden beauties or dedicate a little time to winning your bids online. The internet has made us lazy and unappreciative of the things we buy so a good way of cutting down is to rethink the ways in which we acquire our clothes.

How to get involved with Second-Hand September

Sort out your wardrobe

First things first, get to grips with what you own. See how many pairs of jeans you have, shirts, out-out outfits, gym kits. Do you really need to own more?

Make a list of what you want or need

If you know there’s something coming up that you’ll want new clothes for, write down what it is you want at the start of the month. You can’t add to the list to really think about what you need or want then stick to it.

Can you find these items at a charity shop or on a second-hand site? Do you actually already own something that would do without you having to buy afresh? Once you see it written down, you’ll probably conclude that it’s not as vital as you think.

Unsubscribe from store mailouts and unfollow clothing brands on Instagram

How many times have you found yourself buying something after getting a ‘New Collection’ newsletter or an ad for SilkFred on your grid?

Unsubscribe and unfollow to reduce the amount of targetted advertising coming your way. If you don’t know about a new range, you won’t want it.

Set aside a day for second-hand shopping

If you do want to shop for something you don’t already own, make a day of it. Head out to a few second-hand stores and enjoy the process of searching. It’ll be far more enjoyable than abscent-mindly clicking your way to an online checkout.

Calculate how much you spend

There’s nothing like seeing how much money you could save to help you curb a habit. Everytime you feel tempted to buy a new piece of fashion, jot down how much it costs. Very soon, you’ll see just how much saying ‘no’ is saving you – and that might spur you on to keep this challenge going a little longer.

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I grew up near Honeysuckle Creek in Australia, one of the tracking stations that relayed signals from the Apollo rockets and moon landers back to Earth. 

Some of my school friends’ parents worked for NASA, making sure that everything ran smoothly. The original moon landing is one of my earliest memories. 

Safe to say, space has always thrilled me. An aunt of mine told me that I am Kenny Baker’s second cousin, once removed, so I’m sort of related to R2D2. I guess you could say that space is in my blood.

Now I bring this part of me with me everywhere I go.

In my mid-forties, I reached a point when I could just about afford a decent made-to-measure work suit, so I shopped around. I considered loads of options.

One of life’s sadnesses is that for most of us, the point at which we can afford lovely clothes is generally a time when we are starting to metamorphose into a sack of potatoes. 

I work in marketing and communications and wanted to find something with the necessary panache, but looser and more practical. A versatile suit that would serve me in all sorts of situations: business meetings, weddings, holidays, etc.

I couldn’t settle on anything, so I tried to visualise the ideal suit. I thought instantly of Neil Armstrong planting his foot on the moon. Suddenly I had the answer.

Some men in their midlife crises buy a ‘menoporsche’. I decided to buy a space suit. 

I Googled and came across a company called Space Toys, based in Grand Rapids, Michigan. They were doing decent replica Apollo 11 space suits, complete with helmet, for about £750, which was my budget. 

So, in one of those late-on-a-Friday-night impulsive moments in 2014, I pressed ‘buy now’ and secretly purchased one. 

It arrived about six weeks later, hand-sewn by someone called Marcie. It came in two large cardboard boxes, plain wrapped as requested, having spent a bit of time in customs.

It was delivered to the office and I had to open it straight away. I lugged it to the bathroom and struggled into it. I walked back into the office as the man who fell to Earth. Sadly the reaction was more David Brent than David Bowie.

At the time I was commuting to London from St Albans. To make the investment worthwhile, I really had to put it to good use. So I started travelling in it. The lovely thing about it is that it combines a bit of spectacle with complete anonymity.

I could see people’s reactions, but they couldn’t see me behind the reflective gold visor. I guess it’s how Banksy must feel.

People started taking pictures of me and soon I was on Instagram and Twitter and on various news sites. A colleague called me to say that a real astronaut, Commander Hadfield, had come across a picture of me on a train station platform that was doing the rounds, and shared it on Twitter. The Walter Mitty in me was thrilled.

One day in summer 2015 I was passing the entrance to Somerset House while London Fashion Week was on. The suit is a bit impractical to wear all day (it can get pretty hot inside), so I had a change of clothes in my bag – and a scarf.  

In the spur of the moment, I took out the scarf, ‘accessorised my outfit’, and walked into the square at Somerset House. I guess I thought I’d get noticed, but I hadn’t expected the reaction. 

The paparazzi descended on me in this supernova of flashbulbs. I got interviewed by Italian fashion TV and various other radio stations. There was a selfie and Instagram frenzy. I had to think on my feet a bit and I went with the pretence that I was making an, ahem, ‘earnest contribution to fashion innovation’. It’s not a vernacular that I know well, but I did my best. 

To satisfy a bewildering fan base, I stood in front of the sign, adopting a classic catwalk pose as best I could in a massive white polyester suit.

It worked.

The next day I was in the trendsetter column in London Fashion Week Daily, the official publication of the show. But the best was to come. Roll forward six months and at the next catwalk shows around the world, space suit-inspired outfits were everywhere.

The idea that a 50-something man, not exactly famous for his dress sense (or certainly not in a positive way), could possibly have influenced fashion history is something that left anyone who knows me, especially my kids, gobsmacked.

I’ve put the suit to very good use since. It has opened plenty of doors. I’ve shopped in it, given out awards in it, won business in it pitching to other space obsessives, protested against Brexit in it, set a very niche ‘world record’ in it by saying ‘hello’ to Jason Isaacs from the stratosphere (fans of Kermode and Mayo’s film programme will understand), and I’ve travelled widely, though sadly never off Earth.

And of course, it offers a useful layer of protection in these socially-distanced times.

The only real downside is that it’s quite ‘atmospheric’ inside, so it’s not an all-season suit. I also need to build in more time to travel.

Getting in and out of cabs takes a bit of effort, as does crossing the road, and I get stopped a lot. Walking through Leicester Square in tourist season can take an hour.

My next plan is to make the world’s lowest budget sci-fi in it, which I envisage as a sort of extra-terrestrial version of Tommy Wiseau’s movie, The Room. It’s called ‘Space £19.99’.

The plot is a bit like Iron Man, but without the achievements or the iron, or the seaside Malibu beach house.

I’ve written to Samuel L Jackson to see if he’ll do a cameo, but I haven’t heard back.

You’ve got to ask, haven’t you?

You can find out more about Hamish and his work here.

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To mark the 50th anniversary of the iconic Adidas Superstar, the brand has teamed up with Prada for a limited collection that’ll set the hearts of sneakerheads alight.

The classic three-stripe trainer is part of a continuing collaboration between the two fashion giants, with Adidas x Prada previously dropping a bowling bag and an all-white version of the Superstar.

As for the new Superstar collab, you can expect a similarly pared-back style, with white, black, and silver being the prominent colours.

Apart from being made from butter-soft full-grain leather, the only marker that these aren’t your standard Superstars is the Prada logo stamped alongside Adidas on the side as well as ‘Made in Italy’.

Colourways are all black, white and black, or silver and white.

The trainers will be available from Prada and Adidas stores as of 8 September. They’ll cost £399.95.

On top of this, Hypebae recently teased the next iteration of the collaboration, which is set to be inspired by Prada’s America’s Cup shoe.

The silhouette of the shoe looks similar to the original, but the Adidas version will use new materials for a fresh look.

Transparent TPE encases the outer of the shoe to reveal the inner sock lining, along with a red Prada Linea Rossa motif and Adidas logo on the heel.

Those ones will apparently be fairly similar in price, so if you’re planning on bagging yourself the collection you may have to start saving now.

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Get in touch at MetroLifestyleTeam@metro.co.uk.

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From seeking out vegan cactus leather to taking on the Second-Hand September challenge, there’s a big push to make our fashion habits a little less environmentally destructive.

Bottega Veneta’s answer to these calls?

An entire bag collection made from recycled paper, naturally.

The label’s Kraft collection is comprised of pouch-style handbags and mini options, all made out of 100% recycled brown paper.

Don’t have visions of paper bags withering and tearing at the hint of rain, though – these are not your bog standard packaging options.

The material has been treated with aliphatic polyurethane film and microfibre fabric, making it completely waterproof while maintaining that unexpectedly chic slightly crumpled brown paper bag finish.

Adding to the durability – but wrecking the environmental credentials quite a bit – is a calf leather lining and a magnetic frame.

But hey, every little bit of recycling helps.

They’re quite simple and have a neutral brown colour, so can be styled easily with pretty much everything in your wardrobe.

But as you’d expect from Bottega Veneta, these paper bags don’t come cheap. The cheapest bag in the range, the mini pouch with a shoulder strap, comes in at £845, while the most expensive, the large shoulder pouch, is available for £1,710.

Now, we’re not the type to recommend knock-offs, but we see little issue in you simply getting some old paper bags and fashioning them into your own designer look. That way you hop on the trend and stick to your no-buy month.

Just make sure to give your lunch bag a bit of a squish before wearing – sharp origami folds are out, a loving crumple is very much in.

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When your body changes during and after pregnancy, it can be hard to find clothes to fit.

There might be plenty of maternity jeans on the market but there’s little out there for situations where you plan to be a little more active.

So sportswear brand Nike is launching its first maternity collection, focusing on great fit, support and comfort for women before and just after birth.

To create the (M) range, the brand compared analytics from more than 150,000 scans of non-pregnant women against those of pregnant women.

Designers also gathered detailed feedback on fit, feel and function from nearly 30 female athletes who were pregnant or postpartum. 

Carmen Zolman, Nike Senior Design Director for Apparel Innovation, said: ‘The more we listened to expecting mothers and postpartum mothers, the more we learned, reworked and innovated through inclusive design.

‘It’s the project of a lifetime to work in lockstep with all kinds of mothers to bring to life a capsule that truly supports women’s relationship with sport during such a transformative time in their lives.’

The range includes four essentials – a pullover (£69.95), swoosh bra, tank (£31.95) and Nike One tight (£54.95).

The range is more expensive than the standard line but includes additional features.

The bra, which costs £39.95. includes layers to give easy access for breastfeeding or pumping.

The other items include support panels or options to change the way the item is worn as the pregnancy progresses, meaning you can wear it no matter what size your bump is.

Retired British track and field athlete and new mum, Perri Edwards, who tried the range, said: ‘The Nike (M) sports bra is great because it’ll give me easy access for when I want to breastfeed.

‘The leggings give you options of wearing over your tummy or showing your tummy, and the maternity shirt has this extra material for the extra weight that I’m carrying. You look very smart, very comfortable, very hip.’

You can pick up the range from Nike.com and Nike Town London from 17th September.

Other sports brands are planning similar ranges too. A post on the Adidas website says: ‘Get ready for adidas maternity wear – soon available on adidas.co.uk. Discover sporty outfits to stay active and fit during your pregnancy, or to lounge around in style.’

Meanwhile, high street brands GAP and H&M already have a huge range of maternity activewear.

Prices at GAP start from £14.95 and at H&M, you can pick from items from £17.99, which is a little more budget friendly than the Nike range.

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It’s all very well doing a Marie Kondo and chucking out all the clothes we no longer wear, but wardrobe purges do tend to be very wasteful.

Cos, however, is giving you the opportunity to make a quick buck off your old clothes while having access to other people’s pre-owned garms.

Cos Resell is a project that allows shoppers to buy and sell their Cos clothes. Think of it like the Depop of minimalist style.

To sell, all you have to do is enter your item details, upload photos, set your price and set it live. Listing is free.

Every year, we chuck 1.5 million tonnes of clothing into landfill. Some of that may be unwearable but given how addicted we are to new, cheap, fast fashion, it’s fair to guess that the majority simply fell out of favour. Brands feed our addiction by bringing out new collections with alarming regularity.

Second-hand September is a great initiative aimed at getting us to commit to not buying new clothes for 30 days. If we have to buy anything, make it pre-loved.

This new section of Cos takes that idea further by allowing us to prioritise second-hand fashion all year long. If we have to buy new, Cos’ range of eco-luxury materials is ever-growing, with recycled cashmere loungewear and organic cotton shifts.

The greenest solution should be the easiest solution – that’s how people are going to change their habits. It’s great to see some fashion labels embracing the fact that there is money to be made from sustainability, or at least that they can help consumers reduce their environmental impact at no extra cost.

The buying section of the Resell site isn’t open just yet but you can start uploading your products to sell already. Get ready to find some bargains!

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Could anyone have predicted that sweater vests – yep, those sleeveless jumpers, just like your granddad wears – would be the hottest fashion trend of 2020?

It’s true, we swear.

Just take a gander around the Instagram pages of influencers and fashion types and you’ll spot a load of grandparent-y knitwear, styled over shirts in clashing prints or worn alone as a sort of slinky knitted tank top.

The trend has made it to the runways, with sweater vests appearing in the 2020 collections of Gucci, Prada, and Dior.

And an even more glowing endorsement comes from TikTok teens, who favour oversized sweater vests worn over tiny tennis skirts.

They’re actually a rather genius addition to your wardrobe for that in-between seasons weather. When it’s warmer than expected, you can wear your sweater vest alone with a skirt, then use it to add some warmth to a shirt or dress when you’re feeling the chill but not quite ready to commit to a coat.

Ready to give the look a go?

Let’s round up some influencer looks to study and learn from, then go on to the sweater vests you can buy online right now.

Layer over a crisp white shirt

Go for a seventies inspired colour palette

Wear your sweater vest alone, with colour-matched trousers

Pair with voluminous sleeves

Embrace your inner nerd

The sports dad look works too

Choose a cardigan sweater vest and pair with florals

The preppy tennis skirt look the teens are loving

Modernise the look with a crop

Okay, so there’s your inspo. Now on to the shopping.

The best sweater vests to buy right now

Ganni Knit Pattern Vest, £119

H&M Cable-Knit Slipover, £19.99

Y.A.S Knitted Vest in Green, £35

Zara Knitted Textured Vest, £29.99

Monki Cable Knit Vest, £20

Zara Cable-Knit Vest, £25.99

Boohoo Dogtooth Check Knitted Tank, £12

Shein Contrast Trim Plants Pattern Sweater Vest, £14.99

This article contains affiliate links. We may earn a small commission on purchases made through one of these links but this never influences our experts’ opinions or coverage. Products are tested and reviewed independently of commercial initiatives.

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On principle, the notion of taking a second-hand item from a charity shop or thrift store, sewing it into something new and selling it on sounds like a great premise for a business.

Upcycling has been a great hobby and money-maker for many over the years, and turning this concept to clothing will hopefully help reduce the carbon footprint attributed to fashion, as well as make young designers on resale sites like Depop a bit of money.

With this in mind, it is hard to argue against emptying the local Oxfam of gems to sell on the side, but unfortunately, the argument against it is on behalf of those who need it the most: The people who shop in thrift stores in order to actually find something to wear, and not to find a profit.

These are the people now missing out on fashionable and affordable styles because they are being bought up by resellers.

Sophie, 26, has shopped second-hand her whole life, and tells us she has seen a definite ‘decline in higher-quality and later season stock found in charity shops in the past few years’.

This may be due not only to thrift flippers stripping the stores of stock, but also a decline in donations directly to charity shops.

‘Resale apps have made it a lot easier for people to sell on their clothes, which gives people more of an incentive to get money back from their old clothes in a clearout, as opposed to donating them to a charity shop,’ Sophie explains. ‘Obviously, this lessens the quantity of higher quality and newer season stock that ends up in charity shops and thrift stores.’

Ellis, 22, lives in the US and has seen the same trend across the pond.

They complain: ‘It’s incredibly frustrating when people with the resources to buy clothes new buy from thrift stores for the sole purpose of flipping them. People are taking away resources from those on a low-income in order to turn a profit. It’s gross.’

As well as resellers making problems for disadvantaged shoppers, the thrift flip trend popularised on social media platforms like TikTok has made it harder to acquire plus-size clothing.

By buying bigger sizes and turning them into cute co-ords in a smaller size, or choosing much larger sizes for a smaller bodies to have an oversized fit, the demand for plus sizes have gone up in thrift shops without the stock to fulfill it.

Kayleigh, 31, buys her clothes almost exclusively from thrift stores and sells plus-size items online. She says the struggle to find pretty plus-size clothing has been around for years, but the thrift-flipping trend may be making the problem worse.

‘Even if I had a billion dollars to spend, there is already a dearth of plus size cute clothing to choose from because designers assume we want to conceal our bodies with bizarre abstract designs or ruffles,’ she explains. ‘So the likelihood of something cute finding its way to a local thrift store is already slim.

‘Then you have to do that additional labor of digging for it as if you’re looking for a needle in a haystack.

‘If a skinny person is out there looking for cute plus-size clothing to sell and they pick something that I would like to actually wear… That is them materially preventing me from dressing well.’

Djamila, 29, is a charity shopper from North London. She’s fed up of seeing plus-size clothing taken from plus-size potential shoppers and resold as ‘oversized’ online.

‘Thrift flippers are scanning charity shops for anything that could be deemed ‘vintage’ because that sort of thing is easily worn oversized by straight-sized people and still looks fashionable,’ Djamila says. ‘The problem is, that oversized dress or shirt that looks so good with a belt round on a small person is my size and it’s probably not something I would be able to buy new.

Djamila and the other thrift shoppers interviewed for this article have a simple request: that those reselling cheap items online consider the repercussions of their actions.

‘If you’re not buying plus clothing to wear yourself and you’re just flipping it online, maybe try to consider the difficulty that fat people have shopping on the high street in the first place and the reasons we thrift,’ Djamila comments.

Freja, 24, agrees: ‘Flippers need to have a hard think about the people who rely on charity shops and thrift shops to buy clothes than they can afford.’

Do you have a story to share?

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In case you hadn’t noticed, autumn has arrived.

And preparation for the temperature drop to come means one thing: cosy knits are back on the fashion agenda.

From cable to rib stitch, Fair Isle to Intarsia, there’s an endless array of options when it comes to knitwear.

To help you along, we’ve selected eight of the comfiest knitted cardigans and jumpers from high street brands right now – and they are both affordable and stylish.

Monki, £30

A surefire way to brighten your mood as the weather turns gloomy is to bring a bit of colour to your wardrobe – like this ribbed cardigan with Raglan sleeves from Monki.

It’s currently available in six shades and runs from sizes XXS-XL.

More importantly, it’s made from responsibly grown cotton, according to the Swedish brand.

Weekday, £55

We’re convinced that Scandinavians just do knitwear better than the rest of us (which is why it’s no surprise that there are three Swedish brands on our list).

This cardigan from Weekday, dubbed Alma, is incredibly soft – thanks to its combined materials of wool and alpaca, which will keep you warm too.

It’s available in XS- L, but bear in mind that the design is oversized. Also available in black.

H&M, £39.99

Oh look, another Swedish brand (we told you).

Just like Weekday’s design, H&M’s cardigan with voluminous sleeves has been created with a wool-alpaca blend that will make you want to curl up in front of an open fire with a glass of red and a good book.

Sizes run from S- L, but the jumper is only available in one colour.

Asos, £35

White jumpers are predicted to be all the rage in autumn/winter 2020.

This high neck design from Asos is beautiful, though you might want to invest in good detergent as we have a feeling it won’t stay that bright white shade for long.

Made from a wool-mix knit, ‘it’s got a little stretch’ according to the website, where you can buy it in S-L.

And the best part? It’s discounted from £55.

Mango, £59.99

This is the most expensive item on our list, but the houndstooth pattern is gorgeous enough to make up for price.

The diamanté buttons also add some sparkle, if that’s your thing.

Mango’s cardigan is made from acrylic, polyester and elastane, and is currently up for grabs in sizes S- L.

Zara, £29.99

Is this even knitwear, we hear you ask?

Why yes – not all knitwear is chunky, as Zara proves with this knitted waistcoat, which has a lapel collar and short sleeves.

The fashion item, which has a matching pair of trousers if you so fancy, is made from viscose, nylon and polyester. It’s available in sizes S-XL.

Nasty Gal, £14.40

We love a good bargain – and this adorable pink cropped cardigan has been discounted from its original price of £24.00.

It’s more cool than cosy though, made from an acrylic and polyamide blend.

The cardigan from Nasty Gal is available in four shades and works perfectly with high-waisted jeans.

It’s available in sizes S-L.

Missguided, £20

For our final item, we’ve gone for something a little different: a cable knit co-ord set.

The top, made from acrylic and cotton has already sold out in some sizes, but can still be found in 6/8 and 10/12.

If grey isn’t your colour, Missguided has other knitted co-ords to choose from – an you could even mix and match, if you wanted.

Do you have a story you’d like to share?

Get in touch by emailing MetroLifestyleTeam@Metro.co.uk.

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Sneakerheads will know that the only way to get a pair of truly unique trainers that show off your individuality is to get a custom pair.

All sorts of customs companies have come up in recent years offering fun and quirky styles, but GlasgowCustoms might be the newest home-grown talent to hit the big time.

Their new launch (titled Guilty Pleasures) features three beverages that are instrumental to the growing up in Scotland experience – Buckfast, MD 20/20, and Tennent’s – and has blown up on social media.

The brand was started by school friends Fergus and Euan, who both hail from the Scottish Borders but now both live in Glasgow.

They started GlasgowCustoms after graduating from university, with Fergus saying: ‘We thought we’d be as well doing something productive during such a tough time.’

‘We both went to school together since primary and grew up in a small village near Melrose in the Scottish Borders.

‘I moved to Glasgow for University to do a Masters in Mechanical Design Engineering at Glasgow Uni and fell in love with the city.

‘Euan graduated from Dundee University in Architecture but did a year of his course in Glasgow and got to know the city and it’s culture very well.’

The first collection featured city icons such as the Duke of Wellington Statue (with traffic cone on the head, naturally), the Armadillo, and the Finnieston Crane, but the pair decided to go for drinks for their latest limited edition drop.

‘We’ve had the idea for the drinks design since the start, they are just such well known symbols in Glasgow and we just had to pay tribute to them,’ Fergus tells Metro.co.uk.

‘They are instantly recognisable to Glaswegians and never fail to bring a smile to their faces, whether it’s an adult reliving their youth or our age group and students alike.

‘We’re going for a more ‘tongue in cheek’ vibe for this collection.’

‘Both having experienced student/social life in Glasgow at various points we were aware as to how intrinsic the beverages which inspired the range are to flat parties and the city’s nightlife.

‘With two of the drinks of inspiration not even originating from Scotland we also looked to explore the power and character with which Glasgow as a city adopts brands, people and culture in making them its own.’

With the unmistakable colours and logos of ‘wreck the hoose juice’ and Mad Dog brightening up the Swooshes and heels, it’s understandable why CustomsGlasgow have seen such a big response so far.

Fergus says: ‘The reaction to both of our collections has been so positive. We’ve had so many kind messages and comments and customers have told us of the numerous compliments they receive whilst wearing our shoes.

‘It really is a very rewarding process. It has really motivated us to up our game every collection and keep growing the business.’

Each pair costs £115 in junior sizes or £135 in adult sizes, and you’ll get a free drop-off service if you live in Glasgow.

They’ll be available until 30 September, after which they’ll never be made again.

Have a browse on their Instagram now.

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After months of only seeing your coworkers and pals on Zoom, shoving as much interest into the top half of your outfit has become the best way to express your style.

After all, if you’re not just wearing the comfiest sweatpants available on your bottom half, you’ve kind of been doing lockdown wrong.

That need for chest-up dressing is likely responsible for the new micro-trend that’s been popping up on runways, in designer collections, and across the high street: the oversized prairie collar.

Statement collars have already been established as a trend, but now it’s time to get more specific. The collar of the moment has to be the oversized prairie collar, describing those bib-like collars with a frilled edge for a cottagecore meets seventies chic effect.

Rocking the trend is satisfyingly simple.

You can buy a statement dress with the collar built in, or pick up a shirt with a prairie collar, to be layered under jumpers (with the collar then pulled out so it sits on top, of course) or worn alone.

Below we’ve rounded up some of the best prairie collar items available right now.

Collared Poplin Dress, £14.99, H&M

Angele Cotton Purple Flowers Blouse, €230, Maison Cleo

Double Baby-Collar Shirt, £29.99, Mango

Cotton Silk Smock Dress, £325, Ganni

Collared Sweatshirt, £17.99, H&M

Big Collar Blouse, £30, Monki

Star Print Collar Mini Tea Dress, £39, Topshop

Big Collar Tee, £20, Monki

Poplin Shirt With Lapels, £29.99, Zara

Flower Power Shirt, €150, La Veste

Vintage Supply Relaxed Smock Dress With Quilted Collar, £40, ASOS

Black Collar Button Front Mini Dress, £35.99, Topshop

Boa Large Collar Blouse, £79, Olive

This article contains affiliate links. We may earn a small commission on purchases made through one of these links but this never influences our experts’ opinions or coverage. Products are tested and reviewed independently of commercial initiatives.

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Picking the right face covering has become one of the surprise fashion challenges of 2020, with the market now fully saturated with countless options.

You can get silk ones, cotton ones, floral ones, ones with your dogs face on, and even accessorise with mask chains.

Now French fashion house Louis Vuitton are throwing their, erm, mask into the ring and making a face shield of their very own.

Reportedly costing a tidy $961 – roughly £750 – it’s one of the most expensive face coverings going.

The shield comes complete with golden studs, a photochromatic visor which will react to sunlight by turning darker, and the Louis Vuitton monogram print will adorn the trim and headband.

You can also flip the visor and wear it as a hat.

This pricey piece of PPE will be released around the world on 30 October as a part of Louis Vuitton’s 2021 Cruise Collection.

The company described the shield as ‘an eye-catching headpiece, both stylish and protective’ in a press release.

Louis Vuitton will join the likes of Burberry, which was among the first luxury fashion brands to announce the launch of their own face covering at a cost of $115 (£90).

These masks will be made from leftover fabric, and 20% of of the proceeds from each mask sold will go to Burberry Foundation COVID-19 Community Fund.

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The fashion industry isn’t the most diverse.

It often excludes many minorities including people of colour, disabled people, and those from LGBTQ backgrounds.

Of course, that doesn’t mean they are any less fashion savvy.

One group showing off their serious swag is Somali people who feel underrepresented in mainstream fashion.

MaliMania is a new platform made for and by Somali creatives who want to show the beauty and disparity of their culture.

The project is the brainchild of Salma and Nadir, a married couple who wanted to build a brand that showed Somali youth all the reasons to be proud of their heritage.

Recently Salma and Nadir organised a photoshoot with the help of their photographer friend Salamata Mboup to launch MaliMania and introduce the brand to people.

The images immediately went viral, amassing more than an accumulated 44,000 likes.

Salma tells Metro.co.uk: ‘Malimania is a creative platform for us to bring our visions to life.

‘With our content, we want to inspire and give joy to the youth. My husband and I have always talked about building a brand together and what would be a better time to start than now?

‘For our first project, we want to do something related to Somali youth combined with fashion.

‘As soon as we knew what we wanted to create we immediately knew who the photographer would be.

‘Our amazing photographer Slamata Mboup did an amazing job on the photos.’

Salma and Nadir enlisted the help of a few other friends to pull the photoshoot off.

Salma adds: ‘The models were basically our friends and family which you can see through the photos.

‘Of course, we have big plans for this brand towards the future. We are big on fashion so you can expect that there will be something fashion related.

‘For now, we are just exploring our creativity and we can’t wait to see what the future holds for us.’

MaliMania has caused waves on social media, attracting the attention of other modest fashion influencers.

Some of the influencers include Imane Asry, Maria Alia Al-Sadek, and Miski who all had encouraging words to say about the brand.

Salma is appreciative of all the love online.

She adds: ‘We are so overwhelmed by the positive feedback we have got from the people. We just want to thank any and everyone for supporting us through our journey.’

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It’s hard to keep white trainers as clean as they are when they first come out of the box.

However, a woman has come up with a brilliant hack for making her battered old Converse look ‘box fresh’ again.

Sharing her efforts in the Facebook group Mrs Hinch Made Me Do It, she posted a photo of her filthy shoes before and revealed their transformation after the cleaning process.

But, while it might look like hours of laborious scrubbing and bleaching has gone into changing the dull grey colour to sparkling white, it seems just one product was behind the makeover.

The ‘just like new’ look was achieved thanks to The Pink Stuff paste – which costs just £1 in Wilko for 500g.

The packet says it can be used on saucepans, cooker tops, sinks, showers, garden furniture and dozens of other surfaces – but it seems this stretches to footwear, too.

The woman goes on to explain in the post: ‘The Pink Stuff is the best for Converse! I wet them and then used a toothbrush and scrubbed them with the Pink Stuff paste.

‘I let them sit with the pink stuff on it for about 2 hours and then just put them on a 40 degree wash, then let them air dry outside.’

Some people were so shocked by the before and after photos they even accused the woman of buying a new pair of Converse. To which she replied: ‘What would I get out of lying about cleaning a pair of shoes?! People are nuts!’

Others said they were familiar with the product and that it had worked a treat on their shoes as well.

One wrote: ‘I’ve tried this too on mine. Pink stuff is amazing! Best to pop them on the line when the suns out…makes them come out whiter!’

While another said: ‘I do this with my children’s white trainers works wonders.’

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Owning anything white is always risky – especially when it comes to footwear.

White trainers are notoriously difficult to keep clean – they have to withstand all kinds of dirt and terrain as well as whatever the weather throws at them.

During the summer months, this isn’t so bad. But when autumn and winter hits, white trainers are less likely to be ‘box fresh’ anymore.

Unlike our clothes, we can’t simply throw a pair of trainers in the washing machine. They require a completely different process to keep them a dazzling white shade.

But how exactly do you keep white trainers looking ‘just like new’? Stylists and footwear experts have shared their top tips. 

Get to stains ASAP

Just how you would be quick to get a stain out of a piece of clothing, the same goes for footwear.

Naomi Wainwright, from Daniel Footwear, says: ‘Stains should be removed as soon as possible to avoid them setting into the shoe.

‘A DIY solution can be made for stain removal, consisting of water and baking soda (or washing powder liquid). You should carefully rub the solution onto the stain, and after a couple of minutes wipe the solution away with a damp cloth. For tougher stains, repeat the process.’

Start with a bang

Before you kick off the cleaning process, it’s good to bang your shoes together a little.

Stylist Ryan Kay says: ‘Start by banging your shoes together to allow the mud to naturally fall off.’

This technique will help rid your shoes of any excess dirt or dust before you get stuck in. It might be worth carrying out this step outside or on a doorstep (if possible) to avoid getting dirt all over your floor – which will be another thing to clean.

Use a toothbrush

Toothbrushes are commonly used for cleaning, in order to get to pesky places that are too intricate for larger pieces of cleaning equipment.

Ryan explains: ‘Grab an old toothbrush or cloth which you don’t mind getting wet. Add warm water and soap to your shoes. Make sure to scrub gently. By using a toothbrush you’ll be able to get to those hard-to-reach places.’

Remove shoelaces

Due to their material, laces will need more of a wash compared to the rest of the trainer. Experts recommend taking the laces off and soaking them in warm water with some detergent or stain removal solution.

Removing the shoelaces will also help you clean the rest of the shoe a little better, as you’ll be able to get to all the nooks and crannies they were taking up before.

Store them properly

There’s no point going to all the effort of cleaning if you’re simply going to throw the trainers in a cupboard with other muddy shoes afterwards.

Jenny, fashion buyer at Hurleys, says: ‘Keeping them properly stored will help to keep your trainers whiter for longer. Dust, damp and other household dirt can cause discolouration.

‘The original box that they came in will work as a good storage solution.’

Never put white trainers in the washing machine

Jenny adds: ‘A lot of people make the mistake of throwing their trainers in the washing machine.

‘Although this is an easy way to clean them, it can actually damage the material. Avoid the washing machine and stick with good old manual cleaning.’

Shoe laces are the only part of a trainer which can go in the washing machine – just don’t put them in the tumble dryer, as this can damage the plastic on the ends and shrink the lace itself.

See what products people have recommended

There are various products specifically designed to help with shoe care and maintenance, but an unlikely household hero has emerged as favourite with shoppers.

The Pink Stuff from Wilko – which costs just £1 for 500g – has proved to be a popular shoe cleaning hack with customers. Despite the packet saying it can be used on saucepans, cooker tops, sinks, showers, garden furniture and lots of other surfaces, it looks like the paste works wonders on footwear as well.

There are also a number of shoe protection sprays which do exactly what they say on the tin. These often help guard against moisture and dirt – which is particularly helpful during the colder, rainier months.

Don’t be excessive

It’s important not to kill your shoes with kindness. We all want to keep our trainers looking as clean as possible, but tending to them every day is likely to cause damage to the shoes themselves.

Naomi says: ‘Ensure not to excessively clean your trainers as this can cause deterioration of the material and the white colour will begin to fade.’

Remember to wear socks

Just how sweat can mark clothes, it’s the same with shoes. The only difference is that shoes are not washed half as regularly as clothes. This is why it’s important to wear socks to prevent staining.

Jenny adds: ‘Sweat can affect the colour of the trainer, so make sure you protect them by wearing socks whilst wearing your trainers. If you prefer the bare ankle look, opt for trainer socks or “invisible socks.”‘

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Want to earn some extra spending money? Why not become a lingerie tester with your partner?

Lingerie brand Pour Moi are looking to hire a couple of ‘sexy lingerie testers’ to give feedback on the ‘seduction powers’ of some sets for £30 an hour.

The company’s website says that a pair ‘in a consensual relationship’ will need to ‘commit to 10 hours of sexy lingerie testing over a month period’, meaning the eventual paycheque will add up to £300 for the couple to split.

This one-off role is open to a couple based in any country as long as they’re over the age of 18.

If your application is successful, then you’ll get three different sets of lingerie to test and keep.

You’ll need to fill out a survey with your thoughts on the lingerie, including which set of the three you prefer and how easy the sets are to put on and take off.

Founder Michael Thomson says: ‘Our lingerie and hosiery is designed and made to very exacting standards of fit, comfort and quality. We are really passionate about helping our customers feel as sexy and as confident as possible.

‘First-hand feedback from a couple who have used our lingerie “in-situ” will be incredibly useful for future designs.’

To apply, all you need to do is fill out the form on Pour Moi’s website. Applications close on October 12, and the lucky couple who get the job will be told the good news on October 26

The application page also stipulates: ‘Pour Moi are not liable for any resulting sexual activity caused as a result of the lingerie testing.’

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Villanelle’s pink dress Killing Eve was one of the stand out looks of the series.

And we might be over two years on from when it appeared on our screens, but it’s a look people still want to replicate.

H&M released a lookalike of the dress earlier this year and now shoppers are loving Primark’s version.

But while H&M’s £19.99 dress had lots of volume, the cotton fabric meant it didn’t quite match up with the assasin’s floaty original from the series.

But Primark’s candy pink dress has puff sleeves and a tiered tulle skirt, with a vest underneath, as the tulle is see through.

The dress Villanelle wore back in the first series was made for the show by Molly Goddard and cost £408, so if you don’t have her assassin pay packet, you’ll be pleased to know you can snap up the Primark version for £15.

The outfit has been a hit on Instagram and looks set to be a popular item at the store, even as the weather gets colder.

Influencer Alice Liveing shared a snap of herself wearing the dress and said: ‘Doing my best Villanelle impression and soaking up every last ray of sunshine.’

Fans replied saying they’d spotted the dress themselves and they’d noticed the resemblance to the look in the show.

German influencer also shared a picture of herself and blogger Illyana London showed off how she styles the outfit, with a white bag around her waist and block heels.

Sadly, Primark doesn’t sell anything online so you’ll have to hunt the dress down in store.

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The time between the Tiger King mania and Halloween might seem like yonks but the Netflix craze was only a few months ago.

Yep, that whole Joe Exotic, Carole Baskin fiasco was all in 2020.

And in a move that surprises no one, you can now get Tiger King-inspired Halloween costumes.

Online retailer Yandy is offering two new get-ups for the spooky season including a female Joe Exotic attire and another Tiger Queen costume that comes with a stuffed big cat.

And of course, because ’tis the season, both outfits are sexy and will show plenty of skin.

The new additions are no surprise for Yandy as they also sold other sexy costumes inspired by the Popeyes chicken sandwich, Mr. Rogers, and Rihanna and Beyonce’s Met Gala outfits in the past.

Will you be dressing up as a ‘Cool Cat’ or ‘Tiger Queen’ this Halloween?

The Yandy Tiger Queen costume is available for $67.95 (£52.45) and the description reads: ‘Meow, sassy zookeeper!

‘Aren’t you an exotic, tiger-befriending beauty? Ignore that bizarre babe throwing serious cat-itude your way. Prove you’re the star of the animal breeding world in this exclusive Tiger Queen costume.’

Meanwhile, the $49.90 (£38.52) Coolest Cat costume is ideal if you’re trying to match your BFF.

The tiger print bodysuit also comes with a matching tiger ears headband.

The description says: ‘A queen only bows down to her king. Be the baddest kitty queen in town in this Coolest Cat costume’.

It seems the tiger thirst is real as fans all over the world have been dressing up as the main man for various occasions this year.

Albeit the star of the show, Joe Exotic, real name Joseph Allen Maldonado-Passage, is currently serving a prison sentence for a murder plot on Carole Baskin and killing and selling tigers.

The show’s protagonist riled up animal rights enthusiasts PETA who released their own Halloween costume inspired by the documentary.

Earlier in the year, PETA unleashed a ‘Joe Exotic Tiger Killer Costume’ for a whopping $159.99 (£123).

On the website, it says ‘it comes with everything you need to portray the notorious tiger abuser: a blond wig, a mustache, jail bars, a plush pouncing tiger, and an orange jumpsuit with the more apt moniker “Tiger Killer” on the front.’

Happy Halloween?

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Messaging on clothes and toys can be picked up surprisingly well by our little ones, with them picking up the slogans.

From a children’s book saying afro hair is ‘too fluffy’ to a hugely offensive t-shirt promising to ‘make Down’s Syndrome extinct’ that have hugely upset children and their parents (and rightly so) it all goes into their wee heads.

On the funny end of this spectrum is a PJ set on sale at TK Maxx that might just give some children the wrong idea.

The Batman pyjamas are available for £9.99 and say ‘hero in training’ alongside a picture of the man himself.

There’s just one problem. The spacing isn’t very clear between hero and in, making it look very much like the top says ‘heroin training’.

The mix-up was pointed out on a Facebook group for fans of the Maxx where people share their favourite (and so-bad-they’re-good) finds, with one person saying: ‘Holy mixed messages bat man.’

One commenter wrote: ‘Always get a bigger size as kids these days shoot up so quickly,’ while another joked, ‘Damn, foiled again.’

While we’re not ones to make light of addiction, it does highlight the importance of a little spacing and a quick check before going to the manufacturer.

If you sent your child off to a sleepover with this on there might be some concerned calls home.

Ready the batphone for the worried parents.

We’ve contacted TK Maxx for comment and will update this piece when we hear back.

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With National Hygiene Week in full swing, it’s only natural that we are thinking more about our everyday cleaning habits.

Over the past few years, we’ve investigated how often you should wash your bedsheets and towels and even your bras, but now it’s the turn of the hero item in many people’s wardrobes – a trusty pair of jeans.

There’s mixed reports when it comes to washing denim.

Some experts say jeans should never be washed at all – but, in our opinion, this seems highly impractical and pretty gross. Others say it’s absolutely fine to wash them when you need to.

With so much mixed advice, it truly is a minefield out there. So we’ve asked experts to set the record straight on how often you should wash your beloved jeans and how exactly to go about it.

The Lee Jeans product team say: ‘As a general rule: The less you wash dyed jeans, the better. Washing jeans too often can cause them to fade prematurely.’

Susan Fermor, from cleaning product specialist Dr Beckmann, stresses that jeans need to be treated differently from everyday clothes.

She tells Metro.co.uk: ‘Unlike other garments, your jeans don’t need to spend that much time in the washing machine. Washing your jeans frequently can alter the fit and colouring.

‘Putting them on a cool wash once a month is advised, ensuring that they are kept clean and fresh.’

However, it’s worth pointing out that putting them on a full-on wash might not always be necessary.

Helen Marsden, buying director at Kit & Kaboodal, says: ‘If you wear your jeans for active days then, of course, they will need washing more frequently to keep them clean. However, if they are worn for days with very low levels of activity then you can keep them going for longer and use a damp cloth to dab away any small stains that occur in between washes, and leave them to air dry.’

When a proper wash is required, the Lee Jeans team advise to always follow the care instructions on the garment’s label and to wash them separately from other products.

They add: ‘To prevent shrinking or fading, opt for a delicate or gentle wash, use cold water and a mild colour preserving detergent, especially one for dark clothes if your jeans are blue or black.

‘Also turn jeans inside out – this protects the fibres on the outside of the jeans from friction and direct exposure from detergents, which helps prevent fading.’

Susan also stresses that a jeans wash should always be on 30C cycle – this is because a hotter temperature could accelerate the fading process.

She says: ‘Wash your jeans on a cool temperature to ensure the denim keeps its shape and feel.

‘Putting them on a 30C wash or lower is the ideal setting. If they are extremely dirty, then dab them down with a cool cloth beforehand to reduce the residue.’

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