This week I'm bringing you my very first haulternative. If your not sure what a haulternative is it's basically a twist on a traditional clothing haul when instead of everything being new it's all second hand or up cycled items you already own.

If you follow my outfit posts you'll know that I love to thrift. So many items I've worn on this blog have been found in charity shops. It really is amazing what you can find second hand.





So this whole haulternative idea is to make you think a bit more about where your clothes actually come from, encouraging you to shop second hand, to repurpose and recycle. It's a response to our current obsession with fast fashion.

Fast fashion is just so wasteful, don't get me wrong I love shopping the new trends but I'm not one for buying for buyings sake. I try to consciously buy only what I need, if its an item I desperately want or something I know I'll get a lot of wear out of. Then when I don't want it anymore I'll donate or recycle it. 

Unfortunately fast fashion has almost conditioned us to see clothing as disposable. It has also put a lot of people off of second hand clothing and hand me downs. They want something new and when brands are producing new collections every 2-6 weeks it's easy to see why.


Now whenever I need to refresh my wardrobe I'll always look in charity shops or on apps like Depop first to see if I can find what I'm looking for second hand. I'm not always successful with this, as charity shopping in particular can be hit or miss. You have to be patient and regularly look in your local charity shops to find the best stuff, but when you do hit the jack pot and find a great, unique piece for a few quid it is so worth it! I've even found brand new items with the tags still attached!

The garments in this post are my favourite pieces I've thrifted and up cycled over the past few months, most items only cost me £5 or less!


A great way to refresh some of your older t-shirts is simply by taking a pair of scissors to them. I've recently turned this 14 year old Slipknot tee into a crop top. I never really wore this as much as I wanted as it was a really odd length, since turning it into a crop top I've worn it so much! It looks great with a pair of high waisted jeans. This is so simple to do and has extended the life of this t-shirt by at least a few years, if not more.


This has to be one of the coolest things I've found in a charity shop! I really needed a new bag to take to Download Festival with me, so I couldn't believe my luck when I came across this one for £4.99 just a few weeks before! It's the perfect size and just looks so cool! Its so me and goes with all of my outfits. It's become my go to everyday bag and it will be until it breaks beyond repair. 


I found this gorgeous lace shirt in a charity shop for I think about £3.99. It's a size 18 so it's pretty big on me, I brought it as I thought it would make a great light jacket / over shirt. You know me, I love my layers and wearing this unbuttoned over another top or dress will not only keep me warm but will add a lot more interest and texture to my overall outfit. I can see myself wearing it a lot over the coming months. Go see how I styled it here.


Last autumn / winter I was really into wearing long sleeved roll necks under everything! I love a high neckline and being able to turn any t-shirt or dress into one simply by wearing another top underneath had me obsessed. So when I came across this sleeveless roll neck in my local charity shop for £1.99 I just had to get it! Sometimes it's just too hot or uncomfortable to wear a long sleeve top under everything so this is a great solution as it gives me the layered look and neckline I want without overheating or feeling like my outfit is too bulky and awkward.

I actually brought both of these on the same day from the same charity shop, they work so well together, it was meant to be! This velvet smock dress has to be one of my favourite dresses, it's so comfy and one of those items you can just chuck on knowing it will instantly work without much styling. It's great for when your having one of those lazy days but want to look like you've put in a bit of effort. My favourite way to style this dress is with this oversized sheer shirt, they're the perfect match. With the dress I'll wear it unbuttoned like a jacket but it also looks great buttoned up and tucked into a skirt or pair of trousers, it's such a versatile item.

This entire outfit cost me the grand total of £6.38! Go and see how I styled both of them here.


This is a great example of the unique items of clothing you can find in charity shops. I couldn't believe my luck when I came across this piece. It's a kind of sheer batwing cape, I've never seen anything like it before. The pleats make it fall really nicely across my body and it's just so goth, I feel like a bat when I wear it!

The only thing I might change about this piece though is the buttons. I think some shiny black ones will look a lot better than the gold buttons that are currently on it. They make it look a little dated, but this is such an easy fix. If something is putting you off about a piece always think what can I change about it to make it more me, because it might just be a simple fix such as switching the buttons or changing the hem line. 


Another way to find second hand clothes is through apps such as Depop, this is where I found this hat. I am forever searching on this app, there is just so much on there! I've been wanting a hat like this for ages but all I could find online was really expensive ones which at the time wasn't in my budget also they're all 'one size' which is usually too big for me. So I kept an eye on Depop for a bit to see if one would come up for a reasonable price and lo and behold this one appeared for a tenner. Whilst this is my biggest spend out of the whole haul, I think it is so worth it as it had barley been worn and has a size adjuster inside, why don't all hats have this!


So that was my haulternative!

 I hope it's inspired you to shop second hand or up cycle some of your old items of clothing. You really will be surprised at what you can find!

Thanks for reading!

AMY STARDUST X