A savvy shopper has revealed how she recreated an £85 M&S coat for a fifth of the price after refusing to splash out on the high-street version.
Olivia Allen fell in love with a stylish wool coat featuring a statement fur collar while browsing her local M&S during her lunch break.
The 26-year-old says the neutral-coloured design, complete with chocolate brown buttons and a fluffy collar, caught her eye, but its £85 price tag was enough to make her think twice.
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“I tried the jacket on and fell in love,” Olivia, who works part-time in financial services and runs her own wedding content business, from Kings Lynn, Norfolk, told What’s The Jam.
“I love the contrast of the simple-shaped body with the bold fur collar.
“It looked really expensive for a high street store, and it was at £85.
“I felt impulsive, like I had to have it now, craving that instant gratification of having something new.
“That feeling goes against the culture I have been building on Instagram.
“I’ve been showing people how we can repurpose what we have and how, using sites like Vinted, we can buy the clothes we love at a fraction of the price.
“I knew, even after trying it on, that I wouldn’t be spending the money.
“I’m the kind of girl who loves a bargain, and this didn’t feel like one.
“The quality felt lovely, the style suited my body, but again, it reminded me all too well of a coat I already had.”
Rather than give in to the temptation, the mum-of-two realised she already owned a remarkably similar coat which she had bought on Vinted for just £6 last year.
And after spotting a £12 fur collar accessory in the same M&S store, she had a lightbulb moment.
Olivia tried the accessory on with her existing coat and realised she could recreate the look for a fraction of the price.
Her DIY version cost just £18 in total – saving her an impressive £67 compared to the original.
Olivia said: “I was already wearing the jacket I’d mentioned when I spotted a fur collar accessory for the price of £12.
“I tried it on with the jacket I already owned, and that was when the idea was born.
“It wasn’t complex, it wasn’t thought out, it was just a vision I had in the moment and a desperate plea with myself to not spend £85 when I didn’t need to.”
Olivia had originally bought her cropped wool coat on Vinted last year, when she was on maternity leave following the birth of her second child.
She had spent many night feeds scrolling second-hand shopping sites, hoping to find stylish pieces without blowing her budget.
Olivia said: “The condition was actually fantastic.
“I think sometimes people sell items they just don’t wear, rather than items that have been worn into the ground.
“It looked good as new to me.
“I spotted the fur collar as I was trying on their £85 version of the coat, and I had a vision in mind that I could recreate this look for a whole lot less.
“The collar was a simple accessory; it was £12 to completely transform the look and shape of a coat.
“I took a collarless, beige jacket and turned it into something that gave the M&S new version a run for its money.
“Except this one cost me £18 in total.
“It looked even better than I imagined.
“I had so many compliments on it, and I feel like I’ve inspired a lot of people.”
Olivia shared her hack to her Instagram page, @by.livallen, where it racked up more than 200,000 views.
She said: “The response across social media has been absolutely wild.
“I think it’s because it’s something people can relate to.
“We all want new things, but actually overconsuming and overspending is not the flex it once seemed to be.
“People seem to relate to what I’m saying: ‘When did it become cool to have a Klarna balance bigger than your savings balance?’
“My account is all about teaching people how to be more careful with their money without compromising on style.
“I typically don’t shop in stores anymore; everything I do is from Vinted.
“I use Pinterest-inspired styles to create second-hand looks.
“People are becoming reluctant to spend money on expensive, high street clothing.
“The cost of living crisis shouldn’t mean that people are debating buying a new jacket or paying their water bill.
“Second-hand shopping opens the doors to both.”
One commenter said: “Obsessed with this. Looks so good.”
Someone else said: “Oh my God, what a fab idea.
“Had never thought of doing something like this.
“I think your version is so much better.”
A third person added: “To be honest, you styled it better so you win.”
Another commenter said: “Ok, I actually love your version more.”
A fifth person added: “You are so smart.”
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