Moschino belt for £2, £1 Calvin Klein shades and Converse for £4: Bargain-hunter reveals how she saved £8,000 on her designer wardrobe by shopping around the world
- Louise Croft, 25, from Bournemouth, travels the world to hunt for items
- Regularly flies as far as US, Asia, Africa and Australia for a bargain
- Funds travel costs by writing about her adventures online
- She has scooped designer items from Moschino, Calvin Klein and Vans
With eye-catching pieces from Moschino, Calvin Klein and Diane Von Furstenburg, many would be fooled into thinking that blogger Louise Croft has spent thousands of pounds on her extensive wardrobe.
But the truth is, the 25-year-old from Bournemouth rarely spends more than £5 ($7.80) on an item - preferring instead to hunt down bargains and, controversially, by picking up imitations of designer goods, in charity shops and flea markets.
In the last four years the savvy blogger has travelled to the US, Asia, Africa and Australia in order to rummage in the best bargain bins from around the world.
Blogger Louise Croft, 25, from Bournemouth, has travelled all over the world to save thousands of pounds on designer clothes. This entire outfit only cost her £4.50 ($7)
Louise's tenacious digging skills have upturned luxurious labels such as Moschino and Calvin Klein and she has also picked up tips to give fake designer bags a genuine appearance.
And the best part? Most of her finds have only cost her a few pounds.
Designer steals include the trademark logo Moschino belt, which Louise bought for £3 ($4) in Atlanta, Georgia.
She discovered that the belt, her 'proudest find', was real after arriving home and usually retails at £171 ($270).
Over the last four years, she has visited hundreds of charity shops in order to hunt for the best bargains. Pictured: This outfit cost £68 ($106) in total, despite retailing at £950 ($1,485)
The replica Chanel bag only cost Louise £12 ($18), despite retailing at £1,500 ($2,345) (left), and she paid £3 ($4.50) for the Moschino belt, despite it retailing at £171 ($270) (right)
Louise is able to travel to charity shops all over the world by writing about her adventures online
On another occasion, Louise bought a pair of Calvin Klein sunglasses for a pound - which would have usually cost over £100 ($150).
A pair of stylish silver Vans cost Louise just £3($4.50), compared to the £68 ($106) retail price.
But these vintage gems don't come without persistence; the 25-year-old has visited hundreds of charity stores over the last four years, on five different continents.
She has racked up the air miles visiting France, Italy, Spain, India, Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, USA, Greece, Peru, Morocco, South Africa, Norway and Australia - funding her travelling costs by writing about her adventures online.
And her savvy skills have not gone unnoticed, as cost-cutting website promotionalcodes.org.uk has even named her bargain hunter of the year.
The full-time blogger was a student when she discovered international bargain hunting, explaining: 'I'd always been into charity shops and car boot sales back at home, but I was astounded by how popular it was in America.
'The quality of items in thrift shops and the amount of people blogging about them really surprised me.
And it's not just clothes... Louise managed to bag a lavish mansion in Bulgaria for only £100 ($150) per person by inviting 10 of her friends
The 25-year-old refuses to spend any more than is necessary on clothes, visiting jumble sales
The Bournemouth blogger has even picked up tips and tricks for making her replica items look more authentic
'After that I caught the bargain hunter bug, I couldn't wait to start exploring the world and see what other treasures were out there.'
It was only when Louise's boyfriend persuaded her to quit her job and go travelling with him to Thailand that she discovered a knack for buying replica designer items.
'There were amazing thrift shops over in Chiang Mai and I never spent more than £1 ($1.50) on an outfit. I consistently get compliments, people asking me if my clothes were designer when in reality I got them in a flea market for a few quid,' she admitted.
'I have fake designer handbags from Thailand that I did my research on to make sure they looked as authentic as possible.'
'I have two Chanel bags and a Céline one all for £15 ($24) each. If I had bought them all for the original price it would have cost a small fortune.
'A trick I have to make fakes look authentic is painting the clasps with clear nail varnish so they don't tarnish.'
On purchasing counterfeit items, Louise explains: 'We need the luxury designers to push fashion forwards and fuel the industry, but for now a £2,000 ($3,120) bag is way out of my price range.
'I prefer to buy a cheaper option and have plenty of money left over to spend in charity shops to support their causes.
'When you buy a designer bag it's something you cherish for life, and for now I'm just having fun with wild colours and fast, but recycled, fashion.'
To avoid hoarding, the 25-year-old regularly clears out her wardrobe at her local car boot sale (pictured)
But when it comes to her day-to-day wardrobe, she refuses to spend any more than is necessary.
She said: 'One of my biggest bargains was a pair of white denim high-waisted shorts I got in Estonia for 20 cents, which equates to about 15p.
'I love to transform outfits and make them as high fashion as possible for the absolute minimum price.
'Even when I shop at Primark I head straight to the sale rails and don't spend more than a pound.
'I have a pair of pyjamas I bought from a charity shop for under £2 ($3) that I have styled to look like they've come straight off the runway.'
And it's not just clothes that the blonde is thrifty about, Louise incorporates her savvy nature into almost every aspect of her life.
She sets herself a beauty budget of £50 ($78) for the year - and last year managed to spend just £26 ($40), with products still left over.
Louise also travels on a budget, once bagging a lavish mansion with two swimming pools and a badminton court in Bulgaria for just £100 ($150) per week each - by sharing with 10 friends.
To avoid hoarding, Louise regularly clears out her wardrobe at her local car boot sale and gives back to charity shops in order to make room for more bargains.
To read Louise's blog, visit www.paupertoprincess.com
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