Sun readers Kelly Fitzharris, Jenny Pearce and Sharon Francis spend like A-listers to cram their wardrobes full of top clobber, despite earning ordinary wages.
According to a recent survey by Ikea, the average British woman’s collection is worth £1,212, but these three each have fashion spilling from their rails worth more than their annual incomes.
Here NIKKI WATKINS meets the spendthrifts and finds out why they can’t stop spending on the latest looks.
Wardrobe worth £20k
BIG spender Kelly Fitzharris, 24, is determined to turn heads wherever she goes — and she never wears the same dress twice.
The hairdresser from Accrington, Lancs, who earns £18,000 a year, admits she’s addicted to buying clothes.
She spends her whole income on shopping sprees and worries she will never save up enough money to leave her parents’ home.
Single Kelly admits: “My entire wage goes on clothes.” She says:
“I would estimate, with all the clothes I have crammed into my wardrobe, it is worth about £20,000.
“I must have over 100 pairs of shoes, 250 tops, 250 dresses and over 100 handbags.
“The most expensive things I’ve bought myself are a pair of Louis Vuitton shoes in the sale for £800, but I only wore them a few times.
“Wearing something more than once is rare, because I only feel good if I’m going out in something brand new.
“It sounds wasteful but if I don’t look my best then I don’t feel confident. But my shopping habits do have their downsides.
“I still live with my parents rent-free because there’s no way I can save for a house of my own with the amount I spend on clothes.
“I have lots of space. I have bedroom cupboards for my everyday wear and the attic is an Aladdin’s cave for my nice clothes. My dad buys me lots of presents of clothes, too — I am a real daddy’s girl.
“If I didn’t spend my entire wage on clothes I’d have savings for a house and not have to live with my parents. But moving out worries me, I could never have nice things because all my money would be going on my house. I don’t want to give up looking nice because of bills. Maybe I’ll have to find a rich man.
“Everything started when I was 16 and got my first wage. I went straight in to town and bought clothes and it was such an adrenalin rush that I wanted that feeling every week. Eight years later I still get that feeling.
“My shopping got out of hand when I was 18 and had a credit card. Within weeks I’d racked up a £1,500 bill, but my dad found out, cut the card up and refused to let me have another.
“I also got a small loan of £2,000 a couple of years ago to buy a designer dress and other clothes for Christmas.
“I realise I sound greedy but I can’t help it. People may think I'm mad but I’ve worked my whole life, have never drawn benefit or lived off the state and all the money I’ve spent has been my own.”
Wardrobe worth £50k
PR girl Jenny Pearce, 27, from Poole, Dorset, now lives with insurance worker Olly Faulkner, 28, after a long spell living rent-free with her mum and dad. Jenny earns £21,000 a year and says:
“My friends all wanted to move out of their parents’ homes but I couldn’t think of anything worse than spending my wardrobe fund on rent and food.
“My Chanel handbag cost me £1,500. Other prized possessions include three Mulberry bags costing around £700 each, and three Louis Vuitton scarves for £100 each.
“I know I should have made the most of the financial situation when my parents were supporting me, but I just wanted to shop. The cost of my wardrobe could have been a deposit for a home.
“In my teens my dad had to bail me out after I ran up hundreds of pounds on catalogues, I got my first credit card aged 18 and am still paying that back, and at university I got a student loan of £21,000 and used this like a pot of shopping money.
“I have credit card debt of around £10,000, an overdraft and I will be paying back my student loan for a long time. Now it’s a treat for me to buy a dress in the sale in a High Street shop, let alone a designer label.
“Although I know it’s illogical there’s still part of me which is pleased I chose Louis Vuitton over a mortgage.”
Wardrobe worth £32k
FOR mall addict Sharon Francis, 40, the thought of a man sharing her beloved wardrobe leaves her cold.
The PA, from Fulham, west London, admits: “I call Westfield shopping centre in West London ‘The Mothership’.” She says:
“When the second Westfield shopping centre opened in Stratford, east London, my friends worried they’d get lost, but I’d downloaded the new floor plan weeks before and memorised it so I knew exactly where to go.
“Shopping is my favourite thing to do. It’s more than a hobby for me, it’s something I need to do.
“I wear designer brands Louis Vuitton and LK Bennett and use High Street stores like Zara, Mango and H&M.
“I have 57 pairs of shoes, 30 handbags and I love my Louis Vuitton clutch bag. It cost me £500 and I have only taken it out twice as it seemed too nice to use.
“My bedroom has to be organised to fit everything in. I bought a bed with drawers under it to store clothes. My drawers are labelled so I know exactly where everything is.
“If I have £50 left at the end of the month I’d tell friends I’m too busy for a night out and then spend the money on clothes.
“I do spend more than I earn. At one point it got out of hand when I started using credit cards.
“I got into £9,000 of debt and only realised how bad it was when my credit cards were being rejected.
“I still have £4,000 to pay off which means I’ve had to be sensible, but I still can’t help shopping.
“Buying things gives me a buzz. If I’ve had a bad day I don’t have a drink, I shop.
“Recently I went six days without buying clothes. That is unheard of for me — a week doesn’t go by where I don’t do any shopping.”
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