‘I wore an £8.50 dress to meet the King'

Telegraph

11-07-2025

Every day, Caroline Jones, 56, puts together a different 'pre-loved' outfit, then uploads it to her Instagram feed (@knickers_models_own), to raise funds for Cancer Research UK. The only garment she's purchased new is her underwear.
Her year-long commitment to secondhand fashion extended to her outfit for an audience with the King and Queen at a Buckingham Palace reception earlier this year, in recognition of her fundraising. She chose a fluted high-neck dress by French label Senes Paris, which she found at her local Cancer Research UK shop in Harpenden, Hertfordshire.
'I think I was the only person in the Palace wearing an £8.50 dress,' she says. 'It was very special to be there, dressed head-to-toe in secondhand, and it was easy for me to style with strands of pearls and a vintage clutch.'
It was, she adds, moving to meet the King, who is going through his own cancer treatment. 'The curtsy worked, the drink didn't spill, the clutch stayed in place and we had a little chat.'
All of this is in memory of her mother, Mary Benson, who died 11 years ago, aged 72, from breast cancer. The pair had been inseparable, and bonded over a love of fashion. 'I spent every Saturday with my mum. She was my shopping companion and I really valued her thoughts on what I was wearing,' Jones remembers.
A long-time volunteer at their local Cancer Research UK shop, Benson had a magpie's eye for a stylish bargain and would lay items aside for her daughter. 'When she started chemo a year before she died, she said: 'Could you cover my shift?' Which was code, really, and it was a lovely gesture. So I started doing their window displays.'
Now, Jones, who works for a design agency, drops into the shop once a week to collect her finds. During the course of her year, she's worn designer labels (Miu Miu, Paul Smith, Jimmy Choo) as well as high-street brands FatFace and Clockhouse, bought or borrowed from charity shops.
For real success when buying secondhand, she believes you need to browse a bricks-and-mortar shop, touch the fabric, and try it on. Once she's worn an outfit and posted the photo – sometimes as late as midnight – it goes back on sale. 'I have a 'Knickers Model's Own' rail in the shop. The jumpsuit I'm wearing today will be there tomorrow.'
Sometimes, she'll 'twist in' her own clothes and jewellery – an Alex Monroe Galleon necklace, Fred Perry's Laurel earrings, or her mum's jewellery.
This is the second time Jones has done a campaign on social media, documenting a year of wearing thrift shop bargains. She first did the campaign in January 2015, two months after her mother died. At the time, she was poleaxed by grief. 'I was at a new year's party when I felt a real need to go home. In the space of an hour, I'd come up with the name and set up a JustGiving page with a target of £1,000.'
By day six, her campaign was on the BBC website. 'So there was no going back. I don't think I really coped with being in the limelight, mixed with the dreadful grief. I had three children at primary school. But Knickers Model's Own was this portal for losing myself creatively. Today, I am incredibly proud of it, but I remember every single emotion through those pictures.
'I'd never posed in front of a camera. If you look at the early pictures, I hid behind my hair or wore sunglasses. I didn't know how to stand, how to take a good angle.'
As time went on, she learnt to put her stamp on each look, experimenting with accessories and bold colour. 'I had my hair cut into a very stylised Purdey cut. By the end, I was a different person.'
It taught her to be visible.'When you stand properly and carry yourself well, you immediately look younger and slimmer and your clothes hang better.'
A lot has happened in the past decade. She has raised more than £70,000 and published a book, Knickers Model's Own: A Year of Frugal Fashion (with an introduction by designer Henry Holland), the cover of which was shot by Rankin. She's also done styling work for Marks & Spencer and Oxfam.
This time around, there are different challenges. 'My body shape has changed, so I've had to learn to work around that and find clothes that fit me differently. But I'm holding up a banner, going: 'Don't pigeonhole me. Don't think, because I'm menopausal, that's the end of it.' The clothes I'm wearing are definitely my armour.'
She passionately believes that we shouldn't get stuck in a style rut. 'I like being a little bit edgy and pushing the envelope. Which is absolutely something I wouldn't have done in my 30s. Back then, I was a pleaser... It's all about styling things really well. And it's very freeing no longer feeling dictated to.'
Her mother was first diagnosed at the age of 57. 'I'm 57 in August, so I'm acutely aware of how breast cancer changed her life. Mum would have loved the fact I'm doing the campaign again. If I hadn't lost her, I wouldn't have done any of this. But I kept hearing her saying: 'You can do this. You'll be fine.''
She is posting her 2025 pictures alongside the corresponding 2015 images, and admits it's challenging to look back – the skirts were shorter, the youthful glow came a little more easily. But actually she likes herself more. And is proud of her style.
'If I could meet my 46-year-old self, I'd tell her she didn't need to be so self-critical. Often, I'd think: 'Who am I to be standing around in skinny jeans, showing a bit of arm? What will people think?' But I don't have that feeling at all now. What I do every day is tell myself I look lovely.'
Caroline's advice for shopping secondhand in midlife
Don't be afraid to clash
Choose a base colour and build up from there. The foundation of your outfit can be quite simple, but it's the twist you give it. Yesterday, I wore hot pink, bright red and green. And I'll always have an accent going on, whether it's gold jewellery or acid yellow eye shadow or a red lip. I also love a triple floral – dress, bag, earrings. If the dress print is quite ditzy, go for a bigger floral print on the accessories. I'm not trying to be way-out-there. I'm trying to balance everything I'm wearing, or bring a different accent through.
Accessorise, accessorise
I spend 70 per cent of my time thinking about my jewellery and accessories. I'll layer chunky necklaces with a refined Alex Monroe chain, or a Pucci-esque silk scarf. Nothing beats a good, strong yellow bangle on days where you don't feel at your most confident.
Get the underwear right
Wearing pre-loved clothes, you need to get the underpinnings right! Get measured properly for your bra. Knickers need to be comfortable and give good coverage. I love a boy short and I also do love pants with light control, e.g. M&S Control Thigh Slimmers, because they zap VPL and double up as anti-chafers. I want to know I've got a nice line and let my clothes do the talking. I also really love a slip. Everything hangs better because modern clothes are rarely lined. I wear a Cool Comfort slip from Marks & Spencer in taupe. Avoid bodies, they're the devil. But definitely spend some time on your underwear. It's something we should all be doing. It makes you feel really good.
Don't get hung up on sizing
I never look at sizes in charity shops. It's all about whether something is well-cut, and how you look in it. I try on anything, because it's more freeing, from a men's 17in collar shirt (I'll wear it loose, or with a tie) to a maternity dress. This week, I wore a flowery, vintage-inspired Clary and Peg dress, accessorised with earthy bangles. When I tried it on, I'd no idea it was a maternity dress, but on Instagram I had so many people saying: 'Where do I buy that?'
Go for bold colour
I never wear black on Instagram through choice. I might wear a black shoe or tight but you won't see black around my face. It doesn't give me pleasure. I use navy blues and greys and earth tones as a base and layer on with brighter colours.
Hosiery is my happy place
I'm missing it at the moment, but autumn will come around again. Falke tights are superb. They stay up because they have extra fabric. Heist Studios is another great brand. I always apply moisturiser to my legs and hands before putting them on so my nails don't snag. Ankle socks are not just for teenagers. I absolutely love playing with a flash of an ankle sock colour that you can theme with your eye shadow or a bangle, even if you're just wearing jeans and a men's shirt. A pair of Bella Freud socks really says something. I've also got some great souvenir socks from Paris that cost nothing and I love a fishnet pop sock. They remind me that I'm 56 and I have permission to play with colour and messaging.
Be playful
I'll wear a Snoopy T-shirt sometimes. Or a bow-tie. Or a tiara or a pillbox hat. And you can't go wrong with a good cape. Though keep the lines underneath the cape simple and neat. Charity shops are the go-to place for fancy dress. Remind yourself, it's just a fun moment, and it's all going to come off at the end of the night.
Embrace the skirt
I'm a big fan of skirts. I know a lot of women won't even go and look at the skirt rail because they're fearful that if they show their waist it will make their hips look bigger. But it's all about the drape of the fabric, getting the proportions right, and drawing the eye somewhere else. If I'm wearing a gathered skirt with a tucked-in top, you'll see a lot of busyness much higher up. You'll be distracted by my great necklace, strong lip, big earrings or bangles in pops of colour.
Layering is your friend
It's the secret weapon in your fashion toolbox. Because I'm menopausal I like to wear lots of light layers. I wear a silky pussy-bow blouse with lovely billowy sleeves all year round, maybe on its own or with a T-shirt over it (fantastic for keeping everything neat on top). It covers your neck area nicely and draws the eye up. And then I can wear a wider gathered skirt or wide trousers with it.
It's all about proportions
At 50-plus, a bias-cut dress is unflattering if you have curves. I'm a 36DD with broad shoulders, so a shoestring strap or a halter neck can look horrific on me. I like a nice wide strap, a cap sleeve or a boat neck. The boat-neck striped Breton top is a classic.
There really is a pair of jeans for you
I'll be wearing denim into my 90s. To get the fit right, you need to measure the zip length with your hand. I need a really long zip – at least the length of my hand. I'll wear stonewashed jeans, or double denim. I found some amazing dark, wide-leg button-fly Levi 501 '54s – they're such a good cut. But if I wear frayed-edge jeans, I add tailoring, such as a vintage 1990s Marks & Spencer blazer or a Liberty blouse and tie, so it doesn't look too obvious.