Knickers Model's Own: 'Year of charity clothes' sold

A woman who sported a different charity shop outfit every day for the last year has decided to sell them all.

Caroline Jones, 47, from Harpenden in Hertfordshire, began Knickers Model's Own to raise money for Cancer Research UK in memory of her mother Mary Benson, who died of breast cancer last October.

About 1,000 items of clothing and accessories went on sale at Harpenden Public Halls on Wednesday.

The sale raised just over £2,600 to add to more than £26,000 raised to date.

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Mrs Benson had been a volunteer at the charity's Harpenden shop for 13 years.

She said it would give her "great pleasure to see pieces styled on other women, in their own unique way"

More than 300 people attended the event

Mother-of-three Ms Jones started volunteering as a window dresser soon after her mother died and on New Year's Eve last year decided she would post a photograph every day on social media of her wearing a different outfit.

She hoped to raise £1,000 in a year, but her daily posts became so popular she increased her fundraising target to £36,500 - or £100 a day.

She recently won a prize for the most creative fundraiser of the year.

'Mixed feelings'

At the one-off event on day 308 of her campaign, she modelled some of her outfits on the catwalk before the audience was invited to buy their favourite pieces - which raised a total of £2,693.25.

The few unsold items - which amount to about two clothes rails - will be sold through the CRUK Harpenden shop.

Ms Jones modelled some of her outfits before they went on sale

She admitted having "mixed feelings" about the sale

"I have mixed feelings about the sale," she said.

"Obviously I am very attached to some pieces as they all hold memories for me. Seeing other people touch them is strange.

"But my intention was always to sell the collection on, with the funds going to my campaign."

She felt her initial £1,000 target was "ambitious" and described the response as "incredible".

"The money raised [so far] will pay for a year's bursary for a researcher," she said.

She took questions from the audience about her campaign

Charity clothes are there to be "re-cleaned, re-worn, re-loved, re-shared, re-enjoyed and reinvented", Ms Jones says

The mother-of-three said she wanted to celebrate her own mother's life "through the fashion lens"

She got her clothes from the Harpenden store's "treasure trove" and other Cancer Research shops around the UK

She said she had got "the best wardrobe she'd ever had"

Ms Jones volunteers as a window dresser at the Cancer Research UK shop in Harpenden

She said her campaign had "captured the imagination"

"People are drawn to the campaign because of the message - you can be fashionable and ethical," Ms Jones said

She started on 1 January and has posted a daily picture on social media ever since