Charity shops can range from a calm, ordered range of curated items to an utter jumble sale. Wherever your local charity shops sit on the spectrum, with enough perseverance, you can always find some jewels (or maybe diamanté – but that’s close enough!).
I have been a charity shop addict all of my life and, arguably, this is where I learnt to experiment with clothes and to try things out (with varying degrees of success). There are always certain rails I rush to first and others which I flick through slowly. Here are my tips to fall in love with picking through the tangled jewellery stands and rummaging through rails so full they’re bending in the middle!
The Valuables Cabinet
Upon entering a charity shop, I always look for a locked glass case, normally by the cash desk or in an odd corner. While often full of silver spoons and novelty cufflinks, this can yield an assortment of beauties. You can get vintage lockets and quality jewellery which are glitzy but actually not as expensive as they look. I once bought a cheap necklace with a big fake green jewel and it is now one of my all-time favourite pieces and a mainstay in my going out outfits. Since then, I always make sure to look in these treasure chests.
Fabrics and wool
For the craftier amongst us its worth looking for some drawers, boxes or a rail which contains wool, craft materials and fabrics. This can be more cost-effective than haberdasheries and is a cheap way to make your own clothes which is even more sustainable!
You Never Know What Might Surprise You…
Knowing if you like something and trusting your gut has given me useful wardrobe basics at a bargain price. There is an infamous story of my friend Jo whose mum bought her a chiffon top for about £7 only to see it in Vogue a few weeks later priced in the hundreds! That being said don’t just go into charity shops looking for labels – lots of my favourite pieces are vintage M&S.
Reduced Rails and Bins
Getting stuff for under a pound feels so satisfying. The reduced rails and bargain rails are great for this as well as trying out something new you aren’t sure about. Often the people organising them sometimes aren’t really sure how to price the sale items; one of the last things I bought was a brand-new Topshop straw bag still in its packaging for a pound which I found right in the bottom of a bin of bags.
Travel and Do Multiple Trips in One Day
I love to do a ‘charity shop tour’ around the little parades in my town which have about three or four charity shops each. This way you are not disappointed when you don’t find anything in one and it makes visiting charity shops a fun day out. Travelling to different towns can also give you a different range of stuff to buy, and often wealthy towns have charity shops with more expensive donations (the previously mentioned Vogue blouse was found on a trip to Richmond). Bigger cities tend to have more on trend pieces, while in suburbia Topshop and granny chic rules. My favourite place to travel to is ‘Shop From Crisis’ in Finsbury park, although you really can find treasures anywhere.
Persevere and Slow Down
Finally, the thing I think is most important is to keep returning and not be disheartened when you don’t find anything. This is slow fashion so won’t be the instant hit we are used to. I know I am lucky to have the time to gradually collate a slow wardrobe. Also, just because the clothes are cheap, it is still important not to overconsume. This is a trap I fall into way too easily. Many charity shops have a returns policy so if you get home and it doesn’t fit you go back in and return it or just redonate. This extends clothes’ lifetime and stops them sitting in the back of your wardrobe.