It used to be that if a classmate found out you were wearing anything bought from a charity shop, your life was over. You would be constantly mocked, goaded and looked down on for the rest of your time in school. It's fair to say that charity shops had a bad reputation, and buying from them did not reflect well upon your person.
Flash-forward 20-years and things are very different. It has never been more fashionable to buy from a thrift store. When someone asks you, "Where did you get that stunning jacket from?" The best reply is, "Oh, I just picked this up at my local charity shop." This tells them that not only have you found an amazing bargain but it was a one-off unique piece that they cannot just pop to Topshop and get themselves. Earning you fashion points for both price and style.
The Charity Shop As A Vintage Shop
Charity shopping is the most cost-effective way of vintage / retro shopping. A glance at the Spring / Summer and Autumn / Winter '09 catwalks will tell you that anything from the '80s and early '90s are back in style. What better way to wear the trend than by having an actual genuine piece from the time, rather than something made this year to look like it was from 20-years ago.
However, vintage shop proprietors have realised the popularity of their wares and have raised their prices accordingly. This is where the charity shop comes in. The '80s and '90s were the decades that people thought they would never need clothes from again. This means garments from this era are prime candidates for people to give to charity shops. Their mistake can be your gain!
We are also in a fashion climate where eco-brands and recycled clothing are very popular. Charity shops fall into this ethical shopping category; they are the ultimate in recycling. Charity shopping is a very sustainable way to buy clothes.
The Best Way To Charity Shop
When it comes to charity shopping, it's always best to check out your local shop. There is a constant stream of donations and granted, you will have to sift through the rails and do a bit of rummaging to find that standout piece but it'll be worth it when you do.
Good days to shop are Tuesdays and Wednesdays as people will have given their Sunday car-boot leftovers and weekend clear out bags to their local store. The charity shop volunteers will in turn have spent Monday sorting through it, so the donations will be out on the rails by mid-week.
All good fashion finds come from perseverance and dedication. You will appreciate something so much more when you know you've worked a little to find it. And helpfully charity shops tend to divide their stock into sections i.e. all the skirts together, making it easier for you to hunt through.
Re-Branding The Charity Shop
Over the last few years, Oxfam have worked hard to improve their brand image and challenge the notion of charity shops being dowdy and unstylish. Their newly opened Camden store has been re-invented by Fee Doran, a top designer and stylist. Features of the shop include running customising workshops and having a sewing machine in store to alter garments for customers.
Traid is another brilliant and innovative charity shop, not only are the donations refreshingly marketed at a younger customer, they also have their own clothing label, TRAID remade, which uses the donated garments to create new exciting clothes. The forward thinking ideas of these companies mean charity shops will hopefully soon get the recognition they deserve as shopping havens. No-one will ever have to be embarrassed about buying from them again.
Also, don't forget to donate your old clothes to keep the cycle going. Not only are you helping the environment and finding fabulous vintage bargains but you are also giving your money to a very worthy cause. It's a win - win situation.
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