The largest proportion of the clothes in my wardrobe come from Charity Shops.
I feel reluctant to spend huge amounts of money of things unless they’re really special. I once spent nearly £80 on a 1930s vintage dress on Etsy that turned out to be too fragile to wear and tore the first time I tried it on. Since then me and vintage clothing have generally stuck to the cheaper end of the market. Hunting for unappreciated bargains on eBay, or trawling the charity shops for anything from the 30s-80s with the right look.
❤ Modern M&S cardigan and Vintage Skirt From a Charity Shop ❤
Whenever I’m wearing something from a charity shop and someone tells me they like it I invariably end up having a conversation including the words “Oh I never find anything in charity shops”. So today I thought I’d share my ultimate guide to thrift shopping. I use the term thrift shopping as these rules can equally apply to boot fairs, those weird house clearance shops, or second hand clothes shops. Those bargains are there, you’re just not seeing them.
Before You Go
Plan ahead. You need to go into Charity Shops regularly to find the good stuff. If there’s one you pass regularly while it’s open, then pop in and give it a scan. With practice you don’t need to rummage for hours through the rails, you’ll learn to spot patterns, fabrics or a style of waistband on a skirt rail that signify from a distance an item that deserves closer inspection.
If you don’t regularly pass any charity shops then plan a route for a days shopping that could take in the good ones, again, after a few visits you’ll start to learn how quickly stock is refreshed, how often it’s worth visiting and any that just aren’t worthy of a place on your route. I try and go out and do a big spree once a month, though since I moved in August last year time has been depressingly tight. It might suit you better to go and do a few shops once a week, if there are 2 or 3 areas with a selection of shops near you.
Pack Your Tools. My handbag essentials for a charity or thrift shopping trip are:
- Hand Sanitiser – some shops can be horribly grubby, but they can also be where the best bargains are found.
- A Tiny Torch – Shine a small torch behind a garment to show up any tiny pinprick holes in dark fabric that you might otherwise miss. You can also hold garments up to a window if the shop has one that’s visible!
- Anti Bacterial wipes – A small pack of normal household anti bacterial wipes, or even baby wipes, can be used to give anything really grubby a quick clean
- A Bag for Life – Increasingly charity shops are starting to charge for plastic bags, and besides, they’re difficult to carry and bad for the environment. A bag for life with a shoulder strap is far more comfortable.
- A Tape Measure – Not all charity shops have space to try things on. You really should know at least your basic measurements, so taking a small tape measure can give you a clue as to fit. You should also try holding some of your existing clothes up to your body and see where the sides of the waist, hips, shoulder etc hit. It’ll give you a frame of reference holding a garment up against yourself in a charity shop.
Set your budget. But be flexible. I tend to set limit between £5-£10 per item, depending on what it is. Though I will go higher for something really special. I once bought a Mulberry dress that cost £12 and I currently have a Jaegar halter neck waiting to be worn for which I paid £20.
While You’re Out
Learn to shop smart. If you look at every single thing in a charity shop you could be in there for hours. That’s fine if you have time, but learning a few techniques to speed up the search still isn’t a bad idea. Scan the shop and get an idea of its layout. Some shops organise by colour, others split up jumpers, knitwear, blouses, skirts, dresses etc. Scan the rails and look for prints, fabrics, sleeve shapes, skirt lengths and waistbands that suit your style. Anything that’s obvious from the edge of the rails. Use your hands and learn to feel for quality fabrics as you flick through. Keep an eye out for labels that have been cut out. I have seen places trying to hide the Primark origins of clothes, look inside the skirt or the inseam of trousers for a care label that might tip you off as to where it’s from.
Ignore the sizes. I’m sure I’ve mentioned Vanity Sizing on here before? I have clothes in my wardrobe from a size 10-18. The size labels and the little plastic tags the charity shops might put on the hangers are both equally useless.
❤ 80s dress from a Charity Shop ❤
Have an idea of date. Make sure you’re familiar with some basic dating techniques that’ll help you figure out whether the amazing dress you just found is a 1950s original worth the £15 tag the shop has put on it, or a more recent copy that should only be a fiver. The labels, construction methods and fabrics are all important. There’s more detail on this post on dating your vintage clothes, but just remember, if you love it and are willing to pay that much for it then the exact date doesn’t matter.
Be Ruthless. It might only be £3 but will you really wear it? What with? Same rules apply as to regular High Street shopping. Be realistic.
Use your imagination. I think this is where most people fall down. They don’t see a beautiful satin blouse, they see “old crap in a charity shop”. With charity shopping no one has done the hard work for you. They won’t tell you that these are this seasons colours, or even that this 80s dress will look a dead ringer for a 50s one if you add a belt and good hair. You have to be able to look past the fact that a blouse is on the shelf next to an atrocious cheap zebra print lycra top and imagine what you could do with it. If you’re looking just for clothes that can fit a look inspired by the styles and shapes of the past, then the same rules apply as when looking for vintage inspired styles on the High Street.
Don’t neglect the accessories. So often people focus on all the clothes in Charity Shops and completely miss the pile of leather 1950s handbags for £4 or the printed silk scarves for £1, or even that glass cabinet at the till that contains a 1940s brooch or a boxed string of faux pearls.
❤ Leather Handbag from a Charity Shop. Cost £1.25 ❤
Once you’re home
Try it on. Don’t just fling everything into a pile. Try it on with items from your own wardrobe, check it fits and suits. Look for any little repairs that are needed that you might have missed and try and do them promptly (ha, I am the queen of lazy repairs). If it’s not quite right don’t be afraid to try and resell it on eBay, or if all else fails, chalk it up as a loss and return it to Charity, if you don’t spend too much then it’s not a huge trauma, better than having a wardrobe full of clothes that don’t fit or suit you.
Comments
17 responses to “The Retro Chick Guide to Charity Shop Shopping”
Great tips here, I too am always armed with a tape-measure when I go to car boot sales or charity shops. My best charity shop finds in the past few years have included: a black leather ’50s handbag for £4, an amazing 1950’s belt for £1.50, a 1930s/1940s velvet hostess gown for £20, an ’80s does ’50s black tulle gown for under a tenner (needed a bit of a revamp and some cleaning, but it’s to die for!!), an early 1960s linen dress for £1 and a 1950’s beach top for £5. Some of these items I’ve sold on (for a profit), and others are still in my ‘to wear’ pile. I’d definitely stress as well that some charity shops are better than others – I avoid the big ones like Oxfam as they’re pricey and they sort their stock centrally, so vintage items get picked out. The best charity shops are the small local ones run by old ladies.
P x
Oh definitely. The tiny grubby ones with things piled high! Always the best!
I love charity shops. I totally agree that research goes a long way. A new one opened near me recently, the first few weeks stock was very thin, then suddenly they got good! They also cannily undercut the other local ones by a couple of quid. I never would have realised the improvement if I hadn’t gone in monthly. I got a 70s skirt for £2 and they had pretty much unworn looking modern ‘mid range’/designer (DKNY, Ted Baker) for £10 or so – I think some people tried it once and never again, their loss.
Linings, buttons and zips can all be replaced. Know your brands; Jaeger, Eastex, Austin Reed, etc. Are what some consider ‘old lady’ fashions, but use quality material and classic cuts more suited to followers of say 40s or 50s fashions. There is the Charity Retail Association site, that has a searchable directory of charity shops, great if you are going some place new. 🙂
Oooh, the charity retail association site is a good tip! Thanks!
This is a great post. I’m not great a charity shop shopping because I’m impatient. I need to go more regularly though because I’ve found some real gems in the past.
Fab tips 🙂
Great tips 🙂 I always have a tape measure, wet wipes and spare bags.There are a couple of shops near me that no longer launder items before selling to save money. One in particular is very small and I admit you need a strong constitution as it is very ‘fragrant’ but I have found some cracking bargains in there, though sometimes you have to take the chance on whether the marks/stains are ones that will wash out or not!
I got hooked on Charity Shop clothes when I was searching for, of all things, a violin for my Mum who wanted it for flower arranging. By the time I found one for her I was hooked as I’d picked up many little bargains for myself. To people who turn their noses up at charity shop clothes I would say if you give clothes you’re expecting people to buy them so what’s wrong with wearing someone’s ‘mistake purchase” etc.
Great post! It can often be worth getting to know charity shop staff and seeing if they will let you know if anything of particular interest comes in – especially with fur, which many of them will not display, but will be happy to accept a donation for.
I do love charity shopping and am generally pretty good at it, as long as I’m in the right mood. I have found some absolute beauties recently and I am lucky to have some really good charity shops near me.
You look so absolutely stunning in the summer dress photo I can’t even tell you. Dress fits you perfectly, the shoes are gorgeous, your hair looks amazing (I NEED you to teach me how to do it!), lovely smile…have I gushed enough now?! xx
This is such a useful post! I am always trying to find things in charity shops but find that when I get things home they don’t fit properly so what you say about size is definitely true and I wont let that be putting me off now!
Great tips! I didn’t think to take a measuring tape before!
-Jamie
ChatterBlossom
I love charity shopping – if I paid full price for clothes I’d only be able to afford the cheap end of the High Street, but because I charity shop for some things I can splash out on small firms / decent repro with the savings. I find really decent wool skirts easiest to find, and have never had any luck at all with blouses. Bag seem to be where I make my best buys; I got a 1960s one for £4 and a vintage-looking (but modern) one by upmarket manufacturer Dents for £6.
I’ve never taken a tape measure – I should learn my measurements and pack my measure!
I live in Nottingham and all the charity shops are soo overpriced so I save myself for when I visit my Granny up north… last time I got a French Connection dress for £8 and a pair of 1920’s earrings for £1.50… *sigh of joy* I’m off back for another visit next week 😀
Charity shopping is great fun, and I think after a while you develop a sort of “charity shop radar” and almost as soon as you walk in the door it picks up on the good stuff! One of my best charity shop buys has to be a green 50’s clutch bag with a watered silk lining – and it was in the 30p box!! It has someone’s initials on it too – intriguing to speculate about the original owner! Also a 1920’s wooden framed mirror for £3.50. I’m really lucky to live near a small town which might have only 3 charity shops, (none of them are the big names) but they come up trumps time and time again – I never go home empty handed. The only problem is finding room in my kitchen for yet more china, and room in the wardrobe(s) for yet more clothes!
The photo of you in the eighties dress is fab.
I tend to find that any shop that has a ‘vintage’ section is going to have a silly mark up. Although, even if they have realised it’s vintage, they still might not realise it’s true value.
Some charity shops actually accept returns now, so if it isn’t quite right and cost more than a fiver I would be tempted to take it back.
Having said that I bought a vintage hat for £3. It was lovely – green velvet with feathers at the back – but when I tried it on the theme tune to Robin Hood popped into my head and that was that. I sold it on eBay, there was loads of interest and in the end it went for £20.