Article kindly submitted by guest contributer, Emma
If you’d told me 10, (heck even 5!), years ago that I’d count charity shop shopping as a hobby and the main source of my clothing, and homewares, I’d probably have looked at you like you were talking absolute nonsense.
Alas, I now regret all those years mooching around the big shops. The main shops. The shops that came with status, if you will. Nowadays, I will bypass those shops and head straight for the nearest charity shop with the enthusiasm of an explorer about to discover something amazing.
The sheer buzz of entering a charity shop is something else. Charity shops have changed. Gone are the days of the musty smelling jumble sale arrangement (not that these should be sniffed at, of course), replaced with boutique style little treasure troves of other people’s belongings. No longer wanted by them, but soon to find a new home.
My first proper encounter with the charity shop buzz was when I was visiting a pal in Edinburgh. She lived across the road from a rather brilliant little charity shop, and I found a brand-new-with- tags pair of jeans, in my size, and even the right length (I’m not very tall). I snapped those baddies up, and off I skipped, happy with my bargain. Of course, this wasn’t enough to convince me that charity shops really were awesome…until I returned again next time I visited. Another pair of jeans? Why, I don’t mind if I do. From there, my love of thrifting was born.
I maintained quite a lackadaisical approach to my charity shopping habit, only going in occasionally, but always feeling very pleased with myself as I unearthed another gem.
Fast forward to 2024! Well, in 2024, I fully embraced the chazza shop lifestyle. I had dipped my toes in this pool many times, but I suddenly found myself realising just how good this was. Oh, the bargains to be had. The essentials, to the downright ridiculous, these shops have it all. I have a rather impressive selection of bric-a-brac that live on my shelf of “things that make Emma happy”, the title of which coined by my 8 year old daughter. Simple, self explanatory. The books, too. You will pretty much always find a good book!
Just about every day, you will find me in a different outfit combo, yet I re-wear things all the time too – the delights of such a varied wardrobe! Mixin’ and matchin’ is the game here, and charity shop shopping opens up opportunities to try out things you might not normally wish to fork out mega-bucks on! Case in point, a fabulous fruit print men’s Hawaiian shirt that is now one of my favourite items. It can be worn in many different ways, and just sparks pure joy.
Moving on from the Hawaiian shirt, my biggest Charity Shop triumph yet was a pair of floral Doc Martens. I had tried these on, but left them behind as “I don’t need any more boots!!”. Well, these boots winked at me from beneath the red themed display unit that they had been sitting on every single time I went into the shop. A good couple of months passed…I decided to be brave and see if I could negotiate a better price on account of the fact no-one was buying them! Well, it paid off, and off I went sparkling with happiness at my bargain. Where else do you find an already worn in pair of DMs for the bargain cost of £12?!
In order to truly benefit from the charity shop “lifestyle”, you have to shop around. Find your favourites. Visit regularly. My local high street has 7 charity shops. I have my top 3 that I will never miss out on, and handily, they’re all located in that order on the street too. The additional few are always worth a visit when I have a bit more time, and they must not be ignored because many a gem has been unearthed at them too. Make it a challenge to find the funniest, most bizarre item in the shop. Have fun with it!
In case you’re wondering how I rate my fave charity shops, it goes like this:
Number 1 is set out like a lovely boutique. It is categorised by colour, and within that, it is in order of garment type and size. Beneath each rail you find some accessories, shoes etc that may tie in with the goods on the rail. The homeware section is nicely laid out, there is a load of books, and there is a small kids section at the back too! It is clean, and it is staffed by some lovely people.
Number 2 is set out a bit more higgledy-piggledy, but still with some semblance of order. You’re met with homeware as you enter, seasonal as you wander towards the back, and then comes the big long rail that stretches the length of the rear of the store. Flanked by shoes and accessories, this is a treasure trove of good stuff!
Number 3 is what you might feel that a charity shop would typically look like. It is up there with my favourites because it is here that I successfully, 3 years on the trot, found a decent enough secret santa gift. Tacky, but not unusable, so no money was wasted. This one trumps all others in one respect because it has a fitting room!! No awkward trying on of things over your own clothing is always a blessing, but most charity shops will even allow returns, with generous policies of up to 2 weeks!
So, there you have it. The evolution of a once self confessed snob to one who relishes a good bargain!
Go, support your local charity shops! Enjoy
Follow Emma on her charity shop journey at http://instagram.com/emma_thrifts_stuff
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