Monki shirt 99p, Topshop cropped jumper £5.99 both St Peter's Hospice charity shop
I often post about my charity shop finds on the blog but more often than not, they are vintage pieces or something a little quirky that I sometimes think few people but my would actually like! I recently picked up a couple of bits in my local chazzer and I thought it would be nice to post a little bit about the high street items that you can find in the charity shops - it's not all grannyish clobber (which I love anyway, but I get is not for everyone!)
If you head to charity shops that are in the vicinity of universities, you'll often find that the clothing is a lot more high-street focused than vintage. I especially like to visit these charity shops towards the end of term, when you can really find some gems as the students clear out; I've bought Kooples, Sandro and Whistles items at these times as well as seen lots of fairly current high street items at a fraction of the prices they would have been originally.
I have talked about 'fast fashion' on the blog before, and it is such a part of our culture these days that there is no real need to buy clothes 'for life' in a lot of people's minds. You can pick up a few cheap pieces and, when you're bored of them, or worn them a couple of times, you can simply donate them or chuck them and buy more. I only speak from experience as this was a lifestyle I used to subscribe to. I try to be a little more ethical nowadays and definitely trying a capsule wardrobe has drastically changed the way that I shop; I rarely impulse buy now, and if I ever do, the items usually end up going back when I realise I didn't like or need them as much as I thought I did.
I find that as the whole YouTube culture of 'hauling' new items and buying continually carries on, the charity shops actually benefit (they are probably the only ones that do!) and their stock is buoyed by lots of trend led cast offs. I have to say that there's often a lot of Primark to dig through, but you can also find some gems - this striped shirt by Monki was just 99p and is made of a sturdy thick cotton, perfect for autumn. I didn't feel I needed to buy too much for my Autumn capsule and even though I wanted to update my knitwear, I was hoping I'd be able to find some second hand bits, and this Topshop pale pink, cropped jumper is right on trend, hardly used and was under £6!
Even if you're not a seasoned charity shopper, it's worth checking out your local chazzers for items that would work for the season ahead. Mixing vintage with high street and high end items makes for a unique and individual look, one which I am always striving for.
XO Amie
Post a Comment