My name is Rachel, and I’m an addict. I’m not addicted to Vodkat, or cocaine, or nicotine. I’m not even addicted to Mars Bars. My major vice is charity shops. I can’t get enough and it’s turning into a bit of a problem.
It all began in sixth form when my best friend found a fantastic jumper at the local, slightly grim, Help The Aged, and I was inspired to have a browse myself. The first few forays yielded no gold, just bobbly T-shirts in garish colours and the odd snakeskin bodycon monstrosity, but egged on by said friend’s impressive tendency to stumble across barely worn Pringle pullovers I persevered. Before I knew it, a time-killing exercise had become a serious shopping trip, and I found my wardrobe laid down with flimsy polka dot blouses, overlong flowered summer dresses and chunky granny cardigans. I even went to my Sixth Form Prom in a beautiful pair of sky blue kitten heels purchased from a Shrewsbury Pet Rescue. Now charity shops seem to have taken over my life. I can’t walk into town or even onto campus without gazing for a few minutes into the window of a PDSA or nipping into The Retreat Shop. My friends have taken to tutting and rolling their eyes when I describe my crocodile skin loafers as a “Charity Shop Find” and my desperate pursuit of bargains is ironically taking very real chunks out of my student loan. Nonetheless I am not penitent. Give up Topshop, eschew Dorothy Perkins, ignore H&M, if you want a new wardrobe this term I urge you: go to the charity shops.
Charity shopping is brilliant for many reasons. Firstly, it’s great both financially and environmentally. Charity shops are efficient recyclers, and by snapping up that dashing floor length camel coat for less than a tenner you are basically single-handedly saving the children/penguins/icebergs. Or something. The financial side speaks for itself. As our carefully selected picks prove, beautiful clothes can be found in most charity shops as long as you’re willing to look for them. Yes you may have to rummage through an alarming amount of neon body stockings, nylon slips and elasticated jeans in order to find that killer pencil skirt, but you are rewarded for that patience at the till when you discover you can channel Joan from Mad Men for £3. Plus, the rummaging is part of the fun. No amount of edgy Topshop tailoring can beat the buzz you get when you find the perfect blazer hidden behind a matted navy blue fleece, or when you discern a vintage cashmere sweater sheltering amongst the misshapen Primark cast offs.
Unlike high street shops, charity shops allow you to simultaneously browse books, films and even china tea sets as you search for a new outfit. Most importantly, the chances of you finding something really unique and interesting are far greater. If you know the pain of bumping into someone on a night out wearing not only the same dress but also the same accessories then you’ll understand why buying something a little different might appeal. Vintage, of course, has the same qualities, but as much as Purple Haze and Deep are both fantastic, vintage is essentially second hand selected by fashionable people with asymmetric fringes, with a pimped up price tag to match. They take the effort out of the search but you can find just as lovely stuff in the charity shops if you’re willing to look a bit harder. Plus lots of good Oxfams and British Heart Foundations now have vintage rails to save you some time, whilst the newly refurbished Sue Ryder Care has a dedicated vintage floor that could rival any of the big vintage shops.
York offers an impressive range of charity shops, if you know where to look. Walking down Fossgate into town you pass a fair few good ones, but the best strip can be found on Goodramgate where you can walk past a wide range of gems, from that Sue Ryder Care vintage bonanza, to a cluttered but unusually fertile British Heart Foundation, with a high hit rate and another decent vintage rail. Even if you don’t want to wander too far, campus is surrounded with decent one offs. The Retreat Shop (on Heslington Road) gets the bulk of student cast offs and sells them on dirt cheap, whilst The Woodlands opposite The Shell Garage on Lawrence Street is sizable and jam packed with goodies. Get over your fear of second hand clothes (so what if someone died wearing those brogues? They’re fabulous!) and get into a charitable state of mind. Provided you don’t get as addicted as I have, your student loan will thank you.
To help you on your way, here are my top tips for a charity shop spree:
1) Don’t judge a book by its cover- As much as it’s a cliche, it can really pay not to be shallow about charity shops. The fancy, hyper clean, Mary-Portas-style ones can be fab, chocablock with fantastic items that have been selected to make charity shopping as easy as any other shopping experience. This is great, removing the stigma of second hand and often yielding designer treasures. However, this bespoke boutique feel comes at a price and you will pay relatively more for items at a fancy shop where the managers are clued up about the original value of what they’re selling. If you want a real bargain (I’m talking 50p scarves and full outfits for less than £5) then you should try some of the shabbier, less salubrious establishements. They’ll be more tat to sift through, but when you do dig out a gem it will be a proper, head rush of a bargain.
2) Take your time – You can’t just rush through a charity shop. If you’re skimming the shelves in a hurry you’ll be unable to see the tasteful Ted Baker shirt for the hot pink cropped Jane Norman. The best way to go about it is to bring a willing friend to chat with and methodically probe the rails.
3) The devil is in the detail… A bargain is only a bargain if you can actually wear it. Check that the garmant you’re buying is decent quality, made of a nice fabric and doesn’t have a dodgy zip or missing buttons. It sounds basic, but it’s easy to get blinded by the pricetag on a beautiful cream cardy and taking it home to discover it’s made of an itchy synthetic, redundant in the lightest breeze and missing four buttons. If you don’t actually wear that steal, it’s a false economy. Also, take note of labels and avoid Primark like the plague.
4) …But be flexible! Charity shopping involves a good eye and a decent dose of creativity. If an item is poor quality then it’s not worth buying, but if that dress with a beautiful print is a little bit too long, then it only takes the tiniest modicum of sewing skills to take it up. If you really love that cashmere cardigan that’s missing all the buttons then nip to a habidashery, buy your own and sew on a new set.
5) Size doesn’t matter (and neither does gender!) Don’t be preoccupied by sizing. A size 16 shirt can look fantastic tucked into high waisted jeans or shorts, and an oversized cardy can look great over a tiny summer dress or skinnies. Men’s clothes can also look fab if properly styled. A man’s shirt can be worn with a belt as a shirt dress or over leggings for a chic and simple casual style. Ditto men’s jumpers, and I have a friend who works male slacks with a belt and brogues like Dianne Keaton in Annie Hall, but that’s a little more ambitous… It perhaps doesn’t work as well the other way round, but respect to any gentleman who can work a chiffon blouse!