Grab your tote – Oxfam’s hugely successful ‘Second hand September’ is once more upon us and this year there really is no excuse to get involved.
That’s because I’ve heard all the excuses and it’s time to put them to bed.
I’m guessing your cop-out will go something like this…you would love to join the many thousands who buy only secondhand for a month (26k last year) but you simply cannot do the charity shop thing because you…
‘Can’t bear the ‘jumble sale’ scrum in there’
Some people talk about charity shopping as though it’s a car-boot challenge on Squid Games. Only those with a killer instinct and the sharpest elbows will survive to get the White Company shift dress; everyone else will be fighting over a three-legged garden chair and a pair of jump leads. Okay, so it’s not a good idea to shout ‘OMG – is that a Chanel jumbo classic flap bag?’ unless you want to get tackled to the floor by frail-looking grandmas.
You do have to train your eye to see beyond the crocheted blankets and sludge-coloured tea sets. But that’s part of the fun. Also, the vast majority of the charity shops are incredibly up-market. Shopping in a charity shop is pretty much like shopping in any other shop.
If it’s stuffed full of people fighting over over-priced tat, leave.
‘Don’t wear other people’s worn-out cast-offs’
Oh dear, if only clothes we discard were even slightly worn-out. According to a great article on the website ProjectCeCe – the average item gets worn seven times before it is cast-off, usually to landfill. It’s a sobering thought but 18.6 million tonnes of clothing is thrown away each year.
Buy from a charity shop and you’re pro-longing the life of a barely worn item. In fact, talk to any charity shop staff member and you’ll find a surprising amount of clothes (staff said as much as 10 per cent) are donated BNWT or brand new with tags. It’s time to get over the ‘dead man’s shoes’ thing. One of the best quotes I heard about ‘cast-offs’ is that you’re simply inheriting something from a ‘friend you haven’t met’; one who shares your exquisite taste.
‘Visited a charity shop once and there was nothing in there. ‘
People who say this know charity shops are stuffed to the gills with stuff; what they really mean is ‘nothing in there to suit a person with my refined tastes’.
People who give up on charity shops after one fruitless forage are quite frankly the type of lily-livered quitters who don’t deserve to find a Ming vase for £7.99 (it happens; see Antique’s Roadshow). It would be tempting to leave these people to wallow in their prejudices but we really must convince them that you will not morph into a ‘dowdy do-gooder’ the minute you enter the charity shop.
Buying from a charity shop should never be an act of selfless sacrifice. Only buy it because you love it. If there is genuinely ‘nothing’ to your taste, go on to the next shop or give up and try again.
It is so worth the time and effort. I was such a dithering sceptic when I dipped a toe into ‘Second Hand September’ in 2019 but I found all the clothes I needed/wanted/loved (I made a list – see Jen Gale’s tips below) in just a few weeks. I’ve kept on buying secondhand clothes for four years with a few exceptions.*
*I don’t buy things that have been moulded to other people’s bodies like Lycra, shoes and swimwear or anything that’s been in contact with an intimate body part, I can’t – I just can’t.
Truthfully, I don’t buy pre-loved because I’m holier than thou. Moreover, you only have to look at my general waste bin to know I’m no green goddess.
Of course, I like to kid myself I’m saving the earth by rescuing one charity shop cardigan at a time, in truth I’m committed to secondhand shopping because it is a source of guaranteed joy.
If it still sounds a little daunting, Jolly Volley tracked down secondhand shopping experts to find out how to get the best from charity shops.
Make a list, check it twice – says Jen Gale, Sustainability coach, mentor and author of two hugely helpful Sustainable (ish) books.
“I would occasionally wander into the odd charity shop, maybe browse the bric-a-brac, and have a vague flick through a clothes rail or two, before leaving empty-handed. I could never really find anything…turns out I just wasn’t really looking properly.”
In 2012/2013, Jen had a ‘Make Do and Mend Year’ during which she pledged to buy nothing new.
It changed her whole outlook on how and where she shopped. She’s a become a charity shop convert (follow this link for more of Jen’s tips).
“During the year, I made a list of the things that we needed, and I carried this around to consult when I did my little charity shop rounds. It helped me to remember that I was looking for size 5 wellies, or a whisk for the kitchen, and helped me be more targeted when I was browsing. Fast forward a few years, and our year of buying nothing new has turned me into a huge charity shop fan. All my clothes are now sourced there, as well as lots of the kid’s toys and clothes, and bits for the house too.”
“Trust your gut when browsing,” says Eleanor Tasker, who helped style many of the iconic looks for Dorothy House charity shops on their social media platforms.
“Only you can know what speaks to you; a beautiful fabric? An amazing colour or texture? But something on that rail will speak to you. An open mind is a good place to start when going on a secondhand shopping adventure – channel your inner Mr Benn.”
If you think you know charity shop, then you really need to visit ones like Dorothy House (in store and online) – they’re on a mission to get people to ‘re-love all the brilliant stuff’.
“The quality and abundance of it all is mind blowing,” says Eleanor (see more of her wisdom on the Dorothy House blog).
“You’ll find a brilliant cross section; one off and quirky, vintage and retro, designer and high street there’ll be something to accommodate all tastes – with great value at the core of it.”
“Most secondhand stores relish their individuality so don’t expect it to look too ‘high street’ it couldn’t and shouldn’t – the ‘rummage’ factor is still an important part of the experience. Stores want you to navigate your way around with ease – it’s in their interest that you do…the buzz of the jumble sale without any of the mess.” – Eleanor Tasker
“Don’t play it safe,” – is a golden rule for Nathan Korn and just one of the many tips in his Guardian article ‘Dos and Don’ts of Charity Shop Shopping‘; the go-to piece for anyone looking for advice delivered with razor-sharp wit.
“Charity shops are full of the deliciously bizarre, and the tastelessly mundane. Use them to find hidden gems, things that have history to them, character, things that express your personality.”
Nathan urges newbies to take it slow, root around and dive into all those tubs. “Charity shops are for finding beautiful items at an affordable price. Finding something amazing always feels like you’ve won the lottery. You might find a perfect black, Italian wool jumper one day, a green oversized blazer with a silk lining of flying ducks the next.
“Dedicate a large chunk of your time to looking for something special.”
“Choose your hunting ground,” advises writer and vintage lover Rosalind Jana (Vogue, 2022).
“If you want a high concentration of designer or vintage goods, it’s better to head for affluent areas or specialist branches. The downside is that they know the value of what they’re selling, so the prices will be higher.”
If you’re prepared for a bit of pot luck, try smaller independents; “If you’re keen for a complete surprise that could involve walking away empty-handed or with an armful of bargains, you’ll probably have more luck outside of urban regions, or with smaller, independent charity shops where they put out most of what’s donated.”
If you follow Rosalind’s suggestions to the letter – research labels if hunting vintage pieces, try items on, do a sniff test etc – you could find vintage gold on the racks. Alternatively, you could find nothing for a few weeks…but that’s when you have to keep faith; a phenomena Rosalind describes as ‘withstanding the drought’.
“A charity shop is always about the luck of the rummage.”
“Don’t be scared – the JOY of charity shops is they have something for everyone,” says Alba Mullen who runs the Instagram account Trashion (re-purposing someone’s ‘trash’ into wonderfully stylish fashion = t-rashion).
“I hate the narrative that charity shopping is for a certain type of person with an edgy style – it’s just not true. You may need to get a bit more creative with how you look at items or style them, but that’s what clothing and fashion is all about. Having random items placed beside each other in the charity shop forces us to get a bit more creative.”
Alba urges anyone who’s not been in a charity shop for a while to give it another whirl. “Charity shopping is becoming far more mainstream – and cooler – in recent years which is amazing to see,” she says.
“A lot of the shops have really upped their game both in stock, layout and design wise and that’s a huge draw for people that aren’t usually interested in charity shopping. I think shops which have a clear high street feel like Royal Trinity Hospice (see pictures above) are a particularly great as a gateway for anyone new to charity shops.”
But Alba has a special place in her heart for ‘old school’ charity shops. “They can be a minefield and overwhelming for a novice but I am OBSESSED with their crazy, chaotic nature.”
Want to kick your addiction to a fast fashion fix? Read more about Alba’s inspiring journey here.
“Explore every section – you never know what hidden gems you might find,” advises Lauren Nicole, a digital creator who runs the definitive Instagram account ‘I got it from the charity shop’ which shows followers how to source and style charity shop finds.
“I’m constantly on the hunt in the nightwear section for vintage slip dresses. It doesn’t matter to me that they’re meant for bedtime, because I love wearing them for a night out. Also try the menswear for things like boxy blazers.”
As much as Lauren loves a tracking down a secondhand find (you must visit her Instagram account for inspiration) she also has a few words of wisdom for all charity shop virgins.
“It’s hard not to impulse buy when it’s such a low price but…sometimes you just gotta put it back.” – Lauren Nicole
So there you have it…there really are no more excuses no more excuses to dip your toe into the wonderful world of charity shops.
And the only thing left for me to say is if charity shopping not for you, that’s okay. Goodness knows I’m no saint. For those willing to give it a try, I’m warning you…they are addictively more-ish.
Talking of addictions. I have a slight problem exercising constraint when it comes to green clothes. To date I have seven pairs of green trousers. Embarrassingly, I only wear one of them on a semi regular basis (Hush sweat pants – secondhand, eBay).
So, if we dial back to the original question of what Jolly Volley bought after visiting ten charity shops – of course it was the jumper (Next, £6.50, Lighthouse, Gregory’s Way, Belper).
Go on admit it – you’re green with envy. But don’t despair, there’s so much more out there.
You’ve just got to take the pledge.
Thank you to everyone who participated in the feature. Particularly those wonderful writers/Instagrammers who gave me so much of their time to promote this cause and all the hard-working staff in the charity shop.
