How to Successfully Buy Clothes you will Love from a Charity Shop?

Over the last few years I have quickly fallen in love with charity shopping. The sense adventure I feel going into a store and seeing what gems I can find is almost addictive. Though I appreciate charity shopping can be overwhelming at first. So today I'm going to share with you the tips and tricks I've learnt to successfully charity shop for clothes you will love.

But firstly, why buy clothes from a charity shop? Charity shopping is a really simple and cheap way to reduce your impact on the environment when shopping for clothes. As mentioned in my post 10 Simple Ways to be more Eco-Friendly the fashion industry makes up 10% of humanities carbon omissions *.  

Without further ado let me share my tips for buying clothes you will love from a charity shop. 

1. Get to know the charity shops near you. 

I am fortunate enough to live in a city where there are a lot of charity shops. Each shop will specialise in a particular item or style. For example, near me in the Cancer Research Shop everything is £3 and under so it is ideal for picking up basics. On the other hand the British Heart Foundation is more expensive but it is perfect for buying an unique items of clothing or shoes with very little wear. Take time to explore your local charity shops to see what they do well. 

2. Don't just look in your size section. 

Not only has women's sizing changed over the years; as we all know in the present day it can drastically change between shops. As a result I always look at the size rack below me and above me. Rather than focusing on the label size look at the item to see if it will fit you. Some items like jumpers I prefer to be slightly slouchy so would tend to size up. At the end of the day size is just a number or letter it's all about how the items fits and makes you feel. 

3. Have a colour palette or tone for your wardrobe. 

For me I love warm jewel tones such as purple, green and mustard. Take a look at your existing wardrobe to see what colours your naturally gravitate towards. I always make sure that every items I buy is in a warmer jewel tone. That way not only will it fit in perfectly with my existing clothes, I know it will suit me.  

4. Know what styles you like. 

Again the easiest way to do this is to look in your current wardrobe but you can also get inspiration online from influencers who's style your admire. I tend to go for smart casual pieces with the occasional bit of sparkle thrown in!

5. Take your time! 

Try not to go when you are short on time so you can take your time looking around the store.  Always do a second check before you leave in case you've missed anything. If you aren't sure on an item put it back. As if you aren't sure you probably won't love it. 

6. Check for signs of wear.

You want to get something that doesn't look too worn. As you want to get the most wear out of the item as you can. Some things can be easy fixes. Two examples are light bobbling and small tears. Bobbling can be removed with a de-bobbler and small tears can be easily sewn up.

The main signs of wear you need to avoid are stains, big tears and the item being stretched out. For shoes look at the soles to see how worn they are.

Do you enjoy charity shopping if so what are your tips?  If not I hopefully have inspired you to give it a go!

E x 

Links are not affiliated just simply sharing as I love them.

References

*Is fashion bad for the environment? | World Economic Forum (weforum.org)