The Charity Shop Revival

There was a time when shopping in charity shops was something stigmatized. Or, at the very least, something you certainly didn't go out of your way to admit - unlike the origins of that Zara dress. To say you brought a piece of clothing from a charity shop ran the risk of being met with an air of snobbery. I remember once, at school, a girl said that she would never shop in charity shops because the clothes had been worn before and must therefore be 'dirty'.

One of the older Oxfam stores in Oxford 

The changing tide

This snobbery has, in recent years, been replaced by admiration and even awe. One now experiences a feeling of pride when explaining that an item was bought from a charity shop - to which the usual reaction is ‘are you kidding?’ A beautiful M&S pure silk shirt is just one hidden gem that I myself have been lucky enough to find. And do I care that it has been previously worn? Not one bit. (In fact, I like to think that it was previously owned by some glamourous woman). For £12 in Oxfam, this was a bargain. 

M&S silk blouse

Also, I'm sure we've all had that awkward moment when we've seen someone wearing the same top/jumper/shirt as us. But with charity shops, more often than not the clothes you are buying are no longer being sold. In that sense, there's a strange air of exclusivity about them.

A helping hand

Shopping in charity shops doesn’t only do yourself good (#shopping therapy) but OTHERS good too. You’re getting some fabulous clothes whilst at the same time giving to charity – who could protest? Although Oxfam is the most 'obvious' charity shop, there are some other small chain or even independent charity shops who donate part of the earnings to less established charities. Given the busy lives we lead, factoring in charity work might seem hard, so this is one way of helping out without even realising you're doing so.

Mind charity shop in Jericho, Oxford

Time well spent 

Perhaps the only negative is the sizing. The nature of charity shops – where people donate their clothing – means that there is only ever one size available for anything. So if something’s not in your size, sadly there’s not much that can be done. (I’m still lusting over a real leather jacket from Zara *sighs*). 

But when you do find something that’s a) wonderful and b) in your size, the feeling of reward and satisfaction makes the time and effort well worth it. Think of it as a challenge. And actually, sometimes you might want to buy something a few sizes bigger (say, for example, an over-sized denim shirt  which can look very cool when worn bare-legged - think Glastonbury vibes). 

A diverse selection 

So I guess this is a message for all the charity shop virgins out there: in an age no longer designer obsessed, and one in which the ways of buying clothes is ever-increasing, there's no better time than to pop into your local charity shop. You never know what you might find!