A recent purchase…

I’ve been fortunate enough to find this wonderful jug and glasses with colourful birds on them. They are very Cath Kidston esque! However unlike real Cath Kidston, they only cost me a fiver. They are so nice I’m a little scared to use them in case I break them – perhaps they are something to save for when my uni days have passed!

For the Kitchen…

As a student living away from home for the first time, Ive had to buy quite a lot of house items. Most of these things I didnt even realise I needed – I mean who thinks about buying kitchen scales when theyre moving to a student house? And, of course, I didnt want to spend much money on kitting out my house because I havent got much money to spare, and there is plenty of potential for breakages!

Ive managed to pick up some great house items for pennies:

– brand new Marks and Spencer juicer for 40p

– Pretty ‘Masons’ teacup for two pounds. Charity shop are great for mugs and cups (unless you want all your mugs to be matching!).

– Kenwood electronic kitchen scales for under three pounds

So, next time you need to buy something for your house, check out your local charity shops first!

Charity Shop v.s High Street 2: The printed shirt

I fell in love with this shirt instantly, despite it being just a step too far in the baggy direction. It boasts a paisley and polka dot pattern over an indigo background, so a minor alteration to size later and it’s just what I’m after.

I love shirts now more than ever, partly for how easy they are to style in different ways for different occasions: sleeves up or down, buttoned up or open, tucked in or hanging loose.

A huge variety of shirts hang in charity shops nationwide, longing to once again be a prized possession in a wardrobe. Many, like mine, cost less than four pounds.

How do the high street shops compare price-wise for printed shirts?

New look: average price £18

River island: average price £28

Topshop: average price £38

Zara: average price £32

Dorothy Perkins: average price £30

In my view, another clear win for the charity shop.

We would love to hear about your charity shop v.s high street wins!

Spring Shopping

It’s been a busy few months with uni work to be getting on with, so charity shop browsing has been scarce. But since I handed in a lot of coursework recently, I thought it was a good excuse to find some new things for a blog update.

The first is this black Suzy Smith bag, with gold detailing. I’ve seen loads of these in high street shops – Topshop have a similar size one in turquoise or coral, but I prefer this black version. 

This Marks and Spencer’s top was only £3.99, and it’s never been worn! I love the colour and 80s shoulder pads.

Continuing with the 80s theme, I found a gem of a CD which I’ve already listened to twice…it was worth every one of the 299 pennies I spent on it! (I can picture my Mum nodding in approval as I write this). You need to check out their dance moves in this video…  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PLs5-QJCkoQ

I found all this in The British Heart Foundation, who aim to fight against heart disease being a major cause of disability and premature death. As well as high street charity shops, they have a merchandise shop on their website, http://www.bhf.org.uk, and an ebay shop,   http://stores.ebay.co.uk/British-Heart-Foundation-Shop.

Wooly wooly

Now that it’s getting cold it’s definitely worth trawling the charity shops for knitwear.

 I like looking on the men’s rail; you can so often find really good big jumpers. Oversized jumpers can be worn over loads of layers so they’re great for the winter months. Plus with men’s jumpers the sleeves are extra long so they keep your hands warm.

 One way to customize woolen knitwear is felt it, by boiling it in a big pan. Once wool is felted you can cut into it without the knit unraveling. I’ve seen quite a few cropped jumpers in the shops this season, so a cheap way to get your own would be to buy a wool jumper from the charity shop, felt it then cut it to the desired length.

Pretty Floral Things

Ok, so what with the new univeristy year well underway i thought it was high time for another post; and regular weekly posts for that matter.

I bought a wonderful jacket recently…

It’s a Laura Ashley floral jacket, with a bow on the back and blue lining which looks great when the sleeves are rolled up! It cost me £5.99 from my local British Heart foundation, so it’s saved me some money (i’d be looking at at least twenty pounds more on the high street). Plus the money i spent is going towards helping people with heart conditions. It’s a no-brainer really!

Keep an eye-out for our upcoming blogs about charity shopping and customising clothes.

Summer browsing

First of all I apologise for the lack of posts recently.

However, this means I have alot to report on! As a Uni student i tend to have plenty of time in the summer to browse charity shops, which is great! Especially considering i’m not breaking the bank, and the money I do spend  is going to a good cause.

My nearest charity shop is Age Concern. Here are some things I have recently purchased from it:

– a beautiful rose pink suede-style bag for six pounds. Full price I’m guessing was thrice that much.

– a lilac sheer shirt for three pounds, which is great for those ‘smart casual’ things that can be hard to pick an outfit for.

– a blue dress for four pounds which is really versatile, a great dress for the day or the evening.

As much as looking for clothes in charity shops is worthwhile, I find that often the best things to look out for are accessories. Jewelry, watches, bags, belts and scarves are in abundance at charity shops. Considering that most of us own dozens of each, opting to pay full price everytime really adds up to quite alot of money. Plus, there is somthing quite satisfying about being complemented on a bag that cost you four pounds!

Denim shorts ♥

The price of a pair of denim shorts averages twenty pounds on the high street. The average price for a pair of jeans in the charity shop: four pounds.

Charity shops always have a ready supply of good quality jeans, which can be converted into shorts without much skill required. Alternatively, you could cut short those old jeans in your wardrobe with worn out knees or of an unfashionable cut!

Simply work out how short you want them and cut. They look great turned up at the hem, or wash and spin them to bring out the loose threads for a worn look. The discarded jeans legs can be used for patches, or to make a little bag if you’re feeling really crafty!

Here are some ideas of how to customize denim:

–         For a distressed look, use a cheese grater.

–         Soak in thick bleach for a washed-out look.

–         Use thick bleach to paint on a design. (see photo, I covered one side of my shorts with stars)

–         Sew on patches. I recently spotted a pair with cute patches on in Topshop. Use pretty fabric scraps or denim scraps.

–         Embroider something on – around the pockets is a good place (see photo)

–         You can buy iron on motifs from the haberdashery.

“Why can’t I find anything?” (FAQs about charity shops)

The blog’s been up and running for a few months now, and we think it’s going pretty well! With the increasing awareness, we’ve had quite a few questions about charity shops and thrift shopping in general, which we have been doing our best to answer. So I thought I’d collect together a few of the most common comments/questions for you.

The summer is upon us, and with us both free from lectures (yay!) we will be answering some of these in more detail in the next few weeks. We will also be reviewing some of the more well-known London charity shops, and giving our opinion. If you have any you’d like us to pay a visit to, leave a comment about it!

Myths and FAQs…

Why can’t I ever find anything?

If you use your imagination, you can find anything you want! Recently, my friend wanted a new sewing box, and found a vanity case that could serve the purpose really well. And it was in really good condition. You do have to look to find good things, but remember, charity shops are all different – that’s the beauty of them!

There’s only really old stuff.

When it comes to donations of stuff, most charity shops go by the rule, “If you wouldn’t buy it, we’re not going to sell it”. Yes, a lot of things are old, but in a good way. You would never find a book with a written message from the 70s in Waterstones, or a bag with an old shopping list in it in Topshop. Plus, along with the old stuff there’s also loads of new stuff, and if you don’t believe me, go and have a look!

Why can’t I find anything in my size?

Ignore what the size says on the label, and just try it on. Check out Becky’s posts “Ways With Old Shirts” and “Happy Charity Shopping!” for great tips about how to make the most of charity shop clothes.

Aren’t charity shops just for old women and “alternative”, arty people?

No.

But I’m a man.

So? We’ll be going on a hunt for manly things in the next few weeks, and we’ll keep you updated.

Keep your questions coming!

the ultimate little purse

Does anyone else find that the average daytime purse is just a ridiculous size for going out in the evening? Well, my usual purse is no exception – it doesn’t fit in my evening bags; it is in fact bigger than many of them! I have my fair share of little coin purses for such occasions. However I find that bank notes, coins and cards all in the same confined space can be a bit awkward.

Last week I found a perfect little solution in the form of this purse!

It is a bottle green fake leather purse of small dimensions, with a section for notes and a section for coins, AND space for two cards!

And as expected, having come from a charity shop, it cost me a mere two pounds.