I love charity shop hunting just as much as the next bargain hunter, but it often take several visits to put together a show-stopping outfit. Source the top, then the trousers or the skirt. There is of course the accessories, like shoes, handbags and jewellery. Unlike high street shopping you can just expect an outfit to come together in one outing. So imagine my surprise when recently I put together a look and realised everything from top to toe was charity shop finds.
I think the first item I picked was the shades – if you could call it part of an outfit. I bagged this vintage pair for £15 in April 2017 at Portobello market. The bag came earlier this year from a community charity shop. Believe it or not I did ponder whether I needed another bag. But it was leather, a colour I didn’t have and only a fiver.
As for the outfit… I picked up the cropped trousers, originally Oasis, at Barnardo’s for £7 last May. They didn’t even go past my hips at the time. As I had missed the 15-day return period, they stayed put. Good thing they did, just one month, and they were the perfect fit. But that’s a story for another day!
I stumbled upon the shirt, originally Marks and Spencer, possibly a little old-lady blouse, while browsing Oxfam on a lazy Saturday afternoon. Just £3.99, light and summery, it was a great deal.
Finally, what pulls an outfit together better than a good pair of heels. This vintage pair came from the Sue Ryder stall at the Stratford-upon-Avon River Festival. Barely used, they were a steal at £5.
Oh and the earrings? Totally free from Mum’s ’70s originals.
And here’s the story of my charity shop chic look put together for a little under £45.
Shades: £15, Portobello Market
Shirt: £3.99, Oxfam Stony Stratford
Trousers: £7, Oakridge
Bag: £5, community shop, Walnut Tree
Shoes: £5, Sue Ryder, Stratford-upon-Avon
