Charity Shop / Thrift Shopping Tips

Hey guys,
If theres one thing I love the most about shopping, its Charity shops, or if your in other areas of the world it may be known to you as thrift stores. They're my favourite thing and a great hobby. There is nothing more satisfying than searching through the rails in a charity shop and finding a gem, like one time I found some designer japanese shoes for £15! But some people seem to hate charity shops, and wouldn't be seen dead in one which I think all needs to change! Keep reading to find out my top tips for successful charity shop shopping!




1- Don't aim for a particular item.
The thing about charity shops is that you can never guarantee anything. So if you go in just looking for a specific thing your probably not going to find it and get annoyed. Keep your eyes open and look generally for things, there are some amazing things, you just have to look closely.

2- Keep going back.
Charity shop stock is always changing, so just because you don't find something one week, go back the next and you may well find a beauty. Keep checking, you have to be dedicated to be successful, just like anything in life.

3- Buy when you see
If you see something that you like but aren't 100% about it, just buy it, the chances are it'll be ridiculously cheap so it won't matter if you don't wear it anyway, and once you put it down and walk out it's most likely going to be gone by the time you come back, don't say I didn't warn you.

4- Look in the mens section too.
Charity shops often have amazing flannel shirts, but there probably gonna be in the mens section. If thats something your after, look in the mens, because theres nearly always one there.

5- SHOES!!
Shoes are so cheap in charity shops and people often over look them. I've found some great shoes in charity shops before so don't forget to look.

6-Try it on.. even if its not your size.
Similarly to vintage shopping, some sizes may be incorrect, so if it looks roughly like it might fit, or is a size up or down to what you'd normally buy, try it on anyway, because you never know.

7-Dig deep.
Charity shops have a lot of stuff, a lot of that stuff you won't like. You have to be prepared to sift through everything to find the good stuff. Dig deep and look through it all if you can, just because the thing on the end looks "gross" doesn't mean the rest of it is.

8- DVD's
I get nearly all my DVD's from charity shops, they have loads and they're usually around the £1 mark, bargain. I've got loads in various charity shops and theres normally something for everyone. I've picked up The Devil Wears Prada, Love Actually, My Sisters Keeper and many many more in the past.

9-Know what suits you.
You may see something and think hmmm can I pull that off? Is it the wrong shape? What about the colour? etc etc.. If you know what suits you and what you feel comfortable in it will be a much smoother experience with much less disasters.

10- Be openminded about everything
A pair of utility khaki shorts may look bad on the hanger, but with a belt, baggy Tshirt and bucket hat they could look awesome. Keep your mind open to everything, because when you've styled it with things you already have and love it may look so different, and you may end up with a really cool, unique outfit!!

I hope this helped some of you, I love charity shops and I hope this inspired you to get involved and give some money to well deserved causes. It's guilt free shopping. Give it a try!
Grace x