Thrifty Business
Kate was amazed at what you can pick up in Charity Shops
We seem to have undergone something of a fashion revolution and personally I blame the ‘footballer’s wife`. After constantly being bombarded with pictures of Colleen and Victoria proudly showing off their latest fashion acquisitions, it seems that it’s not only the ultra-holistic hemp handbag types who realise that wearing sunglasses worth more than the GDP of Bangladesh is actually a little vulgar.
Instead, young fashionistas are desperate to tell you that their dress only cost them 5p from a charity shop and wear their Primark with pride. It appears cheap is suddenly chic and being able to fi nd stunning bargains amongst rails of peculiar smelling knitwear has become the ultimate source of fashion kudos. Now this may be slightly kinder on the bank balance, but it certainly doesn’t make shopping any easier.
Charity shops are often dank, musty smelling places and fi ghts over Primark’s last pair of £6 skinny jeans under a size 24 (the point at which the term ‘skinny jean’ is entirely ironic) are notoriously violent. With this in mind, I thought I’d pass on a few tips to make the hunt for fashion steals a little more pleasant.
Shop strategically. Locate charity shops in affluent areas where plenty of rich elderly ladies are popping their ultra chic clogs.
Also avoid most Oxford charity shops as you would bird flu. They are usually hideously over-priced.
Exercise self-restraint.
True, the item you are clutching in your hand may only cost 10p but if it looking at it for too long makes your eyes go funny, you are always better of without it.
Don’t dwell on the fact that the previous owner of that ohso- cute vintage dress may be dead/have fleas.
Simply not in the spirit of vintage shopping. Beware of becoming a Primark clone. This is almost as bad as being a Topshop clone, except it costs less money. Certain key items will be bought by 90% of the female population. Although no-one is sure why, wearing the same as someone else is always terribly embarrassing so if you are nimble fi ngered, customise, or at least accessorise originally.
Lie.
Even if you have left the moth-eaten entrails of your local charity shop for the relative comforts of the vintage collections in Topshop, no one need know.
In the same way that everyone tells their dentist that they floss regularly when in reality most packets of dental floss are used around once a year, if someone tells you their outfit cost £2 from Oxfam, the chances are, they are twisting the truth.
20th Apr 2006