Charity Shopping and Tips for Upcycling
Sustainable dressing has never been more relevant…
From tips for upcycling your clothes to charity shop shopping; everywhere you look, it’s all about breathing new life into our existing pieces.
And whatever your take on old versus new, pre-loved fashion is all the rage nowadays.
I’m ashamed to admit it and I’m also showing my age here (!), but growing up, I remember clearly that it was most definitely not cool to shop in charity shops. And don’t get me started on hand-me-downs! TOTALLY uncool and the ultimate embarrassment.
Tips for upcycling?
I wouldn't have had a clue what it meant!
Things couldn’t be more different now.
The focus has well and truly shifted and it feels like we’ve performed a 180 over the last decade. Pre-worn is now the zeitgeist and the industry’s focus on sustainable fashion has reached new and dizzying heights! Many high-end, exclusive retailers, including Mulberry have a pre-loved section now on their website which enables you to own a piece of handbag heaven for a very reasonable price.
The Impact of Fast Fashion & Pre loved options
The impact of fast fashion on the environment has caused us to rethink how we consume fashion. Now that ‘old’ is the ‘new’ way to shop, we are flooded with choice of where to buy and there are many online preloved platforms like vinted and high-end site like Versatire, offering a myriad of choice in exclusive designer clothing.
The sweet spot is that i) you’re doing your bit for the environment, ii) able to bag a bargain in the process, iii) and at nowhere near the cost if you were buying brand new. It’s a win-win-win situation.
It seems the younger generation are the ones who have really embraced this new way to shop, but many others are now following the movement. And yes, I called it a ‘movement’, and not a ‘trend’ which otherwise clearly defeats the point!
A Charity Shop Win!
I found my own piece of preloved fashion in a nearby charity shop recently with a 100% Italian silk shirt.
It featured a pattern of wildlife and considering how passionate I am about the environment, I felt it was there just waiting for me to snap it up!
It was such a joy to see it hanging there and satisfaction knowing I’m unlikely to see someone else wearing it - another plus of shopping in charity shops.
Perhaps you’ve made a visit to a nearby charity shop recently and also found a bargain. My ultimate charity shop shopping tip is to target shops in affluent areas (charity shops in St John’s Wood anyone?!) as goodness knows what gems you could find. I had the joy of finding these absolutely exquisite Bally shoes recently but not my size, sadly:
A little investment of time and creativity, can go a long way!
If you can set aside an hour or so and you’re willing to flex your creative muscle, you might just be surprised at the ways you can transform your existing pieces.
As a personal stylist, I love nothing more than creating looks for my clients to feel wonderful in.
However, it's even sweeter if I can utilise their existing pieces from their wardrobe in order to reinvent what they already have.
Festive jumpers seem to be a staple in our seasonal wardrobe, but why spend money on something you’re only likely to wear once a year and instead, create one with what you already have.
Also, this doesn't just have to be for Christmas and can apply for any time of year when you want to add something a bit ‘extra’ to a plain old black jumper:
A happy accident!
I used to love wearing this scarf.
Not only was it big and warm, but I could wrap it a couple of times around my neck for that oversized look.
Sadly, a slightly overly hot washing cycle and the fibres in the scarf felted and it lost all of its malleability and felt like cardboard.
I was gutted.
However, not one to be defeated and referring to my tips for upcycling, it now has a new lease of life as a throw on my sofa!
