Would you/do you wear charity shop clothes?

Also, it is nothing like shopping in Zara or somewhere - most clothes shops the clothes are laid out so that you don't have to hunt through rails to find something non vile. It's more similar to TK Maxx or similar, and I won't shop there either. Or from sale rails.

L
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Edinburgh has so many charity shops now they've produced a map showing where they all are! https://www.changeworks.org.uk/content.php?linkid=347 My mate works in the TIC on Princes Street and its one of their most popular publications!

Morningside and Stockbridge are prime spots of fab stuff - due to the fact they are quite high class areas. (You'll have had your tea then etc etc....)

I wear clothes from charity shops. I wouldn't buy shoes, underwear or swimwear, but I have suits and dresses. Trawling through the rails is part of the fun to find a bargain.

I also go to a dress exchange in an exclusive part of town and have bought desinger clothes at a fraction of the cost. I've also wotn things a couple of times, sold them on ebay and made a profit.

We have a Help the Aged just 4 doors down from us at work, and me and my colleagues often buy clothes from there during our lunch hour, there's some great stuff to be had as it is a well to do area.

Nothing, I think I've phrased it badly. It's just that in the workplace a lot of people who have what are seen as politically incorrect opinions probably don't give them any more. I've probably not explained that any better!

But what is there that is politically incorrect about saying you think it's disgusting to buy from charity shops?

L
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I've bought some really nice stuff from charity shops in the past. Yes you can get some really awful clothes but some things are fabulous. You have to hunt through the gastly stuff though and be lucky to find the real bargains. I get a lot of the children's clothes from charity shops, however all the things I've bought they've been more than happy with ?

Oooh some of you wouldn't be impressed with my not-washing-of-charity-shop clothes before I wear them ? I don't think they tend to sell underwear although they do sell swimwear. I did look for swimming cossies in the ones I went to on holiday but I'm long and there was nothing to fit. I would probably wash a swimming cossie before I wore it though.

Anjumanji - as to why buy second hand? Environmentally sound, much more ethical than Primarni or equivalent and value for money - I can buy 10 tops for the price of 1 on the High St. Money has never been freely available in our family and my folks both worked their butts off, but even so with 5 small mouths to feed there was no other option for clothing us! Now I'm earning but have massive debts and we're saving for a flat deposit - so my question back would be - why spend more than necessary when the money could be used on something more important? And I feel deeply uneasy about the ethics of cheap as chips clothing, even though I do sometimes shop in those places hypocritically. I guess new clothes just aren't a financial priority for me, but everyone's different of course.

Interesting debate! When I lived in Pimlico we had the BEST charity/ second hand shops- there was one that Kate moss was always pictured coming out of (its somehow oK to use charity shops as soon as you use the word vintage)

My problem is I don't like searching through piles and mess- I tend to know what I want so don't randomly browse either, so I don't think I currently do own anything from a charity shop. I also agree they can appear relatively expensive- Especially oxfam. Why would I buy a skirt from Oxfam for £20 when it may not fit perfectly or be exactly what i want when I can choose from a whole range at a cheap shop like Hennes or Primark?

My Mum, however, absolutly hates them and won't even go into them as "they smell" which sometimes they do, in fairness.

I get loads of books from charity shops, however.

I must be shopping in the wrong charity shops as I don't think I've ever paid more than £3.50 for something! ? I'm sure that it depends on the area though - round here most things are from Primark, New Look or the supermarkets so they couldn't charge more than they'd cost new!

In answer to your Qu though - for me the answer is quality - if I paid £20 for something in a charity shop then I'd expect it to be very good quality, and environmental/ethical considerations as above.

My Mum wore an outfit from her lcoal charity shop for our wedding - she never considered anything else, I don't think. Mind you she has less money and more time than me and knows the ladies in the local charity shops well so they know what she likes and her sizes so always put stuff aside she might like. I honestly have no idea the last time she bought anything for herself that wasn't from a charity shop tbh.

Wrt books: if it wasn't for charity shops (and the library) we'd be bankrupt within months with Mr R-A's reading habit ?

Now somebody said... "Why buy second hand when you can buy new?"

Which I'd turn around.... Why buy something new when it's available second hand?

Aside from that, they just don't sell a lot of the things that I like to wear new!

Like others said, I don't shop in charity shops due to my inability to 'see' past the piles of tat. I avoid Primark / TK Maxx for the same reason. I do buy lots of books from charity shops and car boots or se the library as I would be broke otherswise

I do give most of my old stuff to charity though and hope it goes to a good home.

I'm another who can't be bothered to root through items.

Plus, I have to say that every charity shop I've been in does have a bit of a pong to them. I went into one last week to find a Prince Charles mug for a colleagues 'joke' birthday present and the girl who served me had a top on with food spilt down it and really greasy hair. Its incidents like this which put me off.

Maybe I'm just going to the wrong ones!

I only ever buy second-hand clothes or army surplus stuff- I can't actually remember the last time I bought something new but it was probably about four years ago now.For me it is purely about being carbon neutral and not a money thing, plus I can sew so can alter stuff to fit.

Over the years I've picked up some great stuff, I have a YSL dress that I love and a Karen Millen coat that was still on sale in KM window for £200 at the time and I paid £15 for it.

MIL seems to think this is very strange and often buys me new stuff as a present when she comes over and I do have friends that donate clothes to me for some reason!

I shop in charity shops (we call them thrift stores) all the time. It's just another form of recycling.I find looking through racks of everything to be very relaxing, and get anxious and annoyed when I go into a regular shop and am followed by some salesperson eager to mkae a commission.

We didn't have a lot of money growing up so I wore a lot of hand-me-downs. I guess I just never got out of the habit.

I don't dispute that it is more ethical to buy from charity shops and the like but I can only speak from my own experience. My upbringing was similar to yours in that I'm one of 5 children and my father was the breadwinner. My parents came to this country as immigrants with nothing and like I said before, they would have seen buying from a charity shop as failing to provide for us . I think this has stuck with me as a form of snobbery. I've never thought to buy used clothes because I've always been able to afford new ones. It's not a conscious thing but more an idea that people who do buy from charity shops do so because they have to. I'm not saying that this is the case for everyone but it's how I've always felt.

I don't think I'm explaining myself very well. What I'm trying to say it that my parent's views have influenced me but I've never questioned it until now. I've just assumed that people buying second hand goods have done so because they can't afford new things.

With regards to the statement in bold, both myself and my husband work, our only debt is our mortgage, we don't spend on credit cards or outside our means. I would say that currently we're comfortable as we can afford to take at least 1 holiday a year. I think that again influences how I think and how I shop. I don't feel the need to own designer clothes, shoes or handbags so there's nothing really that we ever need to save for. I'm not saying this in a 'I'm so great, we're really well off' kind of way, but more to explain my thought process. (We're not well off by the way, the fact I live in Walthamstow says it all!)

Anyway I just wanted to explain why I have never bought from a charity shop. I do however donate quite regularly, I don't throw out clothes that can still be worn. Actually my daughter is taller than her older cousin so when she grows out of something that is particularly nice or hasn't been worn much I will pass it on to my sister. I don't have a problem with that, it's just the thought of actually buying someone else's clothes.

Since moving back to my home town 18 months ago I've totally rediscovered the joy of charity shop shopping. Mainly because it's all we have here (literally - charity shops plus a New Look and small George in Asda) but also because I'm now on less money since I went back to work p/t after maternity leave.

I've had some brilliant bargains. Lots of Fat Face and Next stuff, and some brilliant stuff for my son who is now almost totally in charity shop clothes. The upside of a town full of charity shops is that there is lots of competition, so our local ones now arrange everything by size or colour or type and know not to overfill their racks - so it's more like shopping in Next than in TK Maxx! Granted, some of them know their brands now, but still bargains.

I keep meaning to go to some better areas to check out those - I have a friend in Tunbridge Wells and the ones there are brilliant for designer stuff. Hyacinth, your post has reminded me about those Pimlico ones - Retromania, is it? Not far from where I often work. Must go in lunch hour.

I think charity shopping rocks, frankly. (She says sitting here in a shirt, jeans and flip flops that all came from charity shops!)

I don 't wear charity shop clothes. I don't think there is anything wrong or skanky about it but I think it's because I have a very sensitive sense of smell and other people's clothes smell of, well, other people. I just can't be arsed to wash something half a dozen times before its de-smelled and I can wear it. That said I have been hunting in my local shops for woolly jumpers for a felting project and I was amazed by the price of the clothes, really expsensive (particularly Cancer Research).I

Hey, don't be knocking East London, I hear some of the best people live there ?

Thanks for the reply, I guess like everything these things are not as simple as they seem. It's worth having these kind of discussions though, I reckon, or we'd all end up blindly doing exactly what our parents did with no questions asked.

For me, well I've been accumulating student debt at a frightening rate since the age of 18, and even 2 years post graduation it looks like an impossible mountain to climb from where I am now, so I can't imagine a time when a bit of extra cash would go amiss. If I was that comfortably off I think I'd rather work a few less hours and still shop at charity shops, but ask me in 15 years and who knows where we'll be ?

ETA - that was @anjumanji - damn slow interweb connection.

I spend a lot of my time at the stables, in the mud and riding out in the cold, i love charity shops for hoodies, fleeces and coats because id never feel comfortable puting a new garment on that i know will get ripped and filthy.

i hate rooting round shops at the best of times so i tend to check the mens stuff for hoddies etc then the kids wear as most of this is grown out of so fast there are some fab bargains of almost new clothes. i also get all my books there too x

I hadn't really thought about this before, but yes I suppose I was blindly doing what my parents did. The funny thing is that I do think I'm a world away from my parents. They can be closed minded and prejudiced and I've always tried to be the opposite.

I do actually work part time and I did consider giving up work after my ML ended. I weighed up going back to work and having the extra income against spending a lot of time with my daughter, but having to budget and think before I spent any money. For me, going back to work on a part time basis was the best decision. It meant I could still contribute to the household finances, we could have 1 holiday abroad each year and I could spend money without feeling guilty. It also meant the time I do spend with my daughter is a lot more precious and I do appreciate it more. I imagine I'm also a bit older than you and I've been working since the age of 16. I don't want to have to think about finances or use my spare time going through charity shops finding clothes that fit. I have enough difficulty in the High Street stores!

I'm sure that all the best people are from East London but it's still a depressing place to be. You'd think after 7 years here I'd grow to like it....... Where abouts in EL are you based?

I live in sunny Crackney anjumanji ? I don't actually find it depressing, but for one I was born here so it runs pretty deep (and lots of friends and family still local). Also I think I'm just a glass half full type - I see the parks and my Lido and the fab diversity and sense of community where other people see the gun crime and used syringes.

I suppose you always see your home town through rose tinted spectacles, I'm guilty of the same. Unfortunately all I see here is too much of my MIL??

I definitely shop in regularly and donate too. For me, it's a challenge to find a great bargain, or something vintage (bought a beautiful 1950's dress and matching jacket in yellow with mauve roses on it, it sounds vile but it's really beautiful and only cost me £7), also I think the aspect of recycling is great and never been more important. My stepdaughter (who is 14) is really getting into it, she loves looking for waistcoats, mens suit jackets, scarves, bits of jewellery etc. So that's something we enjoy together. I buy books too.

It's a *not skanky* from me!

I feel all inspired now to go and check out some of our local charity shops that I haven't been in before ?

I have nothing against it in principle, but sadly all the charity shops near me are smelly, and when I have been brave enough to go in (holding my nose) I've never found anything to buy. I do donate a lot of my old clothes to charity though, and when I do it always end up wondering why I never see the same sort of clothes in a shop!

I grew up wearing hand-me-downs, and even now my friend and I are forever swapping clothes, so certainly no problem with second-hand clothes. My sister finds some really good bargains in charity shops, maybe I should take her with me next time...

I agree, all the charity shops near me just have a mouldy smell. I do go in them alot though to buy books (I would be bankrupt otherwise).

I grew up wearing hand-me-downs and always got excited when we were given a big bag of clothes to go through. My daughter lives in hand-me-downs from her cousins and I'm really luckily as I haven't really brought her anything new.

But on the other hand if something was vintage I would probably buy it. I guess I'm a charity shop snob when it comes to clothes.

As a kid we never shopped in them but that was manily due to the fact I spent most of my childhood living in rural Ireland where we were lucky to have a local shop let alone anything else.

However since having my first daughter 2.5 years ago I have been in them loads as she likes getting the childrens DVD's and as she gets bored of them so fast it is a cheap way to buy them for her.

I will admit alot of the ones buy us arent so great but if you go out a bit more there are some great little gems. I think it depends on the area you live in as to what type of clothes you will find as if you go to our local ones they are mostly junk but a 5 minute drive down the road to wag/rich area they have great clothes and I have got some great things from there.

I shop in them fairly regularly. In my best local one it's a bit hit and miss whther or not you find anything, but in the last few months I have bought a Next shirt dress (£1.50), Monsoon black jeans (never worn, £2.50), a Gap heavyweight cotton mac (£4) and an Aldi bag (£4). I love having a look through to see what I can find. The boys had loads of bits when they were tiny, I can never find anything for them now unfortunately.

I buy loads of books, toys and games too, great for pocket money presents.

I have a whole car full of things to donate back too, I have no more space in my wardrobe!