The Real Bargain Bin Blog

I dunno about you but I'm fed up of those blogs where a bargain is a £102 jumper reduced to £96 or the knock down heels £172 to £160. I'm sorry but it's just not happening, when I say bargain I mean it! Something that's truly satisfying is the warm tingly sensation inside when it comes to the end of the day and, with a little mental calculation, you discover your entire shopping spree equated to less than that one £96 jumper you rejected in the first store.

So how can it be done? Well as much as we'd love to, we can't sale shop all year through, so what's the next best thing? CHARITY SHOPS of course. That's right, the new vintage. Designer, high street and unheard of labels, materials, prêt-a-porter and clothing to edit; you can find it all. This is the one way to guarantee a truly unique fresh style.

Admittedly you have to be in the right frame of mind, so here are a few handy tips:

1.Locate your nearest/best area of charity shops (Marie Curie, Cancer Research, Oxfam, Helen & Douglas etc)

2.Eat before you leave. This may sound silly but honestly, you need your full attention on the garments not the gurgle in your tummy.

3. Don’t make a list! (Although a mental checklist of what you may need and definitely do not, is acceptable) When you go with a desperate want for any certain item the chances are you won't get hold of it.

4. Don’t be afraid to go it alone; if you know you'll only get jealous of a friend beating you to a great bargain then shop solo.
The results can be pure magic. Try it yourself. Wherever you are you will find a shop but for those in London; Portobello and Notting Hill are great places to start. A personal favourite of mine is my local Cancer research where I have been known to find Haute Couture at ridiculously low prices. And the best bit, the money isn’t going straight into the pocket of an already minted fashion house, but to those who need it more, the charities. Take for example my Laura Ashley black velour jacket (below) even with the tailoring that transformed it from floor length to blazer, it came to a grand total of £8. A steal, in my eyes. Then there was my Balenciaga sunglasses, perfect all summer long at £2.


Top: Balenciaga sunglasses Bottom: Laura Ashley Jacket

If you like what you see then go out and try it for yourself. For me it’s a fantastic thing becoming a successful charity bargain hunter. It’s a whole new kind of shopahol-ism, a sustainable green alternative in the world of apparel. Don’t forget either, any unwanted goods can just be returned; think of it as a straight forward donation to the charity. On top of all this of course, charity shops provide an ideal source of affordable, probably genuine, good quality costumes and outfits for a huge number of occasions and events.

If all of this still hasn’t inspired you then I have another snippet of my thoughts to share:

Customer Service! Or should I say the extreme lack of. I have flitted in and out of hundreds of shops in this past year, and I’m not sure whether to put it down to bad weather? Recession? Or just catching everyone at a bad time? But I am having huge difficulty getting a warm welcome in shops.

No “hellos”, few “how can I help you”s, and a distinct decrease in genuine smiles. Is it just me? Quite the opposite, I can happily say, is the case in charity shops, most workers are volunteers who do the job because they want to, and they care. Often you’ll be welcomed by lovely smiley faces and a warm greeting, where possible this will be followed up with caring conversations or light jokes tipped off with a beaming grin when you leave having paid £10 for a wardrobe full of clothes. For me there is nothing more unpleasant than a blunt monotonous “£12 Please” at the till without any surrounding conversation, and for that reason alone charity shops make me smile.
So there you have it, in just 4 simple steps you hit the charity high street with your reusable shopping bag and experience the joys for yourself. I can assure you, you won’t regret it.

What I’m wearing today: Today I shall mostly be rocking the college staple; blazer with a slight twist. This beautiful blazer carries no label but provides me with endless joy, a plain black blazer with sequined collar and cuff to add a shine to any look. Teamed with an H&M embroidered top (£2 at Cancer Research), ZARA kids skirt (£3, also Cancer Research) and the beloved pair of OFFICE patent bow heels (£7 Help the Aged)...Oh and the hat was from a French Christian Aid warehouse sale, it’s my favourite accessory by far!