To ask if you go to charity shops do you always go for the same size?

I volunteer in a charity shop and have lots of clothes from there. I am a size 14 but have recently bought a dress which was a 12 and a bit big on me, a size XS Zara puffer coat which may have been oversized but fits well, and things which are all other sizes too. We see a lot of 1990s or 1980s brands where the sizing is different - not just smaller but just a different fit - and American brands. Or brands which don't use a standard sizing which are labelled as 1, 2, 3, 4.

As you've found, you have to try things on!! Congrats on your bargain.

You need to remember that clothes in charity shops may have got stretched with wear or shrunk with frequent/incorrect washing. If you're buying new the sizing of women's clothes varies so much between brands that it's possible to have 2 or 3 different sizes in your wardrobe that all fit properly. When I'm shopping in charity shops or on Vinted I always look at the sizes either side of my 'usual' size and if I really like something will try it on (or take a risk with Vinted, if it doesn't fit I can often pass it on or resell) if you stick religiously to your usual size then you might miss a fantastic bargain or perfect outfit.

I could not sew. The teacher at school requested I be allowed to do woodwork instead 😂 but I love clothes. I started with small repairs like replacing zips, followed you tube videos and kept doing it and ripping out until I had achieved perfect invisible zips.
Then I bought some large mens cotton shirts, on these I learned how to do button holes on the ladies side, close the existing button holes and add buttons, add in darts for some shaping and finally shorten the sleeves and make the cuffs turn back.
There are loads of videos. I found doing small alterations lead to increased motivation so that now I am taking apart and remaking so many things. I do wish I had the benefit of in person lessons though. Go for it!

I usually hold the garment in front of me, making sure it's well up on my shoulders, and pull it against myself to see if it will go more than half way around my body - if it will, I should be able to get into it! Unless it's very expensive, I re-donate anything that doesn't fit me - the money is going to a good cause - I'm usually a good judge of whether it will fit or not though.

Nowt wrong with buying from Charity Shop to resell elsewhere. The charity still gets its money and the item can then reach a wider audience

I look for jeans by length, I’m tall so grab the longest pairs to try on.

I also look at menswear, I’ve found some great v neck wool jumpers, cord blazers etc.

I do look at one size up and down but it never occurred to me to look any further. Ill try the next time im in a charity shop though as i do get hung up over the label size even though i shoukd know better.

For the more generous figured one tip ive often used for tops when i cant try on ( hate trying on clothes in shops) is to keep the top on the hanger ,turn the hanger so the top is facing you and put both your arms up inside the top all the way to the armholes. Keeping your elbows tucked into your waist area push your hands outwards so the top is tight against your arms. There should be room for your arms to move a little more sideways at this point and if so the top will be comfortable . If it is taut on your arms it will be tight on your body.

I try on different sizes in all shops, not just charity shops! They can vary wildly. Even within one shop/brand they can be different, if one batch of, say, white T-shirts was made in one factory and another batch was made in another.
Having said that, I can normally pretty much tell by eye/by handling the item a bit if it seems like my size. It's always worth trying on though, as I am sometimes surprised.

I am a size 10 but used to be an 8, so I look at all the sizes from the smallest up to 12. A lot of the more expensive clothes have quite generous sizing in the tiny numbers - I think because the difference between each of the sizes is quite marginal (i.e. a 6 is only a tiny bit smaller than an 8 which is only a tiny bit smaller than a 10 in some brands. But then the 12 is only a tiny bit bigger than the 10 and so on, so if you are larger than that you would think the sizing runs small).

Also many charity shop staff don't know the difference between French, German and Italian sizes and treat them all as 'European'. (Actually a size 10 is roughly 36 in Germany, 38 in France, and 42 in Italy). High end designers often use Italian sizes, so these get mislabelled as being larger sizes - I have a lovely Armani jacket that had been labelled a 14 but no-one could get into it.

I bought a size zero and a size 14 on the same day. Different shops... don't look at labels.

Everything in my wardrobe fits me perfectly. The labels range from size 12 to 20. So yes, the size label is just a guide, a starting point.

Yes, because sometimes clothes are mis-sized which, I assume, is why they are in the charity shop. Also UK sizes vary quite a lot.

A quick tip that works well for most people re. jeans is to wrap the waistband of the jeans (buttoned up) around your neck and if it meets comfortably, it should fit your waist. If you prefer a looser fit, aim for a pair that overlap when put round your neck. Hope this makes sense!

It's worked for me several times in charity shops which don't have a changing room.

In shops I'm anywhere between a 14 and a 20 depending on the shape of the outfit and brand so I'd be pretty open minded. That's also why I dont buy things if I cant try them on in a charity shop. It seems "wrong" to get a refund on something that doesnt fit.

Yes, as long as there is a changing room, I’m a size 14/16, but will try anything between 12 and 18.
As being a sewer, I know some fabrics give a little after a couple of washes and others will shrink.
And of course, I can take them in or out (seams allowing) or totally make a new garment.
A long dress has plenty of material for other things.

Always! A 1960 size 12 is equivalent of a current size 16 in many popular brands. A current cheap 12 is often the same as a designer 8.
Keep a small tape measure in your bag. Measure bust, waist hips. If they are smaller than your size don’t try.
Larger things in beautiful fabrics particularly coats in cashmere blends or silk dresses are worth buying in a larger size, easy to get altered. I have learned to sew myself and can refashion many items.

This is a great shout!

This post confuses me. Surely you've noticed in clothes that you've bought that size varies massively from brand to brand and sometimes even similar items in the same store? Not sure why it wouldn't occur to you to look a size up/down in a charity shop for the same reasons! :)