I am evangelical about charity shopping – I now buy the majority of my clothes from them and have been very, very fortunate in what I find. To answer the question first, the charity shops in my area are really good – I’m in the South east, in quite an affluent pocket. It is variable, but I agree with the poster who said that you need to get your ‘eye’ in. Like anything, the more you do it, the better you get at it.
I find the big ‘chain’ charity shops (BHF, Oxfam) to be slightly over-priced and a less fun experience than the more ‘local’ ones. The Salvation Army and local hospice shops are really good. We also have an increasing number of ‘warehouse’-style charity shops. They do a lot of furniture but also clothes. There is one near me that sells everything for £2.
There is a LOT of M&S/Next/Primark stuff out there, but also some absolute gems to be had. And I know I am fortunate to be able to bypass high st stuff and focus on branded stuff.
As for the brands I have found: Marella, Day Birgir et Mikkelsen, Whistles, Sisley, Maison Scotch, Marimekko, Dea Kudibal, Marc Cain, Levis, Massimo Dutti, Oska, Malvin, Gerry Weber, Sweaty Betty (an amazing warm jacket for £15) Nicole Farhi, Vivienne Westwood shoes, Ronit Zilkha, People Tree, Cos, New Balance, lots of Clarks, loads of good sports brands (Nike) and outdoor brands (recently bought an amazing Columbia jacket for a tenner).
My hints are: research, research, research. Most people know that Atmosphere is Primark, etc, but the more you know about brands the easier it is to work out the value of something to you. Recently I bought a BNWT t-shirt to work out in by a brand called Souluxe. I loved the colour and material and paid £3 for it. What I didn’t know was that it’s a Matalan brand. Nothing wrong with that, but I might have thought I over-paid a bit had a known that at the start. I am not embarrassed to google a brand name while I’m in a shop and the more I learn (especially about European brands that might not be so well known here) the better I get at spotting stuff.
And the opposite way round: this week I was in a hospice shop that has a ‘designer’ rail. They include things like Zara/River Island as ‘designer’ (I don’t) but in the non-designer part of the shop I found a Massimo Dutti sweater for TWO POUNDS. I suspect whoever deals with sorting their stuff didn’t recognise it for what it was. In the past I've had a pair of Levis for £1, too.
Take risks! I LOVE charity shopping because as a mid-40s woman who wants to look good but doesn’t have the budget for high-end brands it allows me to try stuff with no massive £££ outlay. Sometimes I make mistakes when buying something – partly because sometimes you just have to buy what you see or it will disappear. But if it turns out it doesn’t quite fit or work for me I just re-donate and it’s a win-win for two charities. I used to have real catholic guilt about buying clothes and then getting bored with them/ deciding they didn’t fit, and this way of shopping removes all of that! And the advantages for the environment/the charities involved speak for themselves.
Learn European brands: any shoes that are an Italian or Spanish brand will usually be excellent quality, often leather, and beautifully designed. I recently found a pale of light grey suede and leather brogues by a brand I had never heard of www.la-botte.com/marques/la-ross_us.shtml - Tuscan craftsmen and very expensive new. I paid £10. If something is a half size in shoes then that’s a big clue that it’s a decent brand (only expensive ones tend to bother with half sizes).
Yesterday I bought a pair of BNWT Skechers Cali sandals for £4, an Oasis t-shirt with rose gold stars for £3.95, a pair of Clarks ‘Artisan’ sandals for a fiver and a Day Birger et Mikkelesen dress for £6. The dress is ridiculous and the man serving me in the shop asked me if it was a raincoat (it’s made of shiny material) – I look like an art installation when I wear it. But I don’t care. It was £6. I could NEVER have bought myself something so whimsical and indulgent new… but with charity shopping, I can.
The best places tend to be areas surrounded by more affluent areas. I have shopped quite a lot in Pimlico in London and they have AMAZING stuff, but they know it, and price accordingly (and I think that’s fair enough – I think charities have a duty to get as much out of their donations as they can). A lot of designer stuff I think is sent from other branches to places like that as they know people will spend £££ there. Some of the CS shops there are like boutiques and don’t have anything under £20. The local commuter towns near me are much better value but still a good mix of excellent brands, some of which slip under the radar and are absolute bargains. The RSPCA shop near me has a really good designer rail – and clearly someone working there who knows their stuff. I bought a Malene Birger 100% shirt there for £15. Not the cheapest purchase, but the RRP would have been £200 or so.
There is also a thriving insta community of charity shoppers for inspiration/tips and hints – I am on there as cheapfrillsX0 if anyone wants to follow me and see the art installation dress!