Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Style and beauty

Looking for style advice? Chat all about it here. For the latest discounts on fashion and beauty, sign up for Mumsnet Moneysaver emails.

Original poster

Have you got a good eye if you pick up things from charity shops?

71 replies

Niftythrifter · 22/02/2023 16:14

I think in general I do have a good eye for quality items. Today I purchased another Whistles silk blouse which I also did a few weeks back ( same style I think and same price) and have picked up other Whistles pieces and good labels like Levi’s.

OP posts:
Shannith · 22/02/2023 20:36

I get a fair bit of me+me too

Helps where I live.

twigy100 · 22/02/2023 20:39

I managed to get an LK Bennet dress for £10 in one of my local shops recently.

ToffeeNotCoffee · 22/02/2023 20:40

@Shannith

are you Liz Jones ?

HBGKC · 22/02/2023 20:48

I like to think so Grin (but like a PP I've also bought lots of things I shouldn't have).

Recent finds include:

AllSaints navy wool Monument coat, £10 (it's missing part of the shoulder clasp tho
Jack Wills navy wool pea coat, as new, £5
(size 6, I think they thought it was a kids' coat!)
Several 100% wool or cashmere jumpers, £4-7
Topshop 100% silk embroidered kimono-style evening jacket-y thing, £4 or £5 - LOVE this, I feel v Kate Moss in it!
River Island cropped wide-leg corduroy trousers, £5
Warehouse waterfall-front real leather jacket £7 (has a few small blemishes on it tbf)

I always check the label, and only buy cotton/wool/cashmere/leather/silk as I can't wear synthetics. I can't afford to buy nice clothes in normal shops (apart from Primark for basic cotton tops), so have had to get good at finding the good stuff in charity shops.

I avoid the ones with v knowledgeable managers who Google every item and price up accordingly; fair play if they still manage to sell the stuff, but I'm not looking in charity shops to pay £12-18 per item!

Holycrapoly · 22/02/2023 20:55

I have a good eye. I only really buy from charity shops - we have one near us which is more of a catalogue shop although with higher end brands. All the labels are cut out but I can generally figure out where things are from due to the cut, buttons, labels etc. I will only buy natural fabrics and higher quality looking things. I have had lots of Me and Em, Whistles, Jigsaw and Free People recently.

Chocrock · 22/02/2023 21:00

Where are these charity shops you find this amazing stuff in? Please share!

GettingStuffed · 22/02/2023 21:32

Our local charity shops certainly know a brand when the see it. Saying that I bought DD a jigsaw silk dress for a tenner before Christmas.

cosmiccosmos · 22/02/2023 21:38

Our local charity shops seem to think 'Atmosphere' is designer so I've given up, the prices are ridiculous and theres nothing any good.

UsingChangeofName · 22/02/2023 21:45

I'm not sure your definition of "a good eye" and mine are the same.

I would say "a good eye" is about seeing a particular top and thinking it would go really well with the skirt you already have, or picking up belt or jacket because you can see the versatility in that it will work with various things you have.

You seem to have gone on to talk about how many "named" items you have found.

I don't think they are the same at all.

I do buy most of my clothes in charity shops, but I look for things that will suit me and I don't really care who made them or originally sold them.

Beaverbridge · 22/02/2023 21:54

Diamond and sapphire bracelet, thought it was costume jewellery, then a jeweler friend verified it was real stones. Cost £5.

RubbishAtEverything · 22/02/2023 22:16

Yes I manage to pick up loads of really good labels from charity shops; most recently an Equipment silk dress, a Sosandar denim dress and Sweaty Betty tracksuit top

Shannith · 22/02/2023 22:18

ToffeeNotCoffee · 22/02/2023 20:40

@Shannith

are you Liz Jones ?

God lord no! I live in an area with loads of charity shops and I've got really good at spotting good bits. It's my hobby!

Original poster
Niftythrifter · 22/02/2023 22:39

@UsingChangeofName perhaps but in terms of items it’s often the labels like Whistles which will use natural fibres like silk and cotton.

OP posts:
marriednotdead · 22/02/2023 23:14

UsingChangeofName · 22/02/2023 21:45

I'm not sure your definition of "a good eye" and mine are the same.

I would say "a good eye" is about seeing a particular top and thinking it would go really well with the skirt you already have, or picking up belt or jacket because you can see the versatility in that it will work with various things you have.

You seem to have gone on to talk about how many "named" items you have found.

I don't think they are the same at all.

I do buy most of my clothes in charity shops, but I look for things that will suit me and I don't really care who made them or originally sold them.

This. I don't care what the brand is but I can tell if something is well cut. Not of an age where high fashion matters to me, but I know what suits me.

AlwaysLatte · 22/02/2023 23:26

I bought a lovely quality real pearl long necklace for £1.50 once - it was in a basket full of faux beads but I recognised this one was real.

Floisme · 22/02/2023 23:45

I'm probably taking the question far more seriously than intended but for me, the real measure of a good eye isn't how many great bargains you find, it's how many - or rather how few - mistakes you make.

I do a lot of charity shopping but, as I said upthread, I buy too many stinkers to qualify as someone with a good eye. Taking chances is part of the fun but often they don't come off. I don't think we're always honest enough about this.

I do well mainly because I live within walking distance of some decent charity shops and because at present I've got the time to call in regularly. This makes me very fortunate but I can't honestly say it requires any great skill.

duckfordinner · 23/02/2023 01:11

Shannith · 22/02/2023 20:34

You are going to hate me - but I have a great eye. I've honed it over the years.

Last week got a Joseph coat - £6
Sonia rykeil jumper £3
Emma hyacinth trainers - £5
Margret Howell trousers £4.50

Last month got a dries van noten jumper for £3.25 and a Nicole Farhi coat for £20.

Wow..Where is it? Definitely not in London..

EachandEveryone · 23/02/2023 02:06

I never find anything to wear. I even go to Hampstead to check but surely the people that work there get the good stuff before it goes out? Ive been to Mary Portas shops and never found a thing. Expensive as well.

lovescats3 · 23/02/2023 05:42

Either things are very expensive, nearly same price as new or hardly anything great except Primark etc which cost nearly as much as the same item brand new

isthismylifenow · 23/02/2023 06:02

I think I have a good eye.

I don't shop in charity shops, but at warehouse type places where items have come in from EU as end of range, faulty, overruns etc. (I'm not in UK)

I have found amazing items for next to nothing prices. What they will do is put all the jerseys together , all jeans together etc so I go through each rack and have found such gems. It's a bit time consuming yes, as there is also a lot of cheap and nasty things to sift through.

I recently found two pairs of Dune boots for a silly price. They were paired up wrong so it took a while to find the matching pairs. I think they came in as loose and were paired up badly in the warehouse.

Sometimes friends ask me to go with them as they reckon I have a radar for finding good items. I think my trick is that I go through the rack I feel every item. The quality items you can just feel the difference from the cheap acrylic / polyester / pleather items.

I very rarely buy anything from a mall shop. But then I am also not into the latest fashion, I go with what I know suits me.

thetrees · 23/02/2023 08:08

It's not hard in London to find charity shops with great clothes in (Chiswick, Islington etc), but I don't find them super cheap any more.

WhereAreMyAirpods · 23/02/2023 08:13

I'm a volunteer in a charity shop. We get first dibs at the same price any other customer would pay. Have had so many bargains over the years. Most recent purchases include a 100% merino cardi from Cos still tagged (£9.99) and a nice tagged Zara dress for DD for £5. My best all time bargain though was a wool coat from Hobbs, brand new and still tagged, paid £15 for it.

KirstenBlest · 23/02/2023 09:15

The brand matters to me because if I know that the brand cuts in a way that doesn't suit me I might as well leave it. It also gives some indication of size and quality, and should I end up not wearing it, whether or not it will sell second hand.

ToffeeNotCoffee · 23/02/2023 09:17

@Shannith

It's good to have a hobby. I love a good charity shop rummage. Albeit the kitchenware. Mostly for things that are useful.

I've bought some clothes but not designer stuff. Oh, I'll admit to a Betty Jackson t-shirt that I got for a fiver. I've seen a 'Weird Fish' long dress but it's a bit nightdress-y.

Pound shops and markets stalls are in my remit too.

I don't really know my way around designer brands, so your posh clothes are safe around me !

Original poster
Niftythrifter · 23/02/2023 15:31

I’ve just bought some Castaner flat espadrilles for £20 brand new in box that will be perfect for the weather when it warms up!

OP posts:
Swipe left for the next trending thread