Labels of yesteryear or more recently when charity shopping that offer good quality in terms of materials etc?

[Niftythrifter]

I just thought that it might be nice to have a thread for recommendations for labels to look out for in charity shops that offer or offered good quality materials and cuts etc. that might get overlooked. Many want to buy less but better and charity shops potentially offer that at a lower price.

I have seen Brora mentioned on here quite a lot and recently found a lovely fairisle wool cardigan for less than £10 in a charity shop and can understand why people rave about the quality.

it can be clothes and accessories etc.

Viyella
country casuals
phase eight
damsel in a dress
woolovers
qneel
joseph ribkoff
max Mara
ralph lauren
pure for cashmere
Brodie knitwear
Peter kaiser shoes
Stuart Weizmann shoes

I have some 1990's clothes that I still wear from Banana Republic, Mexx, Jigsaw,, Karen Millen and a selection of rarely worn dresses from monsoon and Ted Baker that are slowly being remodelled for my daughter.

Principles, Richard shops, old M&S, I still have pure silk shirts I bought from M&S. They used to do far more natural fibres than these days. Maine, bags by Tula, Hidecraft, Radley.
If you’re short, like me at just 5 foot, Minuet, Anne Brooks Petite ( used to be in Debenhams)
Definitely ignore the size labels. Everyone, in general, was much slimmer back in the 60s, 70s. You may find more than you think from back then as us “wrinklies “🙄
are sadly dying off but often still had clothes from then when knowing stuff you still have is so much better quality than the tat in many shops these days, & much in such classic designs that really didn’t date. But do go up one, or two sizes.

I loved warehouse back in the late 90s/early 00s. I used to go in every Saturday and get a top to wear out that night to bars on the Fulham road. Good times! I wish I had kept them all, my teenagers are very annoyed I got rid of them.

I loved Warehouse and Miss Selfridge in the 1980s. I can remember being thrilled going to a new Jigsaw shop.

The old brands mentioned on here generally made clothes that didn't particularly date, were well made and lasted well, which is probably why they are no longer around.

I loved Austin Reed for coats. They were fab quality.

I have been thinking recently about all the really good quality clothing we used to get in the 80s and 90s. Next was where you went to buy your smart office wear, the knitwear was good too. Monsoon was very much the wedding guest outfits. Laura Ashley for great quality fabrics and ball dresses. I used to live near a French Connection discount shop called ‘Disconnected’ and had some gorgeous things in the early 90s from there, including a silk blazer which I wore to death and regretted parting with afterwards. Sigh! I really wish I’d kept a few things. Even Topshop was pretty good quality back then. It’s quite unsettling that all the charity shops are full of synthetic crap unless you can find a nice market town where people chuck out their high end clothing. I got a Jaeger blazer and cashmere blend coat from a charity shop fairly recently, but that sort of find is becoming rare.

I’ve posted before that I lived near an M&S outlet store and every woman in the office had a selection of their Italian wool suits in the early to mid. 90s. They were beautiful quality. In the days when we had to wear suits to work.

I got a pair of BNWT M&S St. Michael Italian wool trousers on eBay recently @BestIsWest and they're amazing. I remember admiring them when I was a teenager, even though at the time they weren't what I wanted to wear. The time has come!

Enjoy them! @thedevilinablackdress

I’m a hopeless ebayer. I found a bag of things I’ve been meaning to eBay for over a decade. It’s all late 90s and early 00s Karen Millen. I was looking at the quality of it and it’s astonishing compared to the high street now. In fact I’m going to start wearing a couple of the beautiful embroidered silk camisoles again now. Quite pleased to have been so useless in the eBay department. But it really made me think just how much the high street and quality has declined. Happy days waiting for payday and choosing a beautiful new Karen Millen top or dress for a night out! Oasis and warehouse were also great around that time too, albeit didn’t tend to find silk or beautiful embroidery so much there.

I bought some size 14 black linen trousers last week . They didn't fit - brand Laura Brook - amazing quality and I believe 80's 90's . I've sold them already for a fiver .

Hmm so basically all the brands but stuff that was produced 20 years ago or more! 😁

(Just jealous as there are literally NO charity shops close to where I live, apart from 2 and it's all primark crap)

Laura Ashley clothes were great

I have quite a lot of older items that I found recently.

My favourite is a pure wool coat from St Michaels, you can tell it's just never been worn. It it fits me like it was tailored to me, and the label says size 12. I'm an 8 so the sizing was very different back then.

I also found a few Benetton items. One of them is also a wool blend coat, it's a proper heavy decent coat. Also sizing is way out, so probably from the 80s.

Also a cotton Basler shirt, it's my new favourite piece right now, it just has that quality to it like no other run of the mill white cotton shirt.

Also been quite lucky with jeans. Found bnwt Miss Sixty and these are in a class of their own imo.

Sounds like you've had some great finds @isthismylifenow . I've been regretting getting rid of my 1990's Miss Sixty pieces. They would have been so desirable now and their trousers were brilliant for tall people. My favourite recent find that I feel extremely fortunate to have is a Sea Island Cotton Austin Reed Shirt, seemingly from the 40's, Its so extremely soft and beautifully made.
I love your user name @thedevilinablackdress

🦇 for life @moretea