‘I Am An Expert At Buying Clothes From Charity Shops, These Are My Tips For Finding Treasures’

According to the BBC, 67% percent of millennials in the UK shop secondhand, and according to a report commissioned by the online retailer ThredUp, two in five items in Gen Z’s closet are pre-owned.

It’s fair to say that shopping secondhand is very much in, and with so many charity shops to choose from, as well as the boom in apps like Vinted and Depop , who can blame us for bagging pre-loved bargains rather than buying brand new fast fashion?

However, while this is becoming more and more popular, it does mean that finding real treasures is getting a little harder. Between keywords on apps and packed clothing rails in shops, how do you find exactly the vibes you’ve been looking for?

HuffPost UK spoke with Abigail Owen, an Oxfam online shop merchandiser who hasn’t actually bought new clothes for over a decade, who has shared her tips for nabbing the best secondhand finds out there.

Owen said: “Shopping in charity shops is like the most exciting treasure hunt. When I find something so exciting, it feels like it was serendipity… like it was waiting there just for me.”

She also said that 99% of her clothes are pre-loved and the only exceptions are leggings, underwear and a couple of band t-shirts from tours. Even her swimwear is pre-loved!

With this in mind, these are her tips for a great thrifting session:

• Have an open mind. “The thing I love most about secondhand shopping is the feeling of serendipity you get when you find something that feels just made for you. But to do that, you need to go in with an open mind for what you might find!”
• Try it on. “One of the best things you can do is try stuff on. Not only do sizes often vary massively between different brands, but sometimes it’s just about trying it on, having a bit of fun with it in the changing room and mix-and-matching a little.”
• Talk to the shop volunteers. “I will always have a natter with the staff and volunteers in charity shops because they know where some of the best items of clothing are, or point out something gorgeous they just spotted come in!”
• Give yourself time. “One of my best tips is to give yourself time to look around the shops for the thing you want and actually enjoy the experience of shopping – rather than feeling like you have to rush straight in and out.”

While charity shops often do mean that we’re getting gorgeous finds for under a tenner, Owen shares: “I have paid as little as 99p when shopping secondhand, but my most expensive charity shop purchase was my gorgeous blue, vintage Christian Louboutin heels (with original red sole!) from the Oxfam Online shop for £150, which I absolutely adore.”

Sometimes, the real benefit of shopping secondhand is actually that the clothes just feel better when they’ve been pre-loved. Owen shared the clothes that feel best when bought from charity shops:

• Doc Martens. “I haven’t bought a pair of Doc Martens new in 20 years. Because mine are all secondhand, they are worn in to perfection by the time I call them mine. This would definitely apply to other hard boots which need wearing in. By buying secondhand, you save yourself the pain of wearing them in and they immediately feel as good as they look.”
• Jeans. “Buying jeans secondhand means they are worn in already and just feel so much better. It can take weeks or months to properly wear in jeans to fit nicely, which you just don’t need to worry about with secondhand.”
• Leather jackets. “I love that buying leather jackets secondhand means that they already have the perfect level of distress worn into them, which you don’t get with brand new jackets.”