I have always loved a good charity shop rummage and over the years have found some of the most amazing pieces from a YSL Le Smoking that I wore to death in the early 80’s, a pair of Manolo Blahnik black satin sling backs which sadly don’t fit but look great displayed in my dressing room to name a few gems!!
Once upon a time charity shops were seen as horrible dirty places and where clothes went to die but with the likes of Kate Moss and all the fashion it girls shopping in vintage and charity shops it is the new cool place to shop. Many people are also thinking more about sustainable shopping and less fast fashion so when I was asked to take the Mannequin challenge at my local Break Charity shop I said a resounding YES PLEASE!!
The aim was to demonstrate that you can find affordable fashion pieces and in turn support your local community. Break is a Norfolk based children’s charity supporting vulnerable children and young people across East Anglia.
It is easy for people to get involved and help this great cause – shopping in the various stores across the area – see link to find the one nearest to you, donate your unwanted items or volunteer in one of the stores or events – again see the link for more details.
So my challenge was to find a fabulous outfit for under £50. There were so many amazing pieces to choose from that it was a really hard job to pick just one.
I am all about finding the runway trends in vintage or pre-loved versions so I went for two very on trend looks.
I found this very cool velvet jacket and teamed it with a plaid check skirt – one of the must have items for A/W and a Gucci style print blouse. Wear it with a pair of pair of opaque tights and a pair of knee-high boots or flats.
My second look I spotted the moment I walked into the shop. Straight off the Gucci runway and so very very cool!!
Track pants with a stripe are all over the high street and these green sparkly ones were AMAZING – I teamed it with a Micky Mouse Tee and a bomber jacket that is also a must have item.
The reverse of the jacket was really cool too – it was a really good find – such quality for a few pounds.
That is the wonderful thing about charity shopping – you never know what you will find and that is the fun of it all – finding a fabulous on trend item or something a little bit different. I also found some great fashion finds too.
How about this leopard print zip up coat – animal print is huge again for winter.
Corduroy is a big fabric for this season and the high street shops are full of them but why not hunt your local charity shop for a much more echo friendly version at half the price!!
Gucci and Prada showed check jackets on the runway and I found this great one – wear it over your jeans or teamed with a pair of trousers or skirt for work wear.
Don’t forget to look at accessories – belts, bags, scarves and jewellery can all be picked up in charity shops – I once found a pair of YSL earings , a Chanel like camellia brooch all for bargain prices.
This bag was fabulous – I was tempted to take it home with me but had already purchaed quite a bit!!
I loved my Mannequin challenge and meeting everyone at the Charity and did have a little chat about more events in the future so watch this space.
In the meantime make sure you check out your local Break and other charity shops, take your unwanted items or even spare a few hours a week to help a worthy cause and find some amazing fashion at the same time.
You can see more of my outfits on my You Tube channel too.
