Fifties fur coat- £20- ebay
After two years of economic hardship, Britain's public finances are in a sorrier state than ever before. Jobs continue to be lost, homes fought for and belts tightened and we all still have doubts about where we will stand financially and economically in 2010. But here we are, being steadfast and lovely and British and trying to live as happily and contented as we can afford.
For me, thrift has been a way of life since I started earning my own money; it wasn’t something I just took up to become a fully-fledged recession-ista. But, please don't think I'm some miserly skinflint, I like spending money on gifts and nice things, but I’d just prefer to get them a bit cheaper than everyone else! I’m a promotional-codes addict, a sales lover and a sample-sale aficionado. I like the chase, the thrill of not knowing, the rummage and the haggle. It's all part of the fun.
Why don’t you make 2010 your year of thrift and quieten that phobia of musty charity shops (not totally a myth, but luckily a rare occurrence) with my tips on where to go and what to look out for. Save money/have fun- make it your new hobby!
Charity shops.
Tulle petticoat- £3- Charity Shop
- Most people’s first point of call when looking for a bargain. The golden age of the charity shop is over unfortunately- their prices have soared and the quality of donations in most city centre branches has been reduced to Primark disposables racked up for more than they were on sale for in the first place! There are still bargains to be had, so I would recommend out of town branches, independent charity shops and ones frequented by the upper end of the classes. In my local Marie Curie, I have found items by Joseph, Anna Sui, Alice Temperley, Ghost and more. Knitwear and dresses are the two items I frequently look out for, the selections tend to be better and the stock updated more regularly. Also, always check out the men’s sections, I recently found a great Liberty print shirt and a couple of American Apparel items shoved in with the men’s items! Also, it tends to be cheaper, because even less men shop in charity shops than women. So try and gulp down your misplaced pride next time you are on the local high-street and step into a Cancer Research or Marie Curie and see what you find!
The best army boots in the world- £5- Charity Shop
Ebay
- You all know Ebay and the bargains that can be had there so all I’ll say is look out for other peoples mistakes. Mis-spelling titles and product brands is still ridiculously common on ebay. When you’re looking for Chanel, try Chenel, Channel, or even just CC. Try this with other big brands too and jot down the ones that brings results so you can check back another time
Car boot sales/ Jumble sales/ Bring 'n' Buys
- For me, these are the Holy Grail of hunting grounds. The main downside is that I haven’t been to one in months- they all but disappear in winter. When they return in the early months of spring and summer, remember to take small change, carrier bags and learn to haggle! To scout out some local events, look in the local papers, scan the windows of local shops/community boards and schools etc and ask friends and neighbours. Even better, why not host your own for charity? You could get first dibs on everything donated, whilst still helping a worthwhile cause!
Beaded Cardigan- £5 - Jumble Sale
The Interwebs
- Freecycle & Gumtree: These are both great websites for picking up cheap or free furniture in your locality. You can sign up for email alerts on Freecycle so that you can see what is being offered up and with Gumtree you can do a keyword search to narrow down the items to that ever elusive dining table or sofabed.
A few other websites and online communities have a large enough fanbase to warrant some serious bargains-
- Livejournal: Thriftstoreuk/Niceboots/loos_adverts.
- Forums of various sites- Make Up Alley/ Hot UK Deals
The warmest Urban Outfitters snood- £6 via Thriftstoreuk
- In London, this can work a treat, but I can imagine it would be perfectly transferable to smaller towns and villages. Skip-diving has been around as a phenomenon for a while and I can’t resist having a nosy when I walk past an open skip! It can be a bit conspicuous however and who wants to climb into what is essentially a great big bin outside someone’s house? Unless of course it was an amazing find- a vintage sideboard or an old Singer sewing machine perhaps. What I prefer to do is just keep my eyes open. The other day I came home from work and someone had a left a huge box of books outside their flat, I found a few great ones and other people followed my lead and started rummaging! I’ve seen various bits of furniture, lamps, chairs and other unwanted miscellany just waiting to be picked up by a new adoptive owner.
Loving wearing my hair like this- a loose bun on top of my head- it's in all the magazines at the minutes as the new 'do'! Sometimes long hair is such a hassle and this is a nice little way of getting it all off my face. Also, wearing the thrifted striped blazer from a jumble sale for 50p. It reminds me of Beetlejuice and humbugs and Helena Bonham Carter.
This brilliantly tacky handbag with a giant gold crocodile clasp! It reminds me of the Angel Jackson bags that cost hundreds, mine cost a mere tenner!
I have a consultation at the Toni & Guy Academy tomorrow on my lunch break to see if they can strip my hair and dye it red! So excited, I hope they can do it- I love having black hair but I fancy a change for summer.
Christina Hendricks
Lizzie Siddal
Florence Welch
Karen Elson, obviously.
Edith Schiele
