'One man's trash is another man's treasure'- Recent Charity Shop Gems and Tips

So for anyone who didn't know I am a massive lover of Charity Shops, I think that not only are they a good cause, but you can also find some hidden gems in them as well. So I thought I'd share some bits that I've picked up recently, and also some tips that I find useful when I shop around as well. 

Tip 1- You need to have an open mind! Don't go in there thinking 'oh everything in here is old and smelly, I won't like it', because a lot of the time they do have some really quite modern stuff from places like Primark, River Island, New Look and Topshop! I've even brought things before and they have still had tags on. Plus what you can think is that you will wash it before you wear it yourself. 

Speaking of modern makes I got these two Summer tops recently, the mint green top which has Seagulls and boats on is from a make called 'Limited Collection' which I believe is from Marks & Spencers, but correct me if I'm wrong. It's such a lovely colour and perfect for the Summer. Then I also found this Summer vest top, which was originally from H&M. It is navy with Daisies all over it, and it has hook and eye fastenings down the front, which was a different look, rather than buttons. 

Mint Green tie up top from Havens Hospice- £3.50
Daisy print top from pdsa- £2.99

This next top I got by a complete stroke of luck, because where the staff in the shop put clothes out throughout the day my Mum caught sight of this top just as a lady had put it out on one of the rails, so she snapped it up quickly as she thought it would be perfect for a character I'm playing in a show in September. The character is Mrs Wilberforce from the show The Ladykillers, and the lace detail on the neck is so fitting its fabulous. But I'll wear this in and out of character as I think its a lovely top. This top sadly doesn't have a label in so I don't even know where its originally from, but I think that sometimes makes it even more special and unique. 

Lace top from Havens Hospice- £4

Tip 2- Don't always just look in your size. What I tend to do is look in all the sizes, depending how much time I have, as you can sometimes find some really lovely bits in sizes a couple of sizes bigger than your actual size. As where different shops have different sizing systems its always good to look.

For instance the other day I was looking at all the sizes and came across this adorable Elephant printed shirt. It was in the XL section but when I tried it on its no bigger than a size 14, which suits me as I like my tops a little roomier for my bust at times haha. It's just a long sleeved sheer shirt with silver buttons all the way down, and little round silver studs on the collar tips. Again this doesn't have a make inside, but I can imagine it coming from a little clothes boutique that isn't well known, since I've not seen this print before. 

Elephant shirt from pdsa- £3.99

 When I saw this in the shop I imagined wearing this tucked into a black skater skirt, or a pair of chinos, or something high waisted, so as to define a waist as the shirt is quite loose fitting. 

The print is just so adorable! 

Tip 3- Look everywhere! Yep that's right, everywhere. In all the little cubby holes and shelves, you never know what you may find. 

I found this lovely Vintage looking tapestry clutch bag, it was hidden among lots of other bags but I spotted it and knew I needed it! I think its so beautiful and once again where it probably is Vintage I bet no one else will have it. 

Clutch bag- £3.99

Then when I was rummaging through a basket of bits I found this actual Cath Kidston shopper bag! I couldn't believe my luck. Its only made of thin material, so not the well known shiny oil cloth Cath Kidston  bags, but this would probably retail for around £4, and I got it for 50p! Bargain or what? Plus it meant I could carry the rest of my bargains in it, rather than use a plastic bag. Nice and eco-friendly.

Cath Kidston bag from Havens Hospice- 50p

Tip 4- Don't underestimate the shoes. Being a shoe lover I always look at the shoes, but very rarely do I buy any, one because they never usually have and in my size, and two I'm a little funny when it comes to shoes, because with clothes you can wash them and you know they are totally clean, where as shoes are very hard to get, in my words 'completely fresh' haha. But in this case I found some very cute shoes, and what do you know they were brand new! They were from H&M and they still had the labels on and you can tell they hadn't been worn at all. They are just some lovely nude/pink lace up brogue styled shoes. I also got this pretty navy and white striped scarf, as I'm really into the whole Nautical style again and thought this would be perfect for that style. Its from the brand TU, which is the clothing brand at the super market Sainsburys.

Shoes- £5
Scarf- £1.50

Then the last thing I got was this beautiful Vintage broach, with a rose in the middle and then an almost gold frame around it. I thought this would look cute on a blazer pocket, or even on a shirt collar.

Broach- 75p

So there are some things I've picked up recently, so my final and 5th tip for Charity shop hunting is to have fun and don't expect to find amazing things every time you go in one, because sometimes you won't find anything, then sometimes you'll find tons of stuff, its literally just pot luck and is like a treasure hunt. But that is the fun of it after all, buying little gems at super good prices and also doing your bit for charity, what could be better?

I'm off to Spain in two days, so I'll be uploading my 'What's in my holiday bag' post tomorrow, but till then...

Cheerio!

Hannah