I turned thirty last weekend and had an amazing time celebrating with family and friends who organised a surprise party for me; I have never felt so supremely grateful and overwhelmed with love. And in true thrifty afropolitan style, I actually wore a bargain of a dress on the day which I will share with you at some point!
I decided to take the Friday off of my birthday weekend in order to relax and run a few errands. I didn’t intend to visit my local charity shop but thought it would be worthwhile popping in just in case. Half an hour later I emerged with some fantastic spoils and spent £30 on seven quality items which I think would easily retail at five times the price!
Some of my favourite items are:
This jumper from Fat Face which I bought for under a fiver. I love the nautical stripes of navy blue and grey as well as the button detail on the shoulder. It also has a cashmere wool mix which gives it that extra soft, luxurious feeling.
This dress which was a steal at under £10. I didn’t love the look of it on the hanger but once I put it on, it fit perfectly and looked great too! I love the satin material and the pearly pink colour which suits my skin tone to a tee. I can’t wait to wear it out on a special occasion!
I love charity shops for reasons I have previously espoused- but particularly find it a refreshing anecdote to the monotony of the high street. I also love the sense of adventure and element of surprise which comes from charity shop hunting; (I know I need to get a life) and the fact the proceeds go to a great cause makes it even sweeter!
Thrifty tip: I live in a residential area with a high street nearby which predominantly consists of supermarkets and takeaways. This is the only charity shop/ shop which sells clothing for about 20 minutes. The area is a mixture of wealthy and working class people however there is a significant ‘hidden’ middle class demographic. This means that there is a) little competition from other charity shops keeping the prices low b) more often than not good quality items on sale. Why not try visiting an unlikely area which has this combination to see what bargains you can find?
