Tag: M&S

Charity Shopping at Barnardo’s

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Barnardo’s is a charity shop that is very dear to my heart. It was the inspiration to start a pre-loved account on Instagram, dedicated to my love of charity shopping for pretty much everything in life! In fact, at the time of writing this, I have my newly adopted cat ‘Rainbow’ at my side, grooming herself, which is a comforting sign that she is getting less nervous in her new home. Whilst Rainbow was adopted via the RSPCA (another fantastic charity and shop), Barnardo’s has an equally worthy aim: to help vulnerable children in need.

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Busting Open Your Comfort Zone

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Hi lovely charity shop fans! I’m Carrie, a Nottingham based vintage fiend and charity shop addict who boasts an entirely thrifted wardrobe (and a prodigious collection of thrifted books too). I blog at duckduckgoosevintagestyling.blogpsot.com.

One of the things I love most about charity shopping is the fact that it really encourages an open mind approach to fashion. Whilst some might be daunted by such a range of styles, eras, colours, shapes and fabrics, I find it hugely exciting. High street shops seem so finite by comparison! Charity shopping, on the other hand, provides the ideal blank canvas to reconfigure your ideas of what constitutes ‘your personal style’, be that by trying out a colour you’d normally shy away from, a style that seems a bit eccentric but might just be worth a try, or teaming two ostensibly mismatched pieces together. Hey, why not just throw the whole rulebook out of the window – the world (well more specifically the charity shops, but let’s not quibble) is your oyster. To prove it, here’s a handy guide to shopping in sections which you might otherwise overlook.

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When the coat you didn’t know you wanted, finds you – that’s the beauty of thrifting

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It was that awful point in January when it feels like payday will never come around again. All you want to do is go for a huge January sales splurge, but your bank account says a very firm no!

This is the perfect time to hit the charity shops. Not only can you scratch your wardrobe update-itch, but you can keep your bank account healthy, do brilliant things for the planet (save clothes going to landfill, reduce demand on the super-polluting garment-making industry and more!), and the people on it while you shop. How can all that not tempt you out of the house for a good poke around and maybe your next ‘This? It’s designer, but I picked it up for a fiver’ buy?

I set off with only £20 in my purse, so there was a whiff of a challenge in the air. Could I come back with a whole outfit within budget? Well, it was either that or spend the next couple of weeks eating those mystery label-less meals that get stuck at the bottom of the freezer.

I headed to my local Barnardo’s in Whitley Bay, a brilliant treasure trove with a great homeware section too, but that was for another day. Today was all about me!

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Re-discovering Thrifting

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I started my Instagram account a few years ago to go compliment my YouTube channel, where I made videos about vintage fashion, up-cycling, and re-working clothes.

Eventually, I stopped making videos and just focused on posting Instagram pictures. Working in fast fashion, I’m constantly shopping at the big stores and online. This is great, but I have neglected my love for thrifting and charity shopping.

Recently I took a trip to my local Barnardo’s and picked up a few bits. I’ve decided to create a little lookbook to show that you don’t have to spend a lot to create great outfits. There is also the added bonus of supporting a charity – double feel good factor!

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