Charity shop lover Kathryn Houldcroft has been shopping since her teenage years and explains why she’s still charity shopping in her 40’s…

As someone in their mid-40’s you would have thought that charity shopping is something I would have grown out of by now. But I guess I have been second-hand shopping for so many decades that my brain is now hardwired to head straight for the thrift stores.  I also love the thrill of a bargain, the individuality of charity shop purchases and the feeling I get from giving to a good cause, such as Barnardo’s. And there’s other reasons as well:

1) It’s something I haven’t grown out of.

I first started second-hand shopping in my early teens when charity stores circa 1985 were very different to the ones you see now. Ironically, although these places were frowned upon, they were stocked with amazing pieces from the ’50s and ’60s that would now be classed as vintage.

2) It’s my own personal style and no one will have the same outfit as me.

I have to confess this was the reason I began charity shopping many years ago. As a student I wanted to look individual. I wanted to wear the shirt, jacket or shorts that no-one else had. I guess this is a habit that has stuck with me.Read More »