Last week I took a trip down to London to take part in a rather exciting ‘thing’. I don’t think I can really share what that ‘thing’ was yet, but I can tell you that it involved lots of charity shop clothing. An entire outfit of it, in fact.
When I heard that I’d need to be dressed top-to-toe second hand, I panicked a bit. Although I love my charity shop finds dearly, I almost always mix them with high street pieces. There are few people who can pull off the full-on vintage chic look (Vix is one of them, Fleur another) – it requires bags of confidence and a really good eye. And maybe smaller feet – I have yet to find a pair of second hand size 8s!
Vintage wool dress via charity shop, Michael Kors leather jacket via TK Maxx, Bertie boots, ASOS clutch, Lauren Elan necklace, F21 necklace, Miss Selfridge ring
This outfit is a classic example of mixing second hand and high street – a process I like to call The Charity Shop Shuffle. The wool dress, which was £7.99 from St Gemma’s, forms the base of my outfit. I layered a long sleeved striped tee underneath then added my MK leather jacket over the top. Chunky boots, stacked necklaces and an envelope clutch – all high street buys – finish the look.
Charity shops are great for those statement pieces – the LBD (or LGD, in this case!), the floral blouse, the sharp-shouldered jacket – that you can wear with more modern wardrobe staples to create a look that’s unique without being too granny chic.
Are you a Charity Shop Shuffler? How do you wear your second hand finds?
PS – I’ve been nominated for Best ‘What I’m Wearing Today’ Blog and Blog You Love The Most in the Company Style Blog Awards 2012, along with lots of lovely bloggers. If you want to vote (for anyone, no pressure), you can do so right here. Grazie!
