If ‘mooching’ was considered a sport then I think I would be an Olympic medalist in it. It is one of my favourite things to do and whether I’m in a local town or away on holiday, I just love it. If you’re not familiar with the term, in my eyes it means going for a look around the shops with no particular aim in mind other than to have a look and see what you can find. I guess you could call in random browsing and there is no better place to have a mooch in than a good charity shop (or thrift store, if you are reading this in the USA). With that said I thought I’d share some of my favourite wintery finds from my moochings around charity shops with you today.
Charity shops are full of treasure and if you aren’t afraid to have a root around you can really reap the rewards. Let’s start from the top and work our way down with my first find, which was a pleather jacket originally from Topshop. I picked this up from a Salvation Army Charity Shop and at the time I was in the market for a ‘leather’ jacket, but had been really struggling to find a one with a simple design in my price range (anyone who knows me or has been reading for a while will know how picky I am). I didn’t want to buy one from Primark, as I knew it probably wouldn’t last and to be honest when I saw this Topshop one I wasn’t sure if it would last any better. With this in mind, and it being very similar to the style I wanted, I decided to pick it up (for just over £5.00) and use it as a piece to tide me over until I found the dream ‘leather’ jacket.
A few years later and I am no longer on the hunt because this jacket does the job and does it well. It was pre-owned when I bought it, but had no signs of wear and tear, and a year or so later it still looks brand new. This is an absolute wardrobe staple for me and really supports the idea of just taking the plunge when you are shopping in a charity shop, because you never know when the perfect piece might be staring you right in the face.
Right, now I’ve rambled on about the story of my pleather jacket for far too long, let’s rattle through a few tops I have acquired on my hunt for gold in the thrift stores. My most recent purchase is this Norman Linton of London off-white shirt, which I picked up in a Severn Hospice shop. It is long sleeved and slightly oversized on me. I really don’t have much to say apart from, once again, a white shirt is a staple piece that every wardrobe should have & now I have one. Oh, and that the lady in the shop gave me a discount because a button was missing and then proceeded to give me a bag of spare buttons that might match – so cute!
Sticking on the white top theme, we come to one of my all time favourite tops and one that I have worn to actual death, it has seen better days for sure. I am talking about the delicate white lace top that you see. I have had this for a really long time, so can’t quite remember which charity shop I got it from – though it is originally from Tu. This is such a sweet top, that goes with everything and is fit for every occasion. Pair it with blue jeans, trainers & a leather jacket for a casual look or a leather skirt, a blazer and some boots and you are ready for dinner. Love it!
I do want to quickly mention this beige Bonmarche jumper (I know, I am a real life granny) because like the lace top it really does go with everything. I picked it up in the Sue Ryder shop in York, which is one of my all time favourite charity shops, due to its amazing second floor full of vintage finds which we will talk more about later. What I actually want to say is that I think this jumper serves as a lesson in not worrying about the brand of everything you wear. If I had been a brand-snob I would never have picked this up and I wouldn’t be wearing it at least a couple of times a week. ‘Granny’ Holly really doesn’t care and through that I get a much bigger selection of clothes to mooch through.
I feel like this charity shop ‘haul’ (of sorts) is full of wardrobe staples and I’d definitely class this pleather skirt as one of those. I bagged this in my local Compton Hospice charity shop, it is originally from River Island, and as soon as I tried it on I knew I had to have it. It is such a great length, mid-thigh and never rides up, like so many leather-style skirts do. It’s magic.
Not into mooching, why not check these out?
From staples, to something a bit different. White jeans. In Winter. Now you may think that I’ve gone mad, but after seeing Liv Purvis (from What Olivia Did) styling them out in every other winter outfit this year, I decided to grab this Laura Ashley pair from the charity shop to see how much I’d wear them before investing in a good pair myself. Charity shops are great places to bag more ‘out there’ styles to see if it is worth you investing in them. You can take them home and have a play with loads of different outfits, seeing if the style is right for you. I for one love that process and it definitely paid off this time round as I will for sure be investing in some cream (not white I decided) jeans, with a high waist (also a result of the test) very soon.
Unlike a lot of vintage charity shops the aforementioned Sue Ryder in York is a charity shop that prices their vintage realistically and it means not only do they shift stock, but they have lots of very happy returning customers. Ever had to battle in a charity shop to get to the rails? That’s how good the stuff is. So what have I picked up there? Well, if I lived any closer it would be a lot more, but so far I have picked up this adorable, hand knitted beanie for just £2.00 and this love-hate bamboo handle raffia bag for an unremembered price. I know this beanie will see me through for years to come and as for this bag, as much as anyone with me might be embarrassed by me using it I love the personal touch that it brings to any outfit. If you are ever visiting York you may want to check out this shop of treasures, you’ll find it on Goodramgate.
Now, lastly I wanted to share a jewellery piece that caught my eye recently. This ‘gold’ chain is so perfect, fitting the trend of layering necklaces one on top of the other and, although it is not an everyday piece, I know I will get a lot of wear from it. I grabbed this for just £1.00 in one of the many charity shops in Shrewsbury, all of which I highly recommend.
Have you found anything great in the charity shops recently?
The Art Of Being Holly 