Charity shop challenge

It is a well-known fact that charity shops are practically in Beryl and Jane's blood: they love nothing better than an afternoon spent delving into the sometimes dubious delights of the second-hand clothes emporia. They spent a deal of their misspent youths as students searching for goodies - Wild and Woolly in Cardiff, and Camden Lock Market to name but two. Moreover, Jane spent a summer hawking jumble shop buys around the markets of Bath and Devizes and made a very respectable amount of money for a lazy student.  It must be admitted that while the prizes are huge - often designer wear for a few pounds - it is a somewhat time-consuming activity. Still on the trail, these are Jane and Beryl's current charity shop finds... 






Jane and Beryl tend to mix good charity shop items with other pieces from the high street for a less rag bag approach, which they find works best: top to toe charity shop buys can tip into the wildly eccentric ( as, of course, there is nothing at all eccentric about Jane standing in a bed of tulips). She is wearing a skirt which was a birthday present from Beryl who alleges that it came from Prospect Hospice shop, Marlborough for £7 (Oh, how she values me, says Jane). It originally came from Primark (it gets better and better). However, she loves it and has worn it loads. Its geometric pleats are 
right on trend.





Beryl's lovely friend Jude tells the story of her Auntie Muff. Muff was short for Margaret. Now Muff was decorated by the Queen for services to the WRVS. During the 1960's the glamorous Muff ( not a phrase one writes often) found herself in straightened circumstances, her solution was to dress immaculately from the WRVS donations. So sometimes when Beryl is in a charity shop, she thinks what would Muff do? Beryl had a Muff moment while buying this shirt, from a charity shop via Next, in Taunton for £3.50. Technically, this shirt is so loud one would need a license to wear it in a built up area, but it illustrates the delight of the charity sector, where one emerges with an unexpected and cheap, fun item that looks great. The pink sunglasses were a £1 from the Shaw Trust.













This jacket came from Prospect again in Marlborough, and was £8. Originally from Top Shop, its wacky fabric is illustrated with stamps of the world. It perhaps needs calming down, hence the block colours worn with it here, but it is a good fit, and if it is only worn on a few occasions and donated back to charity, then the cost per wear works out infinitely better than many more costly items.








Ah, Beryl's trotters again, often a feature of this blog. Beryl being a size 3-4 is often really lucky in the charity shop shoe line. These Hobbs shoes were unworn and boxed and came from The Red Cross for £15. She loves their 1940's vibe. Jane and Beryl are currently obsessing about Indian Summers on the telly, which may have influenced this purchase, which was £8 from The RSPCA in Marlborough, and originally from Top Shop. Beryl is wondering if it is her best idea, having seen it here...

















Jane is lounging around again in another top from the Prospect Hospice shop in Pewsey (rich pickings here) which cost under a fiver. It's diaphanous fabric makes it another hot contender for Indian Summer parties (please invite Jane and Beryl to one, somebody...). It's by Lauren Vidal (who they?) and is 100 per cent silk.




The charity shop item here is the All Saints skirt bought for a fiver. The belt was a £1 form The Prospect Hospice shop in Pewsey. Belts are a great Charity shop purchases particularly as the high street, seems to have abandoned them. Beryl has been looking for a wide orange belt with no joy. 




Beryl is practicing her moody photography shots here, and Jane is rather liking the result. The jacket is the second hand kit here and was actually swished if Jane and Beryl are being completely honest. It's by Joules and was £5.



Here is Mrs Pepperpot again in a Principles dress bought for £3.50. This dress is known in Beryl's village as the Pretty Woman dress,  an epithet that Beryl is not too sure about, would Muff be shocked.       











3 comments

  1. I have to say Girls, one of my favourite "Blogs" so far! I wonder why? Well! Two fold! Firstly as Beryl well knows, I am the charity shop Queen! Secondly she was my Auntie Muff! X

    ReplyDelete
  2. Lovely photos and outfits. I love thrift stores!

    ReplyDelete
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