How To Charity Shop Effectively

We’ve seen Barbiecore, balletcore and regencycore take their place on the fashion  trend podium, but now it’s time for a new ‘core’ to take their places: Thriftcore. 

Thriftcore has already gained over 167,500 views on TikTok, and with online searches seeing a huge increase for thrifty terms, including ‘sustainable fashion’, ‘nearest charity shop’ and ‘green living’, it’s clear our shopping habits are changing to more sustainable ways. 

With around three hundred thousand tonnes of clothing in the UK ending up in landfill or being burned, the new thrifty trend is something we can definitely get on board with, to help reduce the amount of textile waste ending up in our landfills. 

But how can you master the thriftcore trend? 

We’ve put together our top tips for thrifty shoppers when browsing in your nearest charity shop, to help you make a small change to your lifestyle that will make a huge difference to the planet. 

Research Charity Shop Partnerships

Learning about what each charity offers at their shops can help you find the right ones for you to visit. For instance, the British Red Cross has a partnership with Zara, with all stock they haven’t sold being sent to British Red Cross shops across the UK. Each piece is brand new and sold at a fraction of the price! Similar to this,  the British Heart Foundation has a partnership with a grunge clothing brand and is perfect for finding items to rock out in. 

Shop Second-Hand Online 

Online secondhand shops, like Depop and Vinted, are great places to find thrifty gems at half the price. You can simply search for the item you're looking for, browse the results and make a purchase, making it a quicker way to shop secondhand!

Don’t Restrict Yourself 

Restricting yourself to certain sizes and sections could mean you miss out on a unique piece. The men’s section is great for oversized flannel shirts, and if you browse different size ranges, you might find a t-shirt you can style as a dress or a jumper you could cut into a boxy, cropped sweater.

Think Outside The Box 

One skill in charity shopping is being able to think outside the box. Charity shops are filled with an assortment of fabrics, from jeans and gingham dresses, to duvets and curtains. Get your upcycling cap on when you plan your visit, and think of ways you could utilise these fabrics to create stylish, one-of-a-kind pieces and become your own trendsetter. 

Don't Give Up

The great thing about charity shops is that each time you go in there is a good chance there is something different or new available. Unlike mainstream shops where you have to wait for seasonal trends to change, charity shops welcome items of all sizes, styles and seasonality at any point of the year making it worth a visit every time.

Go With An Open Mind 

This is probably the most important part of charity shopping. You need to remember that charity shopping isn’t like going into a high street store and finding exactly what you want straight away. The great thing about secondhand shops is that you’ll find unique pieces that you wouldn’t find anywhere else, and you should embrace this! It would be a boring world if we all dressed the same.