A first for fashion trade magazine, Drapers, as they featured a charity shop in their weekly double page shop review. This is a HUGE development. Charity shops have for far too long had a stigma attached to them, especially amongst the youth. There will always be people who won't step foot inside a charity shop perhaps because they think they are for old people, poor people, or they simply don't want to wear second hand clothes. Personally I think charity shops are the ultimate in guilt free shopping - you are recycling and diverting textiles from landfill, giving money to a good cause, and spending out less money than you would for a brand new item.
Charity shops have benefited from the upsurge in demand for vintage pieces no doubt, and as the article in fact says, the best charity shops should feel more like vintage boutiques than dowdy charity shops.
Mary Portas tried to change the fortune of charity shops around in her series Mary Queen of Charity Shops, and her influence can now be spotted in shops up and down the country. The shop review in Drapers is a Mary Portas/
Save the Children collaboration. Positioned in Primrose Hill, it should attract donations from the well heeled types living and working in the area. They also rely on donations from the big brands, next month hosting a Rigby and Peller event.
Charity shops cannot meet all needs, they don't suit the time poor or those looking for a particular item, but if you do find a gem in your size it does leave you feeling a bit smug.
