Sunday 14 January 2018

Could you survive on charity shop clothes for a year? | Guest Post




"When I found a jumper for 20p in a charity shop, it turned out to be my all-time favourite piece of clothing and it got me thinking; could I commit to a full year of only buying myself clothes from charity shops? I've been slowly transitioning to a less disposal mindset when it comes to clothes and I'm finally ready to wave goodbye to the high-street, eBay and vintage shops. So, can it really be done? Can I find everything I need in charity shops, regardless of things I'm invited to, such as weddings? I don't know the answer yet, but it's going to be fun finding out and you're invited along for the journey.  In my wildest dreams I hope I'll find something so fabulous that I get the chance to ask, "What, this old thing?", when asked where I got it from." - Amy

"Taking on a personal project like this one is exciting, but I knew I'd need to set some firm parameters of what is and, more importantly, isn't appropriate. Having talked through the idea with friends, I've come up with some guidelines that should answer all those burning questions that a year of purely charity shop buying naturally throws up." - Amy
Amy's Rules:
1. Buying no new clothes at all and only purchasing garments from charity shops.
2. Vintage shops do not count. If 'kilo sales' are held and a proportion of the proceeds go to charity, I will consider them, but only if more than 25% of the sale proceeds reach a charity.
3. I'l be trying to learn how to sew alongside this project and, where possible, fabrics will also be sourced from charity shops.
4. The only exception to charity shop clothing will be underwear. I can sew knickers, but should bras become needed, I know my limitations and doubt that I will quickly be able to master the art of underwired goodies.
5. Friends and family cannot buy me new clothes either.
6. As I'm vegan, I can't buy any leather, suede or wool items.
Wish me luck!


Yes, please do with Amy luck everyone? I think what she is doing is a wonderful thing and when Donnie from The Lost Executive* got in touch with me and asked me to share her story on my blog I was more than happy to. I adore charity shops and wish more people would shop in them. Have you ever found any hidden treasures in a charity shop?

With love, Alisha Valerie. x

18 comments:

  1. ooh, this sounds like a great idea. I might even give this a go too. Sounds good and should save money too :)
    Kate x
    www.katevoneff.blogspot.com

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    1. I think it's an ideal way of saving money babe. I agree with you ! Thank you for your comment πŸŒΈπŸ’œ✨

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  2. I think I mgiht struggle as some of the charity shops don't carry plus size clothes :(

    Love, Amie ❤
    The Curvaceous Vegan

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    1. I wish there were plus size charity shops babe, I have massive boobs and sometimes struggle to find things to fit them. Thank you for your comment πŸŒΈπŸ’œ✨

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  3. This is a great idea for anyone who wants to save money, help a charity or just try and challenge themself in some way! Personally, I rarely buy myself any clothes. I think I probably got myself 2 items in the whole of last year - Im just really not into clothes and spend every day in leggings haha so this wouldn't really be a challenge for me but you can certainly find some amazing bargains in charity shops. I have a jumper I found in one like 4 years ago which I absolutely love which I nabbed for like a pound! <3

    Jenny
    http://www.jennyinneverland.com

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    1. I can agree with you lovely, I don't have tons of clothes either. I prefer having a few clothing items which I can mix and match and style up etc. I adore charity shops so think is the perfect challange for me to try I think. Thank you for your comment πŸŒΈπŸ’œ✨

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  4. This is an amazing idea! I don’t know if I could do it. It’s such an amazing cause though!

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    1. I think I'm gonna try and do it myself but I can understand where you're coming from babe, it's not for everyone. Thank you for your comment πŸŒΈπŸ’œ✨

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  5. This is a wonderful idea! I buy a lot of vintage clothes and sometimes things from charity shops, but I've recently bought a few things from the high street which I don't want to make too much of a habit of! This challenge is definitely something I'm going to think about doing!

    Vicky x
    www.vickyviews.co.uk

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    1. If you do this challange Vicky I'd love to read a blog post all about your finds? Thank you for your comment πŸŒΈπŸ’œ✨

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  6. Love this! The vast majority of my clothes are from charity shops so I know this would be possible for me. The only items I would struggle with are jeans and trousers though, I don't know if I have ever successfully found a style that fits from a charity shop!

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    1. I also really struggle to find pants from charity shops which fit me babe so can understand what you're saying. I think it's great that your clothes are from charity though! Thank you for your comment πŸŒΈπŸ’œ✨

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  7. This is such a great personal project! I know my mum loves a good charity shop and buys me lots of new stuff for great bargains. I personally haven’t done so myself but then again, I don’t usually tend to buy new clothes regularly! Good luck Amy! Hope to hear how you get on!

    Jessica & James | www.foodandbaker.co.uk / www.foodandbakertravels.co.uk

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    1. Thank you for your lovely comment! I'd love to see what bargains your mum picks up for you next time she does so ^_^ πŸŒΈπŸ’œ✨

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  8. This is actually an amazing guest post and very very interesting, the project sounds amazing and you’d safe a lot of money and be much more environmentally conscious about clothes wastage/production x

    Kayleigh Zara 🌿www.kayleighzaraa.com


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    1. I'm so happy that you enjoyed this blog post babe, don't forget to keep up to date with Amy's blogs and social media to follow her journey. Thank you for your comment πŸŒΈπŸ’œ✨

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  9. I absolutely love charity shopping! In fact it is very rare that I will buy clothes for price in a store when I know that I can find something that I will like just as much for a fraction of the price in a charity shop! Knowing that my purchases at the charity shop are going to benefit good causes makes me feel even happier! Good on Amy for fully embracing this challenge, wishing her the best of luck! Thank you to Alisha for sharing her story!

    Abbey 🎨 http:///www.abbeylouisarose.co.uk

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  10. Thank you so much for such a lovely comment beautiful. I adore that you shop at charity shops, it fills my heart with joy and makes me so happy! πŸŒΈπŸ’œ✨

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