We’re delighted to be working with Alex Standley (LuxeLeopardLifestyle) this Earth Day, who, here, blogs on the power of secondhand fashion and her top 10 tips for shopping at your local Rennie Grove Peace charity shop!
Join us this Earth Day as we dive into the world of charity retail and secondhand fashion, discovering how small changes in our shopping habits can make a big impact on our planet’s future. Let’s have fun and embrace sustainable style together! Read on for my top 10 tips for shopping your local Rennie Grove Peace Hospice Charity Shops, so you can be sure to make the most of your thrifting experience!
Rennie Grove Peace is also marking the Charity Retail Association’s ‘More than a Shop’ campaign (22-29 April) to raise awareness of the uniqueness of charity shops in relation to other high street shops. Charity shopping is a special form of retail, like no other.
It’s exciting to witness the rapid growth of secondhand fashion. According to Thred Up, In 2023, resale outpaced the broader retail clothing sector by 15 times, with online resale experiencing a remarkable 23% year-over-year growth. Additionally, 2 in 5 apparel items purchased in 2023 were secondhand.
Donating to local charity shops not only promotes a circular economy, but it also contributes to the local economy, by reinvesting in the local area. It’s a win win situation.
Top 10 Tips for Shopping at Your Local Charity Shops
ThredUp reports that if everyone bought just one used item instead of new this year, it would save 449 million pounds of waste, 25 billion gallons of water, and 5.7 billion pounds of CO2e. With this impactful insight in mind, I’m excited to share my top tips for shopping at your local Rennie Grove Peace Hospice Charity Shops:
- Visit the £2 store in Harpenden for some amazing bargains when you need to refresh your wardrobe at a lower cost.
- If you’re looking for something special, shop the Rennie Grove Peace Hospice eBay shop or their Re:loved boutiques in locations such as Berkhamsted and Radlett, where you’ll find premium and designer brands at a fraction of the original price!
- Don’t just shop in the section for your size, you can often find items that fit you with a different size label on, this is often because the previous owner has shrunk the garment, or it’s not true to size!
- Check out the mens section, I love finding things like cashmere sweaters which are often a more flattering, modern and looser fit in mens styling
- Keep in mind your wish list. Don’t buy things just because they’re a bargain! Do you really need it?
- Have in mind at least 4 different outfits that you can create from your existing wardrobe to go with any ‘new’ item you want to buy
- Stick to the colour palette that works for you, but if you do find something you love in a colour that doesn’t work for you, consider dying it at home!
- You can get some really great quality premium pieces for an amazing price. Look for investment pieces missing from your wardrobe such as jeans, leather jackets, coats, handbags and designer shoes. According to ThredUp ’38% of consumers say they shop secondhand to afford higher-end brands.’
- Plan ahead! Buying off season is often the best way to pick up a bargain! Also think about any special events or occasions you have coming up in the year ahead such as weddings
- Buy It or Regret It – This goes completely against what I normally tell my clients when it comes to purchasing habits. I normally suggest taking a photo, mull it over and keep it on your phone to think about how you might style it. But when it comes to second hand shops, if you love it, just buy it or you’ll miss out!
5 Top Tips for Impactful Changes with Your Clothing
We collectively have the power to create the change we want to see in the world, but it can feel overwhelming at times. Here are five additional tips for making impactful changes through your clothing choices:
- Buy less and shop for quality over quantity
- Choose natural materials – organic cotton, linen etc.
- Swap clothes with a clothes swap group or start a swap yourself.
- Learn how to repair your clothes yourself or take them to be repaired. The longer clothes are kept, the lower their emissions footprint
- Wash your clothes less often, at lower temperatures and use a guppy bag for synthetic fabrics, and swap for an eco friendly detergent
I’d love to hear from you about which tips and advice you found most useful here. Feel free to share your favorite finds from Rennie Grove Peace Hospice shops with us on social media or by email!
Rennie Grove Peace 34 charity shops provide a vital form of income which helps to fund their services; they are hubs for the community, offering exciting opportunities for volunteering, they are places that make a real difference to the reduction of landfill; and they are treasure troves of sustainable fashion. Find out more here.