Sweet Charity - A Week of Secondhand Shopping

My life wouldn't be the same without charity shops. If it's not the buzz I get from the anticipation of unearthing hidden treasure whenever I cross their threshold then it's the joy of finding something lovely that fits seamlessly into my wardrobe.

MONDAY: Vintage Phool block printed midi dress (Second To None, Walsall), Toast boots (eBay), Aran cardi (clearance charity shop)

On Monday I spent the day in the garden photographing stock, wrapped in this beautifully hand-knitted Aran cardi I scored a few weeks ago. 

TUESDAY: Cord maxi skirt (Dilli Grey), Reiss fedora (eBay), my friend Cheryl's old suede coat, cashmere jumper & 1970s screen-printed Indian silk scarf (both charity shopped), Celtic & Co. handmade suede boots (I sold two pairs of my Docs to pay for them)

On Tuesday Jon & I headed to our favourite Black Country town for a morning of secondhand shopping. I wore the £1.25 cashmere & wool jumper I bought the previous week.  As always, during this silly season where the majority of shoppers are walking around in a trance laden down with carrier bags emblazoned with the logos of high street stores, the charity shops are almost empty and the rails heaving under the weight of fresh donations, as people declutter to make way for yet more stuff they don't really need.  

We came back with a Pull & Bear shirt printed with Morris Minor Travellers (which Jon's keeping, it was his first car, THIS is what they look like), a pristine 1950s cotton day dress which has never been worn, a 100% lambswool cardi (another addition to Jon's wardrobe), a 100% cashmere polo neck in bubblegum pink, a 1980s tweed & corduroy riding jacket with a Parisian label, a 1970s John Collier cotton velvet blazer, a 1980s Alice in Wonderland style adult dress by A Little Bit Hoity-Toity, a 1960s suede fringed waistcoat and an unworn 1970s St Michael velour housecoat.

Would this Heatless Curls headband be a load of gimmicky nonsense? At 50p it had to be worth a try.

THURSDAY: Dilli Grey block printed Indian cotton midi dress (eBay), Celtic & Co boots, Gudrun Sjödén lambswool cardi, Aldo fedora & vintage tooled leather belt (all charity shopped)

This Gudrun Sjödén 100% lambswool cardi had been reduced to £1. It was a bit shrunken but a long soak in warm water with some diluted hair conditioner loosened up the fibres and I was able to stretch it back into shape. The style is "Garlic" and is still available on the website for £89. 

On Thursday we had to nip into the Walsall so had a quick mooch around the four remaining chazzas and today (Friday) was another dedicated charity shopping morning. Finds included a 1960s framed leather handbag, a vintage German army shirt, a 1970s chores jacket, a limited edition Umbro American soccer top, a 1970s leather blazer, a deadstock Harrington jacket, a pure wool jacket by Jaeger, a 1980s Indian metallic scarf and a 1980s alpaca cardi.

There was also a 1980s St Michael wool jacket, a handmade 1970s wool skirt, a Phool linen & cotton quilted coat, a 1960s psychedelic neck scarf, a Lambretta polo shirt, a 1970s leather coat, another Jaeger wool jacket and a Saks Fifth Avenue Italian wool blazer. Jon found a fabulous Original Penguin cardi but it stunk of that hideous lilies on LSD fabric conditioner so it's already in the wash.

And be still my beating heart! I also found a vintage 1960s Indian-made cheesecloth maxi dress with crochet panels. There was no price but the shop manager said I could have it for £4.50!

FRIDAY: Vintage hippy-tastic cheesecloth maxi worn with Masscob for Liberty velvet Badin jacket & 1970s tooled leather bag (eBay), wool wide-brimmed hat (bought new in 2018), Vintage Banaja tribal pendant (bought in Jaisalmer, Rajasthan, 2020)

Needless to say, the dress got its first outing today!

Check out the waves, too. That gadget wasn't a load of rubbish after all, although I looked a bit strange when I wore it to bed.

And how fabulous is this hefty planter? She's 10" tall, weighs a ton and nearly killed Lord Jon when he carried her back to the car but she was far too lovely to leave behind. A bargain at £8!

Finally, something new! A set of postcards from my talented photographer friend, Claire. Find her blog HERE.

The Posada is a legendary Black Country pub where we gig-going kids would hang out before causing mayhem in the mosh pit at Wolverhampton's Wulfrun & Civic Hall...happy (and hazy) memories! I won't be posting any of these beautiful pieces of art, this one is currently serving as a bookmark for my current read (from a charity shop, obviously!)

See you soon!