CHARITY SHOP COUTURE
Joe F. Hallas, [email protected], 07841 676 030
CHARITY SHOP COUTURE Going from Cheap to Chic- à la Manchester. Charity shops are a bit like TK Maxx- you have to wade through a lot of crap. However, if you can survive the onslaught of corduroy and dodgy 90’s jumpers then you can find some real gems at a steal of a price. There's also the added boost of knowing that your money went to a charitable cause, so you can sleep soundly atop your moral high-ground and look fierce while doing it. In the spirit of it all I went to check out a few of the main charity shops in Manchester and report back with my findings and photographs. There was a lot more variety and shop-to-shop uniqueness than I expected! OXFAM ORIGINALS NORTHERN QUARTER Good for: High-end brands, Menswear, Vintage, winter wear Right in the heart of the Northern Quarter; Oxfam Originals is kind of like the Harvey Nichols of charity shops- but without the snobbery and unpronounceable brand names. They sell some of the top high-end fashions at a fraction of the price. I had a talk with shop assistant Rachel, who told me that they are the LAST Oxfam Originals left in the UK, but thrive because of their trendy NQ location and regular student-ey (that's a word now) clientele. They also cater a lot to male fashionistas, with a 6m long display of cheap and fashionable menswear. Good for them.
Some of the recognisable brands on sale include Levi Jeans, Ralph Lauren, Hermes & Armani. Many of which only hover around the £20 mark! Your donated purchases go towards Foreign Aid & helping people in our native Blighty, what more reason do you need? SPEND SPEND SPEND!
Joe F. Hallas, [email protected], 07841 676 030
BARNARDO’S PICADILLY APPROACH Good for: Seasonal women's fashion, High-street deals, Formal wear, Makeup sets Barnardo’s is much more of a mixed bag. It offers a lot of different styles, mostly for women looking to stay in season with High-street tops & shoes from the likes of River Island & Topshop. They also house a lot of makeup sets that could be good as gifts or for painting that fabulous mug of yours! All topped off with a sickening selection of Blazers & formalwear for serving up some Executive Realness.
Joe F. Hallas, [email protected], 07841 676 030
Deputy Manager Pippa tells me that they keep their prices as fair as they can, and says that many shoppers walk away with a whole outfit for just £10. Their proximity to Piccadilly Train Station makes their clientele and clothing range very eclectic, appealing to the general public who may be passing by and trying to snatch a steal! (Not literally, we don’t condone shoplifting, honest.)
Your money provides housing and shelter for vulnerable & disadvantaged children in the UK, which really puts the icing on the charitable cake. There’s also a bin of dubious ties if you’re looking to do Fifty Shades on a budget.
RSPCA NORTHERN QUARTER Good for: Vintage, 60’s & 70’s, Menswear, Shoes Category is... Vintage Eleganza! The RSPCA Charity Shop was quite a pleasant surprise. It's quite hard to find- tucked away in a quiet section of the Northern Quarter- but once discovered you won't forget it. I expected a sort of run-of-themill shop, but was greeted with a 60s & 70s Vintage paradise. There was fairy lights and everything.
Joe F. Hallas, [email protected], 07841 676 030
"Vintage is crazy here" says Manager Steph as I grill her. "The clothes here used to be more affordable than fashionable, but in the past 5 years that's all changed." The old-school fashion revival is really evident here, supported by the alternative & student-ey (still a word) vibe of the Northern Quarter. Other RSPCA branches actually send their Nostalgic fashions to this one because they know it will sell here.
The RSPCA is also quite unisex, featuring a massive amount of varied menswear. The gender ratio is approximately 50/50 which is not hugely common for clothes shop in general, let alone charity shops.
Steph showed me this lovely 1960s gown as an example of their collection, as well as a selection of jewellery, shoes and more.
Joe F. Hallas, [email protected], 07841 676 030
They also had quite a few decent and cheap Leather Jackets on sale! Although it may be a tad ironic that an Animal Rights charity is selling “100% Leather” items, we’ll let ‘em off because they didn’t make them or owt. Ya know?
Your money here is donated towards the care and rehabilitation of local animals. They even have their own (ADORABLE) shop cat named Frankie, who sits around looking majestic and doing general cat things. As a cat person I guess I'm a tad biased here... I'm not saying that this one's my favourite because there's an in-house cat... but it is.
All in all, I highly recommend checking out some of these local shops. There's a lot of variety and value to be snapped up, as well as the "it's for a good cause" excuse you can use to have a shopping spree. by Joe Hallas
CHARITY SHOP COUTURE Going from Cheap to Chic- à la Manchester. Charity shops are a bit like TK Maxx- you have to wade through a lot of crap. However, if you can survive the onslaught of corduroy and dodgy 90’s jumpers then you can find some real gems at a steal of a price. There's also the added boost of knowing that your money went to a charitable cause, so you can sleep soundly atop your moral high-ground and look fierce while doing it. In the spirit of it all I went to check out a few of the main charity shops in Manchester and report back with my findings and photographs. There was a lot more variety and shop-to-shop uniqueness than I expected! OXFAM ORIGINALS NORTHERN QUARTER Good for: High-end brands, Menswear, Vintage, winter wear Right in the heart of the Northern Quarter; Oxfam Originals is kind of like the Harvey Nichols of charity shops- but without the snobbery and unpronounceable brand names. They sell some of the top high-end fashions at a fraction of the price. I had a talk with shop assistant Rachel, who told me that they are the LAST Oxfam Originals left in the UK, but thrive because of their trendy NQ location and regular student-ey (that's a word now) clientele. They also cater a lot to male fashionistas, with a 6m long display of cheap and fashionable menswear. Good for them.
Some of the recognisable brands on sale include Levi Jeans, Ralph Lauren, Hermes & Armani. Many of which only hover around the £20 mark! Your donated purchases go towards Foreign Aid & helping people in our native Blighty, what more reason do you need? SPEND SPEND SPEND!
Joe F. Hallas, [email protected], 07841 676 030
BARNARDO’S PICADILLY APPROACH Good for: Seasonal women's fashion, High-street deals, Formal wear, Makeup sets Barnardo’s is much more of a mixed bag. It offers a lot of different styles, mostly for women looking to stay in season with High-street tops & shoes from the likes of River Island & Topshop. They also house a lot of makeup sets that could be good as gifts or for painting that fabulous mug of yours! All topped off with a sickening selection of Blazers & formalwear for serving up some Executive Realness.
Joe F. Hallas, [email protected], 07841 676 030
Deputy Manager Pippa tells me that they keep their prices as fair as they can, and says that many shoppers walk away with a whole outfit for just £10. Their proximity to Piccadilly Train Station makes their clientele and clothing range very eclectic, appealing to the general public who may be passing by and trying to snatch a steal! (Not literally, we don’t condone shoplifting, honest.)
Your money provides housing and shelter for vulnerable & disadvantaged children in the UK, which really puts the icing on the charitable cake. There’s also a bin of dubious ties if you’re looking to do Fifty Shades on a budget.
RSPCA NORTHERN QUARTER Good for: Vintage, 60’s & 70’s, Menswear, Shoes Category is... Vintage Eleganza! The RSPCA Charity Shop was quite a pleasant surprise. It's quite hard to find- tucked away in a quiet section of the Northern Quarter- but once discovered you won't forget it. I expected a sort of run-of-themill shop, but was greeted with a 60s & 70s Vintage paradise. There was fairy lights and everything.
Joe F. Hallas, [email protected], 07841 676 030
"Vintage is crazy here" says Manager Steph as I grill her. "The clothes here used to be more affordable than fashionable, but in the past 5 years that's all changed." The old-school fashion revival is really evident here, supported by the alternative & student-ey (still a word) vibe of the Northern Quarter. Other RSPCA branches actually send their Nostalgic fashions to this one because they know it will sell here.
The RSPCA is also quite unisex, featuring a massive amount of varied menswear. The gender ratio is approximately 50/50 which is not hugely common for clothes shop in general, let alone charity shops.
Steph showed me this lovely 1960s gown as an example of their collection, as well as a selection of jewellery, shoes and more.
Joe F. Hallas, [email protected], 07841 676 030
They also had quite a few decent and cheap Leather Jackets on sale! Although it may be a tad ironic that an Animal Rights charity is selling “100% Leather” items, we’ll let ‘em off because they didn’t make them or owt. Ya know?
Your money here is donated towards the care and rehabilitation of local animals. They even have their own (ADORABLE) shop cat named Frankie, who sits around looking majestic and doing general cat things. As a cat person I guess I'm a tad biased here... I'm not saying that this one's my favourite because there's an in-house cat... but it is.
All in all, I highly recommend checking out some of these local shops. There's a lot of variety and value to be snapped up, as well as the "it's for a good cause" excuse you can use to have a shopping spree. by Joe Hallas
