Thrifty fashionistas are increasingly scouring their local charity shops for a steal, much like YouTuber CharlieVlogs, who advises that the most lucrative bargains are often found in the charity shops of affluent areas.
Charlie embarked on a treasure hunt starting near Harrods and ventured up to posh Hampstead in the north, with his eyes peeled for discounted designer clothes.
The journey wasn’t without its challenges; as Charlie encountered an abundance of size Small offerings, but stayed the course and secured some great deals.
It’s getting trickier to discover those hidden gems in charity shops. Savvy staff are recognising high-value labels more than ever before, as witnessed by Charlie during his first stop-off.
In one shop brimming with big-brand labels, Charlie remarked: “They’ve got loads of Prada shoes… 95 quid! To be fair for Prada that’s not actually too bad.
“I’m not going to get them obviously. I’m never going to pay a hundred quid in a charity shop, but look at this; they’ve got Chanel, they’ve got some Viv Westwood. Some decent prices in here, for what it is. Obviously it’s not that cheap but for the brand it is.”
But Charlie also emphasised the need for a certain caution among shoppers, highlighting a “Versace” T-shirt with a tempting £25 price tag which he suspected wasn’t the real deal and ultimately decided against purchasing.
He was thrilled to stumble upon a Hawaiian shirt emblazoned with the William Saliba-brand tequila logo, a hit among Arsenal supporters, but encountered the all-too-common issue of sizing.
“That is banging,” he exclaimed. “I don’t think it’s my size though …it looks like a small.”
It appeared to be the same old snag – fantastic deals were easy to find… as long as you happen to wear a size Small.
Charlie jokingly blamed the camera for his misfortune, remarking: “Every time I come to film, they’re just never as good but then when I’m not filming I just get steals, steals, steals!”
Nevertheless, his persistence eventually paid off, securing some almost-new Adidas shirts for a mere five pounds.
The sense of relief in Charlie’s voice was unmistakable as he also discovered a pristine Nike T-shirt, potentially worth around £30, less than a third of its retail value.
“I think we’ve done it, ” he declared. “Nike T-shirt – clean and tidy and just £7.50. We’ve literally done it thank you very much!”.