Happy Shopper - In Praise of Charity Shops

Yeah, I know that I'm already preaching to the converted but charity shops really are great, aren't they? Take today, for instance. Desperate to wear the suede midi skirt I bought in Burton last week, none of my existing footwear looked quite right. What I need, I thought, is a pair of vintage tan knee high boots.

What was waiting for me in the very first charity shop we visited this morning? Only these British-made leather beauties by Trueform. Due to their age the rubber heel tip had perished but, at just £3.50 to replace, our local cobbler can sort them out while I wait tomorrow.

Picasso pendant (20p, car boot sale) threaded on my Afghani turquoise beaded necklace, a 35th birthday present from a friend (almost 13 years ago!)
After we'd cleaned the house ready for Monday's photo shoot I mused, we need something to add a bit of colour & interest to the floor space running from the hallway, through the middle room toward to kitchen.

What did Jon spot in amongst the bric-a-brac at one of our favourite charity furniture shops this morning? Only this stunner of a vintage tribal kelleghi for a tenner!

Of course you'd be a fool to walk around with a wishlist of stuff you wanted to buy second hand. Shop with a fixed plan and you'll end up missing something spectacular like these incredible vintage evening gowns I found today.

This is so beautiful its almost museum worthy, handmade from black silk velvet with Baroque appliqué work, sequins, a boned bodice, metal zip and a net underskirt. It weighs a ton!

How such an amazing dress ended up in a tiny Black Country town I'll never know.

This satin number was from the same shop, languishing amongst the endless rails of George at Asda and Primark. What a sorry end for the poor thing! The construction is astonishing. Its like something you'd see some celeb wearing on the red carpet.

Remember the bag I bought from Burton last week? My dear friend Sarah, who I bought my Pucci dress from, tells me that its a groovy Scandinavian textile, Glimminge by Mona Björk, Borås Cotton, 1967. Cool, eh?

1970s suede midi & tote bag (both St Giles Hospice, Burton), vintage boots (British Heart Foundation) worn with animal print top (Topshop via charity shop) and fake fur jacket (£7, catalogue clearance shop, 2012)
We've got another weekend off but then it's well and truly back to the grindstone, kicking off with a groovy Mod/1960s event we're helping to host for the Black Country Echoes Festival. In the meantime I'm going to scare myself witless with series 2 of The Fall, stupendously good drama from the BBC.
See you soon!