The FastDay Forum

Well do you go in them ? on occasion buy something?
I have a friend who buys All her clothes from them she's obsessed with them but has the resources not to cross there doorstep!!
On couple of recent shopping trips I've ventured into some of the better ones and bought few items some complete with store labels on and been pleased with my purchases, so much so I did out one of my wardrobes this morning and put absolutely loads of items into charity bags. Therefore other people ( fatter than I now am ) smug eh
can benifit from my castoffs
There's more choice on smaller clothing, as before this WOL I found very few bargains and in poor condition, and as many of you I don't want to spend lots of my well earned cash on clothing I will definitely grow out of again hence the purchase of a few select items
No not dresses or skirts I'm not at that stage yet but someday not to far in the distant future
And also my friend has given me a few hand downs so some of them could be 3 rd hand LOL. My sister + other family members have given me items to check-out so wardrobes are filling up for next to nothing.
But having said all that we do need to ''treat'' ourselves to the shopping trip and purchasing our new items as a confidence booster we deserve.
Happy recycling + Good Luck Sue

I would but I don't have any luck finding anything. My 4 boys(in their twenties)always seem to have good luck finding work clothes and an occasional suit. Funny back in the day they wouldn't wear second hand clothes when Mummy was the provider!

As I don't have a lot of money and don't want to waste it in new clothes I will have to change in a few weeks, I buy my "transitional clothes" in second hands shops and in red cross shops. Some exceptions however, bras, panties and shoes as I see these items as very very private

The charity shops in our area are pretty expensive. usually its cheaper to buy from Primark. I have seen jeans in some of them more expensive than buying them new, usually supermarket clothing. I do hope that I will eventually be able to buy smaller stuff from them. I am just moving down through my wardrobe at the moment. Sliding from XL to Large in my t'shirts, of which I have plenty. There is now only 1 pair of trousers that are too tight in my wardrobe. One of my goals is to be too small to wear anything from my wardrobe that was in it before I started on 5:2. As I have clothing in it ranging from size 20 to 26, I still have a way to go.
I will be ebaying most of my stuff, to then be able to use the funds to buy the next sizes down.

I've been buying 90 to 95% of my clothes at thrift shops for more than 30 years--I buy my husband's trousers and shirts, there, too. I drag him with me to try on sport coats when he needs a new one (In recent years he's gone from a size 44 jacket to a 42)

Some shops are charity, some are buy and sell places that accept only good quality in good shape (I've sold them a few things, too) It takes some patience to look through everything to find something just right; but I find it well worth the effort.

I discovered years ago that if I spend a lot of money buying new things, I feel depressed. If I buy something "used" (I always look on the rack of 'never worn, still have store tags' items first) that I love, then I feel very very good. I like getting a bargain, recycling and not contributing to the demand for natural resources--I also like the availability of classic styles among the (to me) unattractive fads and fashions. My finds include a smashing low-back cocktail dress that's flexible enough to fit me both before and after a change from size 14 to size 12 on 5:2!

Btw, I always wash or dry clean them before wearing.

Yes definitely! Both charity shops and 'dress agencies'

Have saved a lot of money over the years ... Which has promptly been spent on shoes and handbags!

Seriously, I do think they are a fantastic resource,and wish I had more time to go through their wares more thoroughly

I remember a particular trip to London when my mother and I stayed at the Hilton Metropole. There was an Oxfam right across the street.
We wenti in first thing every morning. We bought quite a few things but the most memorable ones was a Jigsaw jacket that my mum bought and a black, long leather skirt that I bought. My skirt was from Debenhams and it had its tag still on. I was soooo happy!

When I lived near London I remember going to the Camden Town market buying lots of clothes I still have 17 years later and plan to wear. even a beautiful leather jacket I will wear this winter

Just FYI I always wash the clothesd before wearing them for the first time
the new and the second hand ones

Many Thanks to all of you I too think they're a great place to go to occasionally but no I would never get lingerie of any sort because that's a bit to personal, and always wash everything something I forgot to say was that I have been surprised to see these when on holiday in other countries don't know why i was surprised but in the few I've been into was a surprised to hear a British accent from the person on the till Sue

When I was younger I use to spend hours going through every rail and got loads of lovely original items from charity shops. Now days I prefer to buy online and have my present arrive in a nice box wrapped up in tissue paper, unless I buy from very then it is just in a bag and not as much fun to open.

Recently I've been buying jeans from charity shops as my weight might go down even more, if/when it does then I will be giving them back for them to re-sell. Some have a better selection than others and at least they have already been washed so won't shrink any more - I always wash anything I buy from charity shops before wearing.

I wouldn't buy underwear from them, although I had a job in the 70s making patchwork skirts and some of them were made with silk underwear from these very shops. People used to buy the silky white skirts with matching jackets for weddings, little knowing that they were being married in somebody else's knickers!!

I don't dress up when gardening or lounging about at home so charity bargains are great for that purpose, and it gives me a self satisfied feeling knowing that my few purchases are going towards a worthy cause.

I've always given my unwanted clothes and other items to the charity shops. I love them!

for the Brits, Mark Owen had a song, back in the day called "secondhand wonderland"

That's in England I took that habit to buy secondhand as it is not so usual here. I am a bit of a nerd about it. Fore clothes and furniture have a soul...

When I was younger I use to spend hours going through every rail and got loads of lovely original items from charity shops. Now days I prefer to buy online and have my present arrive in a nice box wrapped up in tissue paper, unless I buy from very then it is just in a bag and not as much fun to open.

I can't buy clothes online, no way. Not only I'm not sure if they fit but if they don't I don't even think of the fuss of returning!

Only books and Christmas cards, but now I have a Kindle.

Most definately! I live in a town that has 7 good quality charity shops and they have been great for buying 'new' stuff as my size has decreased. All my old trousers and a lot of my old tops are now too big and I could not have afforded to buy them all new again.

I've been able to get some nice summer tops and a skirt and it's always fun to browse and see what they have in each time. The only things I've really bought new are cropped trousers which are in short supply in the charity shops but I'll need them for my holiday in September. As I've reached my target, I'm fairly sure they'll still fit then.