I’m really sorry to those who live in Cambridge and love to op shop.

I fear I have bought all the good stuff.

Op shopping is like a super power to me, I love it, I love a bargain, I love finding amazing weird items, vintage clothes, shoes, fabric, jars, kids clothes, pretty much everything in my house.

People ask me how I get time, I really don’t have time, I’m a busy person but I pop into an op shop for 10 mins here and there. I can’t commit a whole morning to it like I wish I could but I manage to find amazing bargains and rehome items that call my name.

Op shopping is good for many reasons

• You’re rehoming unwanted items
• By shopping secondhand we are creating a circular economy
• Supports charities
• Saves you money, so.much.money.
• The thrill of finding something you didn’t expect to find
• Rediscover gems from your past ie: Grandma’s crockery
• Relive the 70’s
• Find items to support zero waste without buying them new.

 

To give you an example of my latest op shop gems, here is me heading to a wedding last weekend in an outfit that was entirely secondhand.

Shoes $3 Salvation army

Dress $6 Jumble around op shop

Jacket $10 Jumble around op shop (Bought quite a while ago but as it’s linen and in excellent condition, I knew it would be handy one day)

Brooch $0.50c Hospice shop

Grand total $19.50

 

I understand that my outfit isn’t everyone’s cup of tea but I purposely bought items with this look, not everything in op shops is vintage looking, there are plenty of modern clothes, the best things to find are outfits someone has worn once to an occasion and sent to the op shop, you can tell things are like new or even actually new with tags still attached.

I’m a strong believer in “Someone’s trash could be someone else’s treasure”

If you take your time, don’t go in with high expectations, be ok with leaving with nothing, you’ll be just fine.

You need to be patient for the good stuff to come along.

Small changes, could shopping second hand be your new way of doing things?

Slow fashion is quite a beautiful thing

Let me know what you find

 

Lara x