Charity shopping, in my opinion, is truly a life skill to be perfected. Whenever someone asks me where I got my outfit from, and I reply “a charity shop,” I’m usually met with the response: “how on earth do you find anything in charity shops?”
Admittedly, the charity shops at home (in my former-industrial Midlands city) are much better than Oxford’s charity shops in terms of stock and price. In general, anywhere that’s not bustling with students or young people will have amazing charity shops. But finding incredible second-hand pieces is still very achievable in Oxford!
While Oxford’s culture of short-lived formal wear and searching for a new outfit for every ball, BOP and garden party is problematic, charity shopping is a sustainable and affordable way to keep up with the Oxford lifestyle. Not only are you stopping the clothes from going to a landfill site, you’re also donating to charity and minimising your contribution to the fashion industry’s overconsumption problem. On top of that, older brands tend to have clothing of higher quality and you can find unique vintage pieces for a fraction of what you would spend at Urban Outfitters.
I recently went on a thrifting trip with Oxford Fashion Society which opened my mind to just how diverse Oxford’s second-hand shops are. So, here’s a list of my top tips as a seasoned charity shopper and the best spots for second-hand clothes in Oxford!
Top Tips for Second-Hand Shopping
- Look through everything.
Charity shops are a jumble of different clothes, jewellery, bags, shoes and more. You have to dedicate time to looking through them – sometimes the perfect piece will be hidden among the racks of Shein cast-offs and your nana’s old jumpers. You can’t rely on spotting colours and fabrics either – go through every item on the rack and take in the whole piece.
- Limit yourself.
Charity shops are always organised by size, category of clothing and sometimes by colour. I make sure I stick to my own size and one size up. This way, I’m not too overwhelmed by how much there is to go through. If I have more time and energy, I might look through more sizes but as a rule of thumb, this is the best way to approach charity shopping. Sometimes I will even avoid colours that I know I don’t like (cough pastel yellow) or categories of clothes that I don’t often wear: for example, I will usually avoid coats and jeans.
- Broaden your expectations!
The most important thing is to keep an open mind. I have almost invariably found that items I was doubtful about in the shop have become my favourite pieces, while items that I thought I would love when I bought them, I have hardly worn.
- Get creative.
It’s so useful to have some sewing skills when you’re buying second-hand clothes. If something is cheap enough, it is totally worth it to take in a waistline, let down a hem or even just cut it, add safety pins, or embroider it. The library in Westgate also has sewing machines that you can learn how to use on a Tuesday evening!
- Know what you like.
It’s never a good idea to go to a charity shop with a specific item in mind. But it is definitely useful to know what kind of clothes you like: colours, shapes, necklines, fits. This way you can rule something out if it looks cute on the hanger, but you might not like it once you wear it. Often a piece looks substantially different when it’s worn to how it does on the rack, so don’t be afraid to eliminate it if you know one element doesn’t suit you (v-necklines, for example). I never try on clothes in the charity shop, but often I hold something up against myself or put it on over my clothes to gauge whether it will suit me.
Oxford’s Charity Shops: Ranked!
- Cowley Road Area
There are three main charity shops in the student area near Cowley Road. There is an Age UK on St Clement’s Street and on Cowley Road near “big Tesco” there’s an Oxfam and a Barnardo’s. These are the charity shops where I have found the best items, for very reasonable prices. Another bonus is that they have many more items to choose from than some of the shops in the centre. This is because they are located closer to residential areas, meaning they have more (and cheaper!) incoming stock from non-students living in Oxford.
- Little Clarendon Street
The Jericho area is home to a few of Oxford’s charity shops which are also pretty well stocked, including Sobell House and Mercy in Action on Little Clarendon Street. A bit further up on Walton Street, you can also find Mind. Although definitely not as cheap as the ones in Cowley, these shops are still definitely worth a visit if you are in the area.
- British Heart Foundation (near Westgate)
Tucked away at the back of Westgate is the only non-Oxfam charity shop in the city centre. There’s always an array of weird and wonderful things here, and often I have found ridiculous items – perfect for bop costumes. But I have also found some very cute pieces here (although admittedly not as affordable as I’m used to in the shops at home!)
- Oxfam
I have a love-hate relationship with Oxfam. Usually, I find them to be the most expensive charity shops by a mile, and the ones in Oxford are no different. Although most of the Oxfams in Oxford are for books, the one on Broad Street has a lot of clothing for sale, and you can find some unique vintage pieces, especially in their upstairs section.
Bonus: Cowley Town Centre
If you’re up for the bus ride, there’s also the Oxfam superstore in Cowley town centre – this trip is absolutely worth it if you’re a charity shop fiend like me. This is because the bigger a charity shop is, the more chance you have of finding the best pieces. Ten minutes from the Oxfam superstore is Templars Square shopping centre. Here you can find several charity shops – with prices that are as cheap as those you would find in Stoke-on-Trent or Bradford! That’s not even to mention its proximity to those shops I miss the most while living in Oxford city centre – B&M, Asda, Lidl and Poundland. It’s not exactly a scenic day trip but the bus fare is probably worth it for how much you save by not shopping in Westgate.
Vintage second-hand shopping
Oxford is home to several vintage clothing locations owned by small businesses: Unicorn on Ship Street; Ballroom Emporium on the Magdalen roundabout and several stalls in Gloucester Green’s market. If you’re willing to trek through the racks and spend a little more money, you can find some truly unique items here. Ballroom Emporium is particularly good for coats and jackets, while Unicorn is great for formal dresses and costumes (if you can find them!)
Whether it’s for a much needed break from studies or (like me) to fuel a second-hand clothing addiction, trekking through Oxford’s charity shops is a skill that can be perfected. You might find some amazing pieces if you know where and how to look for them. Good luck with your rummaging and happy charity shopping!