101. Charity Shop Bargains

Generally I dislike shopping for clothes. Books, yes. Lipstick, yes. Shoes, yes. Clothes... no. But the one main exception I make to this is picking up bargains in charity shops.

I think its partly the hunt. Will there be anything in this strange-smelling shop which is either a) made from natural fibres or b) not crunchy with unexplained spooge? If 'yes' - will there be anything I like? Will it fit me? If yes - on to the acid test - will Herself allow it in the house or would my Parent go pale and silent if she saw me wearing it. Most things fail at this last stage. Those that make the grade, however, often go on to be worn into rags.

Of course the quality of the hunt depends on your location. In Sandwich the other day the quality of shmutter in the charity shops was generally high, and I would have been happy and done well had Herself not been tapping on the shop window with her head.

In Faversham you have to be prepared to go through the racks of nylon spooge - but between us me and the BF have done pretty well, so it is always worth the risk.

My best ever charity shop bargain was my Gap leather jacket - which came from the Sue Ryder shop in Aldeburgh, was that season's stock, the perfect size, and £10. Sweet.

I like charity shop bargains partly for the altruism, partly because the clothes don't scare me the way new ones do, and partly because I usually end up with something a little bit different, so I don't feel that I am going through the world dressed exactly the same as everybody else. It also gives me something to do when I'm not book shopping.