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Used clothes in London.

P. Horus Rhacoid

10:51 / 10.09.05

So I'm in London for several months and I find I didn't bring enough t-shirts that I like. Are there any good, cheap thrift stores- sorry, charity shops- around? I'm not talking about 'vintage' clothing stores that sell for 15 pounds what I could get at a Goodwill back home for 3 dollars, by the way. I've checked out my local Oxfam, but it's pretty small and doesn't have a great selection. Is there some sort of larger, main branch where they might have more variety (the store I'm talking about is only one not very big room)? What about markets and car boot sales?

sleazenation

11:39 / 10.09.05

Not really much in the way of thrifty-thrift charity shops in central London - but Camden Market has a fair few less expensive places in the stables area of the market - you might want to take a day trip down to brighton for full charityshop glory, but even there demand has forced up prices...

Mon Oncle Ignatius

11:59 / 10.09.05

What area are you in? There's a big Oxfam on Kingsland Road in Dalston, and another in Walthamstow Market, both of which can be good for bargains.

Goodness Gracious Meme

12:20 / 10.09.05

Yep, central has very few decent charity shops. Is there still a YMCA one somewhere around Westminster?

But, depending on which locale yr in, there will probably be good local charity shops.

haus of fraser

12:23 / 10.09.05

Grenwich market used to always be cheaperthan Spittlefields/ Portabello road although i've not been for a couple of years- however the finding bargain vintage clothes in london is hard work- people make there living from scouring charity shops to furnish a brick lane boutique so there's stiff competition- that said Camden is pretty good- is the designer label oxfam still just off Carnaby st? again good but not cheap.

Check out the markets there are bargains to be had if you dig around- although vintage clothes in London generally are a sewn up market- i stopped buying a lot of vinatge stuff when i realied i could buy similar stuff new for a cheaper price in high street stores- depressing but true.

good luck- if you find some hidden away goldmine- spread the word, us london lithers love a bargain..

P. Horus Rhacoid

12:42 / 10.09.05

TM- I'm just off Edgeware Road, near the tube stop.

13:37 / 12.09.05

Goodge Street, just behind Oxford Street and Tottenham Court Road, has an Oxfam (medium price), a Housing chairty (cheap in the basement) and a YMCA (smells of cat, very inexpensive).
If you go to Camden, try turning left as you leave the tube station (ie the opposite direction to the goth-flow) and there are three charity shops a chunk further down the road, on the right. Not blindingly thrifty.

Scrubb is on a downward spiral

21:01 / 12.09.05

Have vague memories of there being some very decent c-shops in Kensington. If you fancy heading up on the Jubilee Line to St John's Wood there's a small cluster of shops that generally have some nice stuff in. The advantage of the above is that they're both in quite "swish" parts of town so the quality of goods can be very impressive; the St.J.W. Oxfam, fr'example, regualarly carries Versace and Prada...

mondo a-go-go

14:01 / 13.09.05

There are quite a few in Hammersmith, but last time I browsed they didn't seem all that cheap. I reckon your best bet is probably going to be the burbs... Hendon, Tooting, places like that. Not that I have any recent personal experience with these things.

invisible_al

20:14 / 14.09.05

I can confirm there are quite a few second hand clothes shops in Hammersmith and Tooting.

In Hammersmith walk up King street past the theatre and the Mall and they're before you get to the town hall. There's at least one specialist charity clothing shop and a bunch of general ones.

In Tooting, go to Tooting Broadway station and the walk up Upper Tooting Road (away from the station and the supermarket) towards Tooting Bec. Tons of charity shops, a bunch of fabric shops and a lot of Sari shops as well.

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