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Favorite Thrift Shops in London

Tuesday 20 September 2011
Every now and then I'd go into thrift shops and poke around to see if I was lucky enough to unearth bits of treasure buried amongst piles and piles of junk. More often than not, I've walked away empty handed. There were the odd occasion when I managed to dig out some Chanel, Giorgio Armani, Hermes and the likes discarded by wealthy donors. The trick is to go often, roll up your sleeves and be prepared to really take the time to sift through a lot of musty clothes.

Last week, as I walked past a thrift shop, the sales board taped on the glass window caught my eyes. I didn't know that thrift shops have sales! Well, I couldn't very well walk past a sale, could I? Lo and behold, I saw a pair of Ferragamo heels in size US 4.5 for £5. After spending weeks trawling through every online and brick and mortar stores for a pair of black or nude heels in my size, I was on the verge of giving up. Who cares if the Ferragamos have a few nicks here and there, they're in MY size! I whipped out my wallet in a nanosecond. I've added rubber soles which cost another £14 but they're still heck of a lot cheaper than the Stuart Weitzman heels I've been eyeing on. So.... one down, two more to go. I still need a pair of nude heels and comfortable wedges.


ferragamo


ferragamo2




This Chanel tweed jacket from 2006 Spring/Summer collection was a lucky find, thanks to an invitation to a VIP thrift shop event. I was flabbergasted when I saw the price tag. £110!! I doubt the previous owner ever wore it seeing that it was in a pristine condition. The last Chanel jacket I ogled at the boutique cost just under £4K.  On the whole, I've found most of the thrift shops these days are pricing their goods way too high. A used Comptoir des Cotonniers top - £40. It was on sale at the store for £30. I've seen dirty and torn Hermes scarves or should I say rags selling for well over £100. I've made my fair share of mistakes too. I found a stunning leopard print wide Azzedine Alaia belt for £70 which I had to have. It didn't matter it was just a tad too small. After numerous attempts to buckle the belt and holding my breath to the point of passing out, I sadly admitted defeat.



ferragamo chanel1




ferragamo chanel2



I'm going to share a few of my favorite thrift shops in London.  It's no surprise that most are centered around the most expensive parts of city. A manager at a local thrift shop confided that she got a lot of huge bags from wealthy donors who lived within walking distance. Another mentioned that the sons of an elderly lady who'd passed away dragged in boxes of designer goods including Hermes bags as they didn't know what to do with them.

British Red Cross
67-71 Old Church St
Chelsea
London SW3 5BS
They tend to price their stock fairly high but every now and then, you may be lucky to find a bargain. I've seen near new Chanel jackets going for £550. Still expensive but considerably less than a brand new one.

Oxfam
123a Shawfield St
Off King's Road
Chelsea
London SW3 4PL
This tiny shop is packed with unisex clothes and accessories. The last time I was there, I saw a Celine leather jacket in fab condition for £60. 



Octavia
211 Brompton Rd
Knightsbridge
London 
I was lucky enough to purchase a brand new Tod's moccasins here for £35. On my last visit, I saw 3 near new Hermes ties for £40 each.


So readers, what are your best deals from thrifting?

25 comments:

  1. Wow--so impressive. I'm hoping to be lucky at consignment shops this winter in Paris, but I'm not going to hold my breath. All in all, I rarely visit thrift stores now--it only encourages rash purchases in my case. Since I want only X, Y, and Z, I find it easier to tow the line when shopping new/sales. My best bargains come from ebay.

    Congratulations with those shoes! They look incredible with their new soles.

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  2. totally wish i could go to those thrift stores right now!! what incredible finds

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  3. very impressive finds!!!! woah! the shoes! and ur so so so kind to share :)

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  4. Those shoes were meant for you! And I'm utterly speechless at the Chanel!!

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  5. WOW!! Great find with the black heels!! It's like they were meant for you since they were even your size!

    And the Chanel jacket - that is the deal of the century!!

    I do love to check in consignment shops. I would say that my 2 best deals were jackets - and Escada blazer for $18USD and an YSL jacket for $30USD. One day, I hope to find a Chanel jacket one day!

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  6. You are so lucky! I am drooling over your Chanel jacket and your Ferragamos are in great condition!

    I wish I saw your post when I lived in London! I went to a few thrift stores there, but never found anything good.

    have a lovely week dear!

    xoxo,
    Chic 'n Cheap Living

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  7. You found some great stuff!!! I just did a post on thrifting today, but I didn't find a Chanel jacket! HAHAHA I'm your new follower!

    http://sassyuptownchic.blogspot.com/
    SassyUptownChic xoxo Kim

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  8. Thanks for the compliments! You're so sweet. The DV wedges ARE super comfortable! That's the only reason I was willing to wear them around NYC! They should be on sale now if you're planning to buy! Btw- I'm following you now! Follow me back if you like my blog! :)

    www.cestlaviii.blogspot.com

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  9. This post makes me want to open a thrift shop in one of those areas! Not fair that they get all those things for free.
    x. jill
    those ghosts

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  10. AA, I didn't bother with depot-ventes this time. I went to a few and boy, did they charge exorbitant prices for beat up bags and scarves. However, there's one I'd recommend. Drop me an email if you're interested.

    Carolyn, I'm sure there are a few more undiscovered and equally amazing thrift shops in London but I can't wait to check them out.

    Heather, aww...thank you! Hopefully, these guys make a few more ££ with more publicity.

    lauraloo, these deals are getting increasingly rare though.

    Sam, WHOA!! $18 for an Escada jacket. I call that a deal of the century! I'm afraid I don't see anything as amazing here.

    cheap n chic, I had no idea you used to live here. All the more reason to come back for a visit.

    sassyuptownchic, I've been quite lucky to have nabbed a few Chanel jackets in the past. I was silly enough to let them go but I've learned my lesson.

    C'est La Viii, my pleasure. I'll have to check out the DV wedges. I'm following your blog now...

    Jill, I only visit these thrift shops every now and then but I'm sure they have incredible stuff being donated daily.

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  11. HI, so funny, when i first saw the title of your post, i thought back to my trip to NYC, where I entered this really cute thrift shop and saw a pair of Ferragamo heels, and contemplated buying them. Then, I read your post and saw that you bought a pair- Too funny!!! Did you get them resoled, or did they come that way? i have yet to go thrifting here in Toronto, but I should, because you obviously get good deals :) BTW- if i'm ever in London we will go shopping and for Pho (as you know many great places) and we will drop the kids in the zoo with the monkeys, which would be so appropriate because that's what i call them. Imagine the fun that they would have with little L!!!

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  12. Wow you are so blessed to have found those pumps & that Chanel jacket at such unbelievable prices!!! I wanted to let you know I've booked my tickets to Paris & will be using your posts on Paris to visit the places as I usually just visit touristy places. I didn't know Paris has thrift stores too! I would like to check them out if possible.

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  13. StefPatt, I'm so glad that you liked my posts of Paris. Seeing that there has been a few requests for thrift/consignment stores in Paris, I'll compile my information and post it next week.

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  14. Sharon, what a coincidence! You should've bought the Ferragamo heels. I got them resoled at a highly recommended cobbler in London who specializes in Louboutin heels. I figure it's so darn hard to find a pair in my size I was going to make sure these heels last. Funny that, the other name for Lil L is monkey. I even bought her a monkey t-shirt and PJs seeing the name suits her perfectly.

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  15. Can you disclose the name of the cobbler that you mentioned?

    I have a couple pairs of shoes (including Louboutins) that are in deep need of resoling!

    Thanks!

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  16. Mona, I've listed the name and address of the cobbler below. I gave him a pair of badly scuffed Hermes riding boots to be resoled and he polished them and colored them in. They looked like new when I picked them up. Hope this helps!

    Classic Shoes
    23-25 Brecknock Road
    London N7 0BL
    020 7485 5275
    Tube: Kentish Town

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  17. Wow - you got some great deals! Sadly, we don't get many designer pieces in Alabama thrift stores. I do sometimes "thrift" on ebay or etsy, but it's always harder to make a vintage purchase when you can't see the item in person.

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  18. The Blonde, it was a waste of time checking out the thrift shops in NZ but London, well, that's a whole different story. I've found a lot of great deals on eBay too. it's a wonderful treasure trove.

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  19. Thank you so much! I can't wait to note down the addresses of the thrift shops you will be recommending!!!

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  20. Thank you for the address! Appreciate it!

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  21. tt's the thing about western countries tt i like--sales are real sales n the stuff are quality stuff.
    quick, get the nude heels b4 the winter or u'll miss the trend. kate wears lk bennett nudes but i didn't find lk bennet shoes tt comfortable. if there's a shoe i want this year, it's the nude pumps too, pref the louboutin (70mm?) if u find a good pair, please shout!!! again, find it quickly!!

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  22. You can find truly amazing treasures in certain thrift shops in wealthy parts of the town. I've never bothered with LK Bennett only because they never ever have my size. I've found the nude colored Muse by Stuart Weitzman (looks exactly like Louboutin Simple in 70mm) to be very comfy but the size I tried on was slightly too big. I'm hoping to locate a pair on eBay.

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  23. you scored this CHANEL TWEED JACKET FOR 110 pounds?!?!??! that is truely the sale of a lifetime!! omg super find!! so lucky! it's gorgeous!

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  24. Lisa, I guess I shouldn't tell you my other Chanel scores :P It's bit of a hit and miss though. I've been very lucky over the years.

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