A friend recently told me about a new kind of charity shop in Reading. “Reworked for Oxfam” sells a mix of revamped customer donations and professionally repaired vintage garments.
The shop is situated in Harris arcade, not far from the station. Despite numerous visits to Reading, I’m ashamed to say I’d never been to the arcade before, lured straight to the delights of the modern Oracle shopping centre. Besides Oxfam, I found several independent shops, well worth a look, including a milliner’s and a tobacconist’s.
The Oxfam shop itself is small, and has a quirky boutique vibe, rather than that of a traditional charity shop. It’s a brilliant place to browse, as you never know what you are going to find. Each item is reworked by volunteers; their range of different skills ensure intriguing results. For example, two different shirts may have been merged to create a mix and match version, or a T.shirt given a ruffle trim on the neck. It sounds wacky, but for the most part the creations are in good taste. Anyone wanting truly original style should unearth many treasures as each item of clothing is totally unique.
The price points are higher than normal charity shops – a special dress will set you back about £60. But this is a high quality item and you can be confident you will not see anyone else in the same outfit.
I didn’t buy anything on my first visit but came away with loads of ideas for looking at my own wardrobe with new eyes, and how I could rework my own charity shop buys. Some of the best ideas were:
- Denim mixes with a variety of different fabrics – I spotted a denim skirt inset with a floral panel that worked well.
- Fur coats with their sleeves cut off to make jerkins
- Tops and skirts sewn together to make cute dresses
- Necklines embellished with ruffle trims
- Piped edges to add seam definition
- Adding beading and appliqué to create interesting textured fabrics
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