Charity Shop Chic: Toddler Girl Haul – plus tips

To say I’m not interested in clothes and fashion isn’t really true. I am, it’s just that I have never found a style that actually suits me – I have a post coming on this – and so end up wearing the same old things day after day.

Freya, though, is a different matter. Ever since she was tiny I have taken great pleasure in her wardrobe and, I suppose like most mums, I love picking bits and bobs up for her.

The trouble is she is growing so quickly that she hardly seems to get any wear out of them before she needs to go up a size, which is not only expensive but wasteful too.

As a result, I mainly try and buy her pre-loved and in the style of the “haul posts” I see people occasionally do, I thought I would show you my latest goodies, which came to the grand total of £1.

I’m lucky in that I have three charity shops within walking distance and we pop in a fair bit as we are on the way to different places (I don’t buy something every day, honest).

Can’t Swing A Cat did a great post with tips for bagging the best stuff for adults in charity shops but I thought I would share my top tips for baby and toddler shopping too.

1. Dig for victory. Some smaller charity shops don’t hang children’s clothes because they simply don’t have the space but that doesn’t mean they don’t have them. The ones above were in a wire basket outside the shop.

2. Can’t find what you want? Ask. I got this advice straight from the manager of one of the shops we visit. She told me to always ask because they have things out the back waiting to go out. I don’t know if it’s the same in all shops but if you don’t ask, you don’t get.

3. Visit often. People donate things all the time but from what I understand shops also have items on rotation where goods come from a central warehouse or other stores for a period of time. Blink and you could miss them.

4. Shop online. If you don’t have any charity shops nearby, don’t forget you can buy pre-loved online too. I love Ebay (especially bundles of baby and children’s clothes), although I have to set myself a limit before I start bidding otherwise the adrenalin kicks and I get trigger happy with my mouse. Never take me to an actual auction, unless you want to pay over the odds.

5. Reuse. While I love a bargain, I do sometimes worry that I should be paying more – it is for charity, after all. To make myself feel better I just think of it as renting the clothes because, once Freya has finished with them, the ones that still have life left in them go back to the charity shop to be sold and reused again.

Some of my favourite outfits for Freya have come from charity shops and she is even starting to pick the odd item herself – although I think she liked Peppa Pig rather than the actual top.

Do you love charity shops as much as me? Any tips I have missed? What has been your favourite buy?