Fashion
I’ve bagged Chanel suits for £50 & Fendi tees for 50p, here’s how YOU can get a designer wardrobe on the cheap
A WOMAN has revealed how she bagged a designer wardrobe on the cheap thanks to her charity shop addiction.
Abigale Masters, 22, who lives with her parents in Kent, has been shopping second hand since she was a teen and has been hooked ever since.
Speaking exclusively to Fabulous, Abigale also revealed how to find designer garments for cheapAbigale Masters
While her peers were fighting over the latest Primark ‘IT piece’, Abigale was fending off the local pensioners at Oxfam, easily being the youngest clientele.
Speaking exclusively to Fabulous, she says: “My interest in fashion started at a very young age.
”I remember playing doll dress up games on my computer.
“I loved it so much so when I got a bit older and could go out alone I started venturing to charity shops.
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“Everyone my age was going to Topshop or River Island but I didn’t want to look like the other girls so that’s why I went to the charity shops and from there I have never looked back.”
Desperate to stand out from the crowd, Abigale found herself putting together outfits her classmates wouldn’t have thought up in their wildest dreams.
But while she accomplished her desire to stand out, she admits she wasn’t always standing out for the right reasons.
“Non-school uniform days were my most feared days becauseI knew I would be ridiculed by the girls at school in their Topshop Joni jeans and crop tops,” she recalls.
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“On one occasion I came in wearing a pair of baggy jeans with a basketball top and a Fendi baguette bag.
“I was the coolest person ever but not to the people in my school and I remember the boys laughing at me and girls singling me out and not wanting to be friends with me.
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“They told me I dressed like an old man and that my clothes smelt. Even the parents would make remarks to my mum about me wearing charity shop clothes.”
However, once Abigale began her fashion course at the University of Creative Arts in Epsom she began noticing that people were admiring her style rather than ridiculing it.
She began to slowly build up a social media presence and when the pandemic hit she launched her TikTok account which saw her following blow up.
Abigale, who works at the second-hand start-up Finds, now boasts almost 17,000 followers who flock to her account for advice on bagging their own second-hand wardrobe.
However, while Abigale is thrilled with her growing presence, she is less than with the increasing trend of buying second hand.
The whole point is to make money for charity, not for profit.”
Abigale Masters
“We’ve come a long way and wearing charity shop clothes is now a trend which I don’t particularly agree with,” she admits.
“I hate that resellers are going into charity shops and sourcing all of these things and popping them on Depop for £40.
“Charity shops are an outlet for those who can’t afford high street stores so if you’re going in there for a profit I think that’s morally wrong.
“The whole point is to make money for charity, not for profit.”
Amazingly Abigale keeps almost all of her finds, and those that don’t make the cut will be donated back to charity rather than sold on.
Over the years she has built up quite the collection of designer goods, boasting a collection most women in their 20s could only dream of.
The fashion lovers managed to bag an authentic Fendi t-shirt for less than a poundAbigale Masters
Abigale’s wardrobe staples
A white shirt is a basic thing you need in your wardrobe. You can wear it with a leather vest if you want to go for a Bella Hadid moment. You could wear it with multiple ties to go with a preppy cute look. You could wear it under a silk dress in the summer.
A pair of loafers are very easy to find in charity shops; they go with trousers, they go with skirts, they even go with tracksuits.
A pleated skirt moment is also a real look, skirts over trousers are currently quite a funky trend or you can wear it with a cami top.
A classic blazer is the easiest thing to find in charity shops, I could buy a blazer every single time I go to a charity shop and I have to stop myself. They are the number one staple for me because they are so versatile.
“There was a time I went into a charity shop and I paid £50 for a Chanel suit,” she recalls.
“I picked up an authentic Fendi t-shirt for 50p in a carboot sale and when I last went charity shopping with my mum I bagged a Burberry dress that was the perfect fit for a fiver.”
But before you head out to the Cancer Research shop on the Kings Road, Abigale has some advice when it comes to choosing your target shop.
“You can’t go charity shopping in London or any big city,” she says.
“In London they know the worth of the clothing and so won’t sell it for cheap, you’ll end up paying £20 for a Zara dress.
“Your best bet is vintage shops such as Beyond Retro and Serotonin instead as the prices tend to be more affordable.
“The suburbs and small towns are where I would suggest going charity shopping especially if you are looking for high quality items because people donate regularly.”
So how does the self-described charity shop queen do so well shopping second hand?
Abigale claims the secret to shopping success is time.
She explains: “I check every single section, you can not skip a section because. I check the kids’ section for t-shirts, the men’s section for blazers.
“I will even check the pyjama and lingerie section for cute slip dresses. You have to be prepared to spend about 20 minutes in there.
“You have to be really patient. If you’re in a rush don’t go charity shopping because you will not find anything.
“It’s not a high street store, things won’t be merchandised for you, you have to put the work in to find things
“That’s why I love it, it’s like a hunt and I feel a sense of accomplishment when I find that perfect outfit.”
Abigale’s 5 tips for bagging a charity shop bargain
If you’re an ASOS fan, check out Scope. They have a deal with ASOS where they take the online store’s old stock and sell it off instead of it going to landfill, and you can often find a bargain.
2. Don’t forget to look in the menswear section. Abigale is a big fan of blazers (she told viewers she owns about 76) and large shirts, and often styles them with ties that can also be found in the menswear section of the charity shop.
3. Likewise, make sure you check out the accessories – the bags, hats and jewellery – which people often forget to do.
4.If an item is damaged, don’t be afraid to ask for a discount. You’re still giving to charity and it’s not wrong to ask for some money off if there’s damage, like Abigale did with her £15 boots, getting them down to £12.
5.If you find one item from a two-piece in a charity shop, don’t rule out buying it. As with Abigale’s ASOS skirt, she’s going to be looking on sites such as Vinted and Depop to try and find the matching top – so all is not lost.
ve bagged Chanel suits for £20 & Fendi tees for a fiver, heres how YOU can get a designer wardrobe on the cheapAbigale Masters
Abigale’s videos have been liked more than 525,000 times on TikTokAbigale Masters
