Celebrating National Op-Shop Week Australia
Above: Nora Finds
Above: The Pineneedle Collective
Above: A Walk in the Park
Above: Doris Anne - Feathers and Things
Above: Fancy Treehouse
Above: Hannah Hayes
Above: Steffy's Pros and Cons
From the 24 August to Sunday 31 August it's National Op-Shop Week here in Australia! Since this is a topic that we're pretty passionate about here at Whim, we thought we'd do something special to celebrate it.
Both Lucinda and I had planned to haul some of our most favourite op-shop (also known as charity or thrift) finds to Sydney University to do a fashion shoot at the historic and beautiful grounds, however unfortunately Sydney weather has been nothing but grey skies and rain of late, so we had to postpone.
Deeperate to still publish a post within the allocated Op-Shop Week, I've decided to showcase some of Whim's most favourite thrifty bloggers, along with an array of outfits they have put together using mostly or all op-shop finds. The first two bloggers (The Pineneedle Collective and Nora Finds) are Australian bloggers, whilst the other talented ladies come from America and the UK. Not only do I hope you can find some thrifty outfit inspiration from these bloggers, but I hope they also show you that you CAN look great whilst shopping on-the-cheap (and helping out a much-needed cause in return).
This brings me to my next point for this post - Why should you be encouraged to buy from op-shops? There are several wonderful reasons, as outlined by NACRO.org:
- Every day, proceeds raised from the donated goods enable Australian charities to assist tens of thousands of people in need. Some of these community support programs enabled by Australia’s charity recycling operations include: Aged care services, Disaster recovery, Hospital and health services, Mental health services, Migrant and refugee assistance, and Suicide prevention counselling (to only name a few).
- Charity op shops annually divert some two billion items (over 300,000 tonnes) of clothing from landfill each year through their clothing donation bins and in-store donations
- Some 75 per cent is able to be recirculated through charity op shops, donated to those in need, reprocessed into functional textiles or sent to third world countries to provide clothing to many of the poorest people in the world.
As well as these important factors listed above, there are other benefits of shopping at op-shops, including the opportunity to discover one-off and unique items and the eradication of 'buyer's remorse' (the money you exchange for your goods actually goes towards many GOOD causes - Not to an already-rich, multi-billion dollar company).
So how can you get on-board and help to support charitable recycling organisations this National Op-Shop Week (or even better, ALL year round)?
- De-clutter your house and decide upon some items that are still in good condition, yet you don't need or use any more. Donate these to your local charity shop to help out those in need!
- Go through your wardrobe and look for any garments that no longer fit you, or perhaps you just don't wear any more. Make sure the garments are clean and undamaged if you are going to donate them.
- Lastly, the extra fun option! Head to your local op-shop (or go on an op-shop crawl to a few different charity shops) and discover items / garments / accessories that you love, all for only a few dollars. You never know what you'll find - Some of my most treasured and valuable finds so far have included a 100% wool David Lawrence skirt ($4), a gingham-print American Apparel skirt ($3), a brand-new Dorothy Perkins black dress still with its tag ($10) and a 100% silk Witchery blouse ($8) - Score!
To view more information about National Op-Shop Week, please visit the National Op-Shop Week website at OpShopWeek.com.au. We also encourage you to show your support by liking the Op-Shop Week Facebook page. Enjoy!
What are your top op-shop tips? We'd love to know! Please leave them in the comments below :)
- Melanie