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W
hatever you want a new outfit
for, Henley, Wimbledon or even a
summer wedding, you probably
want something lovely that does
not cost the earth and that no one else will be
wearing.
Most of us would not think of looking in a local
charity shop for an outfit and accessories, but
you would be amazed at what gems you can
find.
Helen & Douglas House in Bartholomew
Street, Newbury, recently invited a personal
stylist in to find two outfits for one shopper.
Newbury personal stylist is a
great fan
Newbury personal stylist
Victoria Lochhead, who
runs Frankie and Ruby, is
a real fan of charity shop
shopping and has written
a book called
In The
Jumble
, available on
Amazon, about the joys
of finding, buying and
wearing second-hand
clothes.
Victoria decided to
hold one of her personal styling
sessions at the Helen & Douglas House
shop recently with one of her clients Diana
Pattendon.
They were amazed at what treasures they
found and how much fun it was shopping at a
charity shop.
The client brief
Diana, from Newbury, was looking for two
outfits and the styling session started with
her talking to Newbury shop manager Diane
Batten about what she was looking for, with
Victoria advising on the right colours, shape
and style for Diana.
The colour blocking of clothes in this shop
helped make the selection of clothes quick and
easy.
The city break outfit
The outfit Victoria choose for her city break
was a lovely Per Una long-sleeve Cerise top
with beautiful broderie anglais detail (£4), the
right shade for someone like Diana with a
winter colouring, a lovely matching necklace
(£2) and a smart pair of white cotton trousers
(£4.50) which were perfect for Diana’s straight
lines.
It cost just £10 for a whole new outfit for her
weekend away.
The wedding outfit
Victoria choose a beautiful Kaliko grey jacket
(£7.50) made of a high quality fabric in Diana’s
colours.
There were several great jackets to choose
from, including a Ralph Lauren jacket for £15.
Diana does not like showing her knees so they
choose a longer, patterned skirt (£5).
All the outfit needed to complete the look was
a splash of colour by adding one of Helen
& Douglas House’s brand new
fascinators in pink (£9.99).
This stunning wedding outfit cost just
£22.49.
Prom and Wedding Dresses
This shop is an Aladdin’s cave with a wonderful
collection of preloved and new wedding
dresses on the third floor.
This includes long evening dresses from just
£30, and with Diana having two daughters
going to school proms this summer, she will be
coming back with them to take a look.
Diana Pattendon, the model, said: “Finding
an outfit in a charity shop might seem a little
daunting.
“The shopping experience is fun, the cost is
unbelievably low and what’s more your money
supports an amazing charity.”
Victoria Lochhead said: “In my experience as a
personal stylist, looking fabulous needn’t cost
the earth.
“Charity shopping is the ultimate in recycling,
and is so easy to do. I particularly love to
shop in the Helen & Douglas House shop in
Newbury.
“The shop is really well laid out, organised by
colour, and is run by a very friendly and helpful
team. “We found some wonderful outfits in the
right style, colour and size.
If you’ve never been charity shopping, I pop in
to Helen & Douglas House, because you never
know what treasure is waiting there for you!”
Watch the film of this personal styling session
at the Helen & Douglas House You Tube
channel.
#foundathdh
Looking great, doing good
It needn’t cost the earth to look fabulous, as one lucky shopper discovered at Helen & Douglas House charity
shop in Newbury recently. JANET CARRUZZO finds out more
Victoria, Shop Manager
Diane and Diana
Diana in her wedding outfit
The Helen & Douglas House charity shop fact file
n
It is the only charity shop in Newbury where the money raised
helps local families.
n
The charity cares for terminally-ill children and young adults
living in the Newbury area.
n
One bag of donated clothes can be worth on average £40 to
the charity, which is increased by 25% if you use a Gift Aid card.
n
They get a huge range of great donations, from high street
brands to high value items like Louis Vuitton handbags and
Jimmy Choo shoes.
n
All the stock is replenished every two weeks. There is a high
turnover of stock so pop in regularly to find new bargains.
Pick of the week
What’s new in at Helen &
Douglas House
Keep up-to-date on what new
clothing has come in to the shop
every Tuesday during July and
August on social media.
www.hdh.org.uk Fora wedding and evening dress
appointments please call 01635
49695.