I think now one can feel pretty safe in saying that it's common knowledge that "thrift-store chic",…read moremore often than not, is a mere farce. The actuality of it is: the coolest kids on that block have spent far too much money on looking "cheap" to be able to consider them thrifty at all. Not that there's anything wrong with this... I'm by no means the coolest kid on the block, but I too (like most) have be known to indulge on items of clothing that are a little out of my budget. I do, however, also have a little trick up my sleeve: the Walworth Road charity shops, Salvation Army in particular. Charity shopping requires dedication. I may have an upper hand having easy access to Walworth Road, but more often than not I manage to walk away from the Salvation Army shop a happy man (and believe it or not, being tall and skinny it's incredibly hard to find well fitting clothes so give us a break!). Although these clothes haven't received the tailoring and haberdashery that you would find in a high end boutique, I have managed to find both lambs wool and cashmere sweaters; as well a fine array of jackets; and the odd guilty pleasure plaid shirt, all for very little money. Don't get me wrong, this isn't some kind of magic fashion shop were they sell everything you want for a few bob, but the odd finds you get from here seem to make it worthwhile. The staff are an admirable group of friendly locals who seem to love a radio station stuck in the 1960s; and aside from your fashion needs there is a fine selection of quick reads, as well as quirky trinkets to help decorate your home. No you won't be able to buy your winter wardrobe here, but it's worth a look in just in case.

I'm not a big fan of vintage, so it's unsurprising that I left without buying anything. But if you…read morereally like vintage, and you really like designer brands (Hermes, Prada, etc) there's a pretty good selection here. They tend to label the pieces with gigantic tags that includes the brand name, year, and price. Downstairs is a Bargain Basement, and I seriously felt like I was going to get murdered there due to how small the room is and how low the ceiling are. If I'd gone missing, nobody would ever know... but seriously though, there's some more interesting stuff to browse through downstairs. I saw some Salvatore Ferragamo women's shoes.

"I got you babe. I got you babe." As I walked in the door, this is what Retromania informed me…read morewith the crooning voices of Sonny and Cher. No matter how hard they tried to convince me, however, I managed to evade the fingers of 'being got' in the elusive game of shop tag. What i mean by such convoluted words is that although Retromania was fine, it failed to get my attention in any way. A bit over priced with hats between 10 and 60 pounds, a Gianni Frattini dress at 100, and a slightly stained 30's-style dress at 70, I was not enchanted just like a Snow White who didn't eat her apple. Retromania's got your run-of-the-mill vintage and your run-of-the-other-mill "is it really worth this much?" prices. On the reverse-run-of-the-mill, the shop does have a good, funky feel to it and their music selection which went from Sonny and Cher into the Beatles was unobtrusively nice. Now like Ionesco, I'll write "I'm waiting for the aqueduct to come and see me at my windmill," because that involves very non-run-of-the-mill mill situations.

Think you can open a new vintage shop eh? Think you're special do you? "Vintage Heaven indeed!" I…read morewas prepared to scoff after leaving this new store. I had to eat these words before they even came out of my mouth. Vintage Heaven does live up to its name by being not only very competitively priced but also stocked to the brim with goodies. They even have bloomers and although some people might draw the line at second hand pants, I say if you're going to do it, do it right. You could actually get an entire outfit here from bloomers to coat and hat for under £100 although you might be put off trying it on in their skanky cupboard of a fitting room. Despite that little inconvenience, I have to say, I am rather impressed and this shop might even make it possible on a rainy day to knock off walking all the way down Cheshire Street to Beyond Retro.

"I started wearing vintage as I'm a cheapskate" - A quote made by one of my friend's. Ah yes 'tis…read moretrue I am I am I am a c.s lol A simple shop with a touch of vintage, this shop IS what it said it is "Vintage Heaven" (excluding the white fluffy clouds, golden pavements and Angel's). They sell/stock classical menswear, ladies wear, kids wear and accessories at reasonable prices. The members of staff are polite and very helpful. If you want to experience the true essence of vintage then Vintage Heaven is the place to be.

Quaint charity shop near Norwich Castle. Clothing selection…read morewas quite good, and had a changing room, with other nearby didn't offer. Little of everything you might need. Friendly staff too. I didn't buy any treasures but I didn't have a lot of room in my luggage.

What do an astronaut and this Trinity Hospice have in common? Read this review to find out…read more I went here twice. The second time was immediately after the first because I'd dropped my mitten and had to go back and fetch it. This charity shop has got a unique characteristic that may be of interest to some people, but it hammered no nails for me. About 1/4 of this shop is chock full of yarn. Perhaps people buy it for knitting, but I'm inclined to think the the workers at this shop like to twine themselves into different colored balls and run around the streets saying "boo!" If you should ever need yarn for that purpose, you could definitely find some there. Besides yarn, there are the usual charity shop staples - clothes, shoes, house goods and cheap (in both senses of the word) jewelery. Where as I value charity shops for the awesome finds they can turn up once in a while, this one was no treasure chest. Captain Jack Sparrow must have rummaged through first. A.k.a, nothing super exciting. Maybe something good pops up here once in a while - I'm sure it does - but it was not an on day when I went there. It was clean and bright, nice wooden floor, and voila. So you want to know about the astronaut? Eh ? Eh? Well both the shop and Saturn have rings some times. Don't get it? Me either.

I am not a huge vintage fan, but I thought I'd do my bit for the Yelp community and pop into Camden…read moreThrift Store for a peruse. This store has a great selection of ladies gear, and the prices are reasonable. The guys selection isn't as vast, in fact there seems to be just a couple of rails with men's clothing. So ladies indulge, you can dress yourself her from top to tail with some fab thrifty terrificness. So guys, this place maybe isn't for us but ladies if you aren't in the mood for the hustle and bustle of Camden Market, check this place out for a quick fire bargain.

Walking into Camden Thrift Store is a bit of a Dr Who-like experience. Not only is the stock from…read moredifferent times but the place itself is like the Tardis - fairly unassuming on the outside, far bigger and far more fascinating on the inside. On a mission to find an outfit for a Mad Men party I was soon fitted up by the owner, Lee, with a vintage figure hugging sheath dress that Peggy would have been proud of. I found a silk scarf to tie round my neck and some patent court shoes. Result. There is so much stuff in this treasure trove the V&A could probably fill any gaps in their collection if they knew it existed. For 70's loons , 80's new romantic flouncy shirts, Jackie-O type handbags and straggly looking Afghan coats - this place has it all. I'm loathe to recommend it to other vintage lovers incase they nab the stuff I want,

To experience a charity shop from a time before it was the norm to only sell Gucci and Prada and…read moreOxfam stocked its own range of handmade and designed clothing, then this is the shop to visit. It is scatty, messy and basically a case of fumbling around through piles of unsorted stock. Personally I would avoid the clothes, I am sure that they have not been washed and unless you are looking to spend your next few years living on the streets, its generally not a good look to go for. The other items that they sell here excite me much more. Outside the shop you will normally find boxes full of books and records and in the front window are piles of old and often antique pieces of china, glassware and trinkets. There often seems to be a chattering number of people behind and around the counter, rather unsure of whether they work here or not and how much things cost. But you can pick up some absolute bargains, it's a quirky little shop but I love its old fashioned and confused mess.

What a transformation of the shop.... gone is the untidy pile of dirty clothes, the awful smelll…read moreand in has come crisp displays, excellent prices and a new clean look. But it's still quirky and has a rummage factor.... and it has its own unique style... with the opportunity to still grab a bargain - well worth a visit

Really lovely little charity shop. It opened late part of 2009…read more Very well presented and doesn't look that much like a charity shop until one takes a closer look!! They carry a good number of new goods (in small quantities which suggests that they were donated possibly by businesses), particularly gift items. Overall presentation is 'cute' and 'feminine'. Lots of bargains for decorative home wares and well worth visiting to see what one could pick up!! There is a second hand books section in a separate annex at the back of the shop which often has rare and unusual titles. The staff takes great care to present merchandise well. Recommended. Support it!

Charity shops are enjoying a little bit of a renaissance at the moment, and I suppose it has a lot…read moreto do with everyone's fascination for vintage. This shop in particular, which is a charity supporting HIV and AIDS has been labelled the 'Harvey Nics' of charity shops and it's not hard to see why. Crusaid has an eccentric and eclectic selection of items, like a lion-handelled walking stick and picnic hampers to designer coats and bags from £30. Labels often donate in here including Ralph Lauren and Givenchy, so look out for some ridiculously great bargains.

Cute little charity shop located in a quiet street just off Warwick way. Friendly staff. Some good…read moreitems from time to time, thanks to donations from well off locals. Though the newly opened Chocolate Elephant charity shop near by now provides competition!

Do I like this shop? Yes. Do I think it is a little overpriced? Yes…read more So being the queen of vintage that I am, I have my eye out for good quality, affordable retro clothes. Soho Vintage, well, it kinda ticks my boxes. It's not huge but it has a decent enough selection. It also seems to stock some great men's wear. Need a leather jacket? You'll find one here boys. The shop is hidden off a back street and can be missed but if you're in the area it's worth popping in. The lady behind the counter was very friendly and helpful if a little distracted by the phone. Vintage enthusiasts, check out this space!

Yesterday I happened upon a perfectly respectable little vintage store hidden away on an an…read moreotherwise abandoned and un-trafficked corner of Soho. Encouraged by an easel sign on the busy Broadwick Street, I headed down the quiet Ingestre Place to the open door (and arms) of Soho Vintage. The tiny space was filled with a plethora of styles. From an antique Victorian skirt to the 80s off-the-shoulder sweatshirts that are all the rage right now, Soho Vintage represented all. The prices were a bit on the dear side but, considering its prime location in Soho, not surprisingly so. If you find something you absolutely must have, a little light haggling might work for you here, since the shop is so small - rue the fact that those vintage boots are £35 and you might get them for £30. Overall, this proved to be a solid vintage store with a wide variety of items (at a variety of price ranges) that belied the shop's size.

A small charity shop with quite a bit a variety for its size - very close to the South Kensington…read moreTube station. I'm sure most people come in here looking for the locals' cast-offs... and while there are a couple of slightly interesting pieces, this shop is certainly not a bevy of buried fashionista treasure. But you're a die-hard thrift store browser, I would definitely recommend persistence when it comes to this place - from what I can tell, they have a good influx of stock, and if you get here early, there's certainly a chance you'll find something worthwhile before it all gets picked over. In addition to clothes (and shoes), there's also a decent selection of books and accessories, as well as some home accents. Men should also know that there's a section for them as large as the women's - pretty unusual for such shops! If you have any interest in browsing charity shops, definitely stop in if you're in the area - it's so small it certainly won't take you long to have a look around!