The Telstra Perth Fashion Festival’s Restyle: Photo-A-Day Op-Shop Challenge – a project that gets the best of Perth’s fashion bloggers to reimagine op-shop finds – is now in its second week. Jenelle Witty of Inspiring Wit and Vicki Thompson of The Fashionable Mum tell PENNY LANE how they’re going so far.
Jenelle has been shopping at Vinnies since the Restyle: Photo-a-day-Opshop Challenge began this August.
“I have been to over 20 of their Perth stores, and have found hidden gems throughout,” the blogger says. “However, the Retro Vinnies stores in Northbridge and Fremantle are Meccas for designer and awesome vintage pieces – you always find something.”
And what she’s found is truly amazing: she’s managed to pick up pieces by European designers like Chanel and Balmain.
“I think given how fast the fashion industry turns things over, reducing that footprint in any way that we can – say by recycling unwanted clothing –is important. The bonus is that the charity shops channel the revenue directly into community support programs, which are hugely vital to those in need.”
Jenelle says she’s been trying to encourage her followers to look at their wardrobes and see if there are things that they can all donate.
“As I have downsized my own closet, spending a year with a curated capsule wardrobe, I realised I could donate a lot, then shop smarter,” she says. “An awareness of what to donate helps the charities sort the items much faster and without losing money to tip fees. The money wasted dropping off old fridges to the tip is much better used elsewhere!”
Jenelle has been an avid op-shopper for years, saying that having something new and ‘On Trend’ to wear all the time can be boring.
“Finding one-off pieces that really grab your attention and communicate your style is far more interesting.”
Vicki from The Fashionable Mum says her blog is all about “sneaking style into the grocery budget”, which melds perfectly with the theme behind Restyle.
“I’m a fervent and frequent op-shopper, so the idea of styling an outfit every day for a month, all based around thrifted goodies seemed too great an opportunity to pass up,” Vicki says. “I want people to be more aware of the fabulous treasures that you can find at your local op-shop.”
The yummy mummy and blogger loves spending a couple of hours (child free) scanning the racks of thrift shops near her.
“A few of the pieces I’ve thrifted for the project have been menswear, and it’s great to try something new,” Vicki says. “For example, men’s trousers have a really fabulous ‘boyfriend’ look and op-shops are full of them.”
Vicki is exclusively representing the Salvation Army through her blog posts. “I’ve always been a great fan of Salvos Stores,” she says. “Their op-shops are always beautifully laid out and priced really reasonably. My favourite one (though I don’t know if I should share, as you might buy all the fabulous stuff!) is Salvo Whitfords. Though I’ve recently been told that Myaree is getting some incredible designer items in at the moment….”
Vicki Thompson’s look for day 10: Spots and Dots.
