Sustainable fashion has been the hot topic of 2020, even though it’s been an issue for years, with many people raking through their wardrobes in lockdown and upcycling forgotten garms. Lots of us also profited from increased social media use and free time, creating content and turning normal hobbies into fully fledged small businesses. One of the good things to come out of this year and the time locked-down was increased awareness and publicity around the damage fast-fashion has done to our planet and the importance of shopping small. Before 2020, I shamefully was not involved in the sustainable fashion world – I used to get excited when I was given a big carrier bag in Topshop to carry everything I had bought. This is not a flex. However, this brings us to the age-old issue with sustainable brands … price. But this is where the dream boat that is charity shops come into our beautiful student lives. In and around Glasgow there is no shortage of charity/vintage shops for us to snap up some stunning pre-loved goods. In this mini guide I will include some of my favourite charity shops around our stunning city; where to seek out the best garms; the benefits of shopping second-hand and hopefully entice us skint students to shop sustainable on an accessible budget. Happy shopping eco-peeps! 

Charity shops are my first port of call when I want a ‘browse’. Yes, it is easy to browse on ASOS more than it is to haul yourself out the flat - this year, more so than any; but browsing in a charity shop has so many benefits against online fast fashion: 

1. Every single piece is pre-loved: you are already contributing to saving the planet before you even take anything home due to the simple fact you are not purchasing a ‘brand new’ garment. You are giving it a beautiful second life in your wardrobe when it already has a pre-loved story behind it. 

2. You can get some STEALZ. People donate cherished garments to charity shops they don’t want to go to waste and this is a 10/10 deal for us students. A girl I know got some Levi’s for £3 and another a House of Sunny coat for £20, these are insane deals you would never get on the branded websites. 

3. If the shops are non-profit like Cancer Research, you are donating to an invaluable charity doing amazing work, instead of helping a CEO buy their next holiday home. 

4. You’re shopping local AND second hand: Many, if not all charity shops in Glasgow house locally donated garments. Again, this helps the local community massively and keeps retail momentum within the area. Maybe you bought your upstairs neighbours jumper, who knows. 

My favourite Glasgow charity shops: 

Cancer Research UK, Queen Street

This store is quite small, but it has a good selection of both mens’ and women’s clothing which I sometimes find a lack of in second-hand stores. Of course, there is no template when it comes to who can wear what but the store in Queen Street has divided the store evenly for you to snatch up a cute skirt, or an oversized flannel. Or both. This store also has a little hallway at the end full of gift ideas and wrapping paper around the holiday season, great for people who can’t afford to splurge on wrapping/cards and also want to support a charity rather than a corporation. CRUK is always going to have my heart in Glasgow, I have a close friend who volunteers there, and she always texts me when they get some cute donations in! (£2 CRUK jumper-dress) 

British Heart Foundation, Byres Road 

This is one of the best charity shops in the West End for one reason: accessories. BHF on Byres Road have a decent sized section dedicated to accessories such as headscarves, bags, rings and hats. I am genuinely not sure if the stores around Glasgow split-up the features and maybe this one is the one where accessories are sent, but it’s great! Charity shops are often branded as a place for forgotten clothes, but people never think of accessories as being re-usable second hand! I absolutely love the BHF in Byres Road. The staff are so sweet and always help me pick out some funky garms. I got a pink scarf recently (originally from ASOS) for £3 and have worn it EVERYWHERE since. It’s little things that you’d run to Primark for that can really make a difference to the planet and indeed your shopping habits if you have a rummage around the charity shops for. Byres Road is where to go! 

Barnardos UK, Great Western Road

This store is one of the bigger charity shops I have seen in Glasgow and I love them for it. Something that stands out about this store for me is the range of donations. Specifically, the ones that aren’t clothes. Barnardo’s on Great Western Road has a section purely for used toys and books for children. I’m including this one because of how close we are to Christmas, many people (including myself) are on a budget, regardless of how much they want to spend on their family. Stores like this one are a great place to get some good-quality gifts for loved ones while contributing to a good cause AND shopping second hand. I see absolutely no shame in a second-hand gift and there is increased acceptance of this especially this year after so many job losses. I love this store because I think it’s important for charity shops to house a variety of things as by description, they are not clothes shops. Saying that … I got a STUNNING green trench coat here a few months ago for £2 and it’s now my favourite coat.

This is just a small look into the sustainable second-hand world from a budgeted perspective, we would all love to be zero-waste and spend hundreds on sustainably made-to-order garments, but this just isn’t accessible as much as we’d like it to be. Second-hand shopping is so rewarding if you think of all the benefits while also purchasing ‘new’ clothes for yourself. Especially around Christmas, I urge you to get a festive Costa blend, head out and around Glasgow and rummage through these stunning charity shops and have a stylish, sustainable Christmas.