Fashion forward: How charities can ride the thrift trend

Charities have always been fashionable. London Fashion Week (LFW) has traditionally been one of the ripest grounds for charities to showcase partnerships and impact.

 

Smart Works, with eight centres across the UK, took aim at fashion lovers. They partnered with like-minded charity British Fashion Council to deliver the Smartworks x Covent Garden event. Up-and-coming and showcased designers like Mulberry, Olivia Burton, and The Outnet sold wares at discounted prices. The proceeds went directly to Smart Works.

 

While LFW is an iconic event, wider trends in the economy are opening opportunities for more charities to be fashionable – particularly for those with shops.

 

 

Why be fashionable now?

 

Overall financial, tech, and sustainability trends are creating growth conditions for charities with retail shops. From a financial perspective, the cost-of-living squeeze and inflation means that customers are looking for ways to save money on essentials. Charity shop shopping, vintage, and second-hand shops are the way to go for many families on a budget.

 

Technology has also made it easier for sellers to share fashion ideas and sell products. Videos are easy to create and produce. Platforms like Shopify help shop keepers manage inventory and sell even when stores are closed.

 

And trends in sustainability are making shoppers more aware of waste. Fast-fashion, low-quality fabrics, and the sheer waste of clothing made headlines. Early in 2025, the BBC shared how overwhelmed fabric recyclers are and what local communities are doing about it. Many community members are helping to repurpose items and encouraging people to donate and buy from charity shops.

 

 

Who’s making a mark in charity fashion?

 

Given the rise in sustainability, charity shopping is a having a moment. Fans are flocking to thrifting trends, combining bargain hunting with fashion finds. A few of the top social media accounts showcase the fashion adventure.

 

CharityShopLife on YouTube has some of the highest views, capturing in some videos nearly a quarter of a million viewers. Digging deeper, we can understand why. Danielle, the account owner, checks out luxury hauls from local charity shops and then shows them off. One of her more successful videos features her and her husband shopping in wealthy areas. In her short video, ‘Can’t believe my husband found these’, she ventures into Barnardo’s in Marylebone and checks out all the designer finds. The most exciting thing for shoppers is that Danielle has done her homework. She shares how much the wares retail for and then how much shoppers save by going thrifting.

 

Another gem is Jami Ray Vintage. With around 228,000 subscribers, the Thrift With Me UK channel features Jami Ray and her husband Zeb’s adventures in small towns and charity shops. Some of the retailers featured includes British Heart Foundation and Goodwill.

 

Many of the UK videos reveal the couple’s road trip and consideration of what trinkets they’ll import back to the US. What makes these videos and shorts compelling is that they don’t just focus on fashion but on stylish homewares.

 

Styling is also a critical element in many of the fashion videos. Elegantly Knackered Style is an account featuring a 52-year-old woman who says she has unapologetic outfit energy. Her videos speak to the entire movement. In one video, she heads to Norwich to see what finds she can discover. She then shares what she purchased – in this case, a tweed jacket and how it can be styled with a brooch and existing leopard blouse.

 

 

How charities can harness the fashion forward trend

 

For charities looking at partnerships or shooting their own videos for the fashion forward, we reveal what we’ve learned on fashion videos.  

 

 

Showcase the charity shop location

 

Charity shoppers and influencers always note which store location that they are at. For charities, this could result in extra footfall.

 

 

Share the journey

 

Many amateur shoppers take stock of charity shop surroundings, like village high streets, historic monuments, and vintage shops. Extra curation makes sense for overseas trips.

 

 

Let audiences know what the savings are

 

Sharing savings is a must! Nearly every video showcases how much something was purchased for or how much was saved when compared to the retail price. This gives audiences a thrill.

 

 

Styling tips with items from home

 

For every generation thrifting, styling tips are also a must. Audiences want to know how to incorporate into a wardrobe, how to repurpose, or how to integrate things into their existing lifestyle.

 

 

Hype up excitement of luxury finds

 

Luxury items and materials pique viewership. Videos showing how luxurious a sweater is or how much a name brand item has been reduced makes it exciting.