Fill a Bag: Our Charity Shop Adventures
If you follow us on Instagram, you'll know that we absolutely love a charity shop trip. It's not just a necessary part of our business — it's genuinely one of the best bits. There's something almost meditative about working your way through a rail of clothes, not quite knowing what treasure you might find.
Today, I'm taking you behind the scenes on one of our typical charity shop adventures.
The Strategy
Okay, so we're not total amateurs at this point. We've developed a bit of a system:
Best days to shop: Tuesday, Wednesday, and Saturday mornings. That's when most charity shops put out fresh stock.
What we're looking for: Children's denim jackets in good condition, ideally mid-wash blue. We also keep an eye out for dungarees, denim dresses (which we can sometimes upcycle into bags), and any other denim pieces with potential.
Size range: Mainly 6 months to 8 years. That's our sweet spot.
What we avoid: Anything with holes, heavy staining, or really poor quality stitching. We want every Everleigh & Co piece to last, so we're quite fussy about the starting material.
Our Favourite Shops
We won't reveal all our secrets (a sourcer never tells!), but we have a real soft spot for:
- British Heart Foundation — consistently great quality children's section
- Sue Ryder — often has brilliant denim pieces
- Local independent charity shops — sometimes the smaller ones have the hidden gems
- Vintage fairs — more expensive, but you can find some absolute beauties
The "Fill a Bag" Trick
Some charity shops have those amazing "fill a bag for £X" sales. When these happen, it's GAME ON. We've managed to fill an entire carrier bag with quality denim pieces for as little as £5. Five quid! That's several future jackets and bags, all destined to become one-of-a-kind creations.
The adrenaline rush of a fill-a-bag sale is honestly better than any Black Friday deal. Fight me on that.
It's Not Just About the Denim
One thing I've come to really appreciate about charity shopping is the wider impact. When we buy from charity shops, we're:
- Supporting charities — every penny goes to a good cause
- Keeping clothes out of landfill — giving them a second (or third!) life
- Reducing demand for new production — less manufacturing, less pollution, less waste
- Discovering unique pieces — every find is different
Plus, there's the community aspect. We've gotten to know some of the volunteers at our regular shops, and they've started putting denim aside for us when it comes in. That kind of personal connection is what makes small-town charity shopping so lovely.
Want to See Our Finds?
We often share our charity shop hauls on Instagram Stories — the good, the bad, and the "what even is this?" moments. Give us a follow at @everleighandcompany and come treasure hunting with us!
And if you've got any charity shop tips of your own, we'd love to hear them. DM us!