Get the look at the right price!

By Camille Jones

camille.jones@gulfweekly.com

American rapper, Mackelmore sings about his faux leopard mink he found for 0.99 cents in his latest hit, Thrift Shop and about all his other beloved charity-shop finds that did not cost a ‘hella’ amount of dough.

If you want to be a ‘second-hand hautee’ and discover some retro digs yourself, check out the BSPCA’s designer sale that will happen this Saturday from 1pm to 5pm at Busheiri Gardens in Budaiya.

It is all for a good cause because the proceeds will go towards running the organisation’s animal welfare centre.

Charity clothing shops are not just for tree-huggers and retro-shopping teens anymore. Anyone can benefit from stopping by for a look around.

Aside from supporting the stray animals here in Bahrain, you will be walking away with name brand clothing for less and able to experiment with styles and colours you many not normally buy. It will not feel like such a risk snatching up that paisley cardigan or fluorescent cropped-shirt if it only cost you a few dinars.

Furthermore, kids usually grow out of their clothing before it has even started to wear-and-tear, therefore, it’s not hard to find quality clothing for your children at bargain prices too.

Sarah Khouri, BSPCA store manager, said: “Our designer sale is not only a charity event to raise money for the animals but it also gives the opportunity for people that might not normally be able to afford luxury brands.

“Last time we had a very good response and people were queuing at the door to get in. We can only let 50 to 60 people in at a time and actually had to place a voluntary security guard to keep a calm environment inside.”

If you are lucky, there are rare hidden gems in between the racks of Granny’s jumpers and Uncle Pete’s trousers. There are some leading brands that have been cast aside for various reasons. Some items just didn’t fit their owners anymore, others were impulse buys and some belong to people so filthy rich they can afford to rotate new clothing every season, even if they’ve not got round to wearing what’s been hanging in the wardrobe.

As the saying goes, one person’s trash is another man’s treasure so you can even find stuff with the price tag still on it. It can be fun hunting for that rare find because once you discover your first designer dress for a fraction of the original price it gives you bragging rights for days. Nobody really needs to know where you actually picked it up from, do they?

Who cares if someone has already worn the Karen Millen from last season, she probably donated it because she got a bit podgy from eating too many sweets and now you are the richer for a fraction of the mall outlet price paid. Yeah, all the power to you, this can be intensely exciting for the intelligent ones. Quite honestly, why would you pay full price for something timeless and in perfect condition? Do the maths, it means you can afford to buy more!

Don’t miss out on this one-day designer sale and maybe it will open the door for you to explore the thrifty frugal life while looking like an A-lister.

Here is a comparison of the estimated retail and discounted thrift store price of styled outfits. These bargain outfits, modelled by Ana Foltin, were spotted during an exclusive media preview afternoon.