Out & About July 2017

Victoria, Shop Manager Diane and Diana

Looking great, doing good It needn’t cost the earth to look fabulous, as one lucky shopper discovered at Helen & Douglas House charity shop in Newbury recently. JANET CARRUZZO finds out more

W hatever you want a new outfit for, Henley, Wimbledon or even a summer wedding, you probably want something lovely that does not cost the earth and that no one else will be wearing. Most of us would not think of looking in a local charity shop for an outfit and accessories, but you would be amazed at what gems you can find. Helen & Douglas House in Bartholomew Street, Newbury, recently invited a personal stylist in to find two outfits for one shopper. Newbury personal stylist is a great fan

(£4.50) which were perfect for Diana’s straight lines. It cost just £10 for a whole new outfit for her weekend away. The wedding outfit Victoria choose a beautiful Kaliko grey jacket (£7.50) made of a high quality fabric in Diana’s colours. There were several great jackets to choose from, including a Ralph Lauren jacket for £15. Diana does not like showing her knees so they choose a longer, patterned skirt (£5). All the outfit needed to complete the look was a splash of colour by adding one of Helen & Douglas House’s brand new fascinators in pink (£9.99). This stunning wedding outfit cost just £22.49.

Diana Pattendon, the model, said: “Finding an outfit in a charity shop might seem a little daunting. “The shopping experience is fun, the cost is unbelievably low and what’s more your money supports an amazing charity.” Victoria Lochhead said: “In my experience as a personal stylist, looking fabulous needn’t cost the earth. “Charity shopping is the ultimate in recycling, and is so easy to do. I particularly love to shop in the Helen & Douglas House shop in Newbury. “The shop is really well laid out, organised by colour, and is run by a very friendly and helpful team. “We found some wonderful outfits in the right style, colour and size. If you’ve never been charity shopping, I pop in to Helen & Douglas House, because you never know what treasure is waiting there for you!” Watch the film of this personal styling session at the Helen & Douglas House You Tube channel. #foundathdh

Newbury personal stylist Victoria Lochhead, who runs Frankie and Ruby, is a real fan of charity shop shopping and has written

a book called In The Jumble , available on

Diana in her wedding outfit

Amazon, about the joys of finding, buying and wearing second-hand clothes. Victoria decided to hold one of her personal styling

Pick of the week What’s new in at Helen & Douglas House

sessions at the Helen & Douglas House shop recently with one of her clients Diana Pattendon. They were amazed at what treasures they found and how much fun it was shopping at a charity shop. The client brief Diana, from Newbury, was looking for two outfits and the styling session started with her talking to Newbury shop manager Diane Batten about what she was looking for, with Victoria advising on the right colours, shape and style for Diana. The colour blocking of clothes in this shop helped make the selection of clothes quick and easy. The city break outfit The outfit Victoria choose for her city break was a lovely Per Una long-sleeve Cerise top with beautiful broderie anglais detail (£4), the right shade for someone like Diana with a winter colouring, a lovely matching necklace (£2) and a smart pair of white cotton trousers

Keep up-to-date on what new clothing has come in to the shop every Tuesday during July and August on social media. www.hdh.org.uk For a wedding and evening dress appointments please call 01635 49695.

The Helen & Douglas House charity shop fact file n It is the only charity shop in Newbury where the money raised helps local families. n The charity cares for terminally-ill children and young adults living in the Newbury area. n One bag of donated clothes can be worth on average £40 to the charity, which is increased by 25% if you use a Gift Aid card. n They get a huge range of great donations, from high street brands to high value items like Louis Vuitton handbags and Jimmy Choo shoes. n All the stock is replenished every two weeks. There is a high turnover of stock so pop in regularly to find new bargains.

Prom and Wedding Dresses This shop is an Aladdin’s cave with a wonderful collection of preloved and new wedding dresses on the third floor. This includes long evening dresses from just £30, and with Diana having two daughters going to school proms this summer, she will be coming back with them to take a look.

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