Walking the leafy streets from Kelvinbridge to Hyndland or wandering from the bottom of Byres Road along Dumbarton Road you will find some of my favourite ‘hidden gem’ shops in the West End – charity shops. As a student, one of my favourite ever blazers, a navy-blue velvet, came from a charity shop on Byres Road. Everyone asked where it was from and my charity shop obsession was born. Want to know where the best charity clothing in Glasgow West is? Read on…
By Elena Taggart
I am obsessed with fashion, with clothes. Keeping up with trends, following my favourite brands’ socials and watching their runway shows. I enjoy keeping up with trends, seeing how they unfold, what the major fashion houses are telling us is the coming season’s ‘trend’. But I don’t do this so that I can immediately run out and emulate all the other fashion robots. I think if you are aware of trends and can interpret them in a way that is comfortable to you (but not the same as everyone else), that is as ‘in fashion’ as I would care to be. It keeps you current, on trend without looking like everyone else.
What does this have to do with charity shops you ask? Not exactly usually the purveyors of major trends typically, many of you might think of the musty smelling shops of the past, well you are wrong. Many of the shops today have corporate relationships with major retailers. So in store much of the stock is, yes, donations, but there are also large donations of dead stock. Unsold past season stock from retail giants like Zara, H&M group and All Saints are also there. Read on and I’ll explain where to find the bargains and how to spot them!
Why so much dead stock? Well, the sad fact is us. We are the problem. Overconsumption of fast fashion now has the world at a point where there are enough clothes already manufactured to dress society for the coming six generations. Fast fashion now poses a severe threat to the planet with the textile industry being one of the largest global polluters. Production consumes large volumes of water, with dyeing and finishing processes contaminating waterways with toxic chemicals.
If you think this doesn’t apply to you, look at the fabric label of your clothing, what is it made from? The use of synthetic, non-biodegradable materials like polyester creates microplastics when clothing is washed: precisely what is making its way to our oceans. And lastly, I hate to be a ‘debbie downer’ but the sheer volume of nasty low quality cheap garments being worn one week are discarded to landfill the next where they will take a millennium to decompose. Or the waste is incinerated releasing greenhouse gasses and further deepening the crisis. Rant over, and to be honest that is a light version.
SHELTER
One of my absolute favourites. You will find Shelter Botanics nestled on Great Western Road on the corner of Cecil Street. This beautifully curated shop won second place in the UK Charity Retailers Awards in 2025. But technically this makes them number one in Scotland as the other retailer was down south.
Shelter receives corporate donations from leading brands, Lucy & Yak, End, North Face and one of my all-time favourite retailers, All Saints. Another top tip, follow the store’s social accounts for bargain drops.
Shelter as a charity works with the homeless not just to provide housing but also counselling and advice on rights. The amazing graphic mural outside of Shelter Botanics was created by a graffiti artist who Shelter helped. He had been given an eviction notice by a private landlord, and he got in touch with Shelter who advised him on his rights and saved him from becoming homeless. And as a thank you he created the stunning mural.
BRITISH RED CROSS
Another of my favourites is the British Red Cross on Byres Road. I cannot walk past this one without going in. The day I researched this article, with my lovely Westender colleagues I picked up a men’s tux blazer for myself – I will summarise my favourite tips for charity shopping at the end but one of the main ones is look at the men’s rails too. The amount of amazing cashmere and fantastic blazers and coats I have grabbed over the years from men’s rails.
The British Red Cross has a corporate relationship with Zara and H&M group, so on many occasions I have picked up bargains here that are dead stock from COS or & Other Stories, both part of H&M Group. The trick is to nip in often to get to know the staff, they might tell you when new corporate donations arrive. And don’t forget the top of Dumbarton Road, there is a cluster of fantastic shops down there alongside another British Red Cross.
MARIE CURIE
Many of the West End charity shops are run by people with an incredibly keen fashion eye, take Marie Curie on Hyndland Road for example. I don’t know if you have noticed lately but their window display is always tonal, always interpretive of the season and always carefully selected. It takes talent to pull together a cohesive window display from a third sector stock room. The staff in this store, and pretty much all the ones in our patch are fantastic at curating collections based on current trends and pulling the right things out to put on display.
STARRY STARRY NIGHT
Not a charity shop but one of my favourite places to hunt vintage is Starry Starry Night on Dowanhill Lane. Arguably where I made one of my most spontaneous preloved purchase decisions of my life which could have backfired hideously. Fueled only on a belly of
Prosecco and Kember & Jones scones and egged on by my best friend, I bought a 1930’s wedding dress on a whim. I mean I was at the starting point of planning a wedding but buying a 90-year-old dress did seem a bit risky. For really nothing more than a laugh I tried on a dress I had spotted, it was very 30s all high neck and puff sleeves, but I was just transfixed, the fabric was amazing, it just glistened. I couldn’t leave it, I had to have it. With the help of the most amazing tailor who lined it and turned a high neck into a strappy slip dress, it was the most unique and special wedding dress I could ever have had – with a wonderful story attached.
What do you think? Have I converted you with the best charity clothing in Glasgow West End? I did convert Isla, on our Westender team so I’ll take my conversion rate one person at a time. Next time you wander around the West End make sure you have a good rummage – you might just find your next favourite wardrobe staple.
1. Shop to a list but don’t be rigid. As always shop to a list. I mean do you need it? Quite often, even in charity shops, if you are looking for something specific, like a nice black blazer, the gods of bargain hunting will provide.
2. Check in daily. Where possible, remember it’s about one of a kind pieces. New stock comes out all the time. Corporate donations are likely to come in mid-week, so don’t just leave it to the weekends.
3. Look for quality. A real bargain is something that will last. Look at the label, natural fabrics are more durable: silk, wool, linen and leather. Check garment composition and construction – seams etc.
4. Check it out. Make sure you check the item thoroughly, look at seams, check pockets, look for damage, moth holes or needed repairs. If it’s more than your rudimentary knowledge of sewing, will you be able to repair it? Don’t buy if it’s another of those things you will never get around to.
5. Be creative. If you are at all, maybe the pieces can be tie dyed, or altered? Can you repurpose it? I once made a Werewolf costume for my then 5-year-old from a fur shrug I found in the British Heart Foundation and a pair of his old jeans. Reuse, reduce, recycle.
6. Shop all sizes. Don’t forget every brand’s sizes are different, even with the same brand sizing can vary so look at the garment, think about how you would like it to fit and don’t bother so much about the label.
7. Know your brands. You might be able to spot the familiar high street ones but if an item looks like quality, check out the brand online. Get to know the brands a little better – you might spot something that is actual designer gold.
8. Get to know the team. If you get to know the volunteers they might keep you in the know when new corporate donations come in.
9. Check mens and kids too. As already mentioned, the menswear rails can be an absolute wealth of cashmere and oversized blazers. If you’re on the petite side the Kids sections might house some bargains for you or your family too. Hunt those rails.
10. Don’t overlook the homeware. Some of my cutest vases and curiosity bits have come from charity shops. One of my favourite things to do when my sons were younger was a charity shop sweep of the DVDs on a Friday after school. We would buy random films and see which ones we enjoyed. A cheap way to entertain the kids for movie night.
