Can you spot the Oxfam frock?
As the charity shop vows to take on the fashion chains . . .
THE stunning brunette in the gold sequinned gown and green velvet gloves wouldn’t look out of place in a high- end fashion advert.
A smile plays on her scarlet lips as she holds a glittering evening bag, a string of diamonds sparkling tantalisingly on her décolletage.
So whose wares is she wearing? A couture dressmaker, perhaps? A dazzling but unaffordable jeweller? Or is it from the latest designer, fresh off the catwalk?
In fact, every item of clothing in the shot, from her elegant stilettos to the chic feathered hat, comes — quite unexpectedly — from Oxfam, the charity shop which has been a High Street staple for 75 years.
Often associated with tired, dusty old clothes found in attics, or bequeathed in wills, most of us think of it as cheap, cheerful but ultimately uninspiring.
Not in a million years would most of us pop to our local Oxfam shop (there are 700 dotted up and down the country) to dig out a dress for that wedding, the perfect pair of autumn boots or a new jacket to pep up our work wardrobe.
But all that could be about to change. And, according to fashion experts, it’s about time.
For Oxfam has transformed its fashion image from that of a shabby secondhand shop to a treasure trove of on-trend garments which outshine High Street favourites.
While still relying on donations, the charity has started targeting fashion- conscious shoppers by focusing on trends, reorganising its shops and putting out glossy adverts (hence the stunning brunette in shimmering gold) and window displays.
High- end labels and specialist garments such as bridalwear and occasionwear are now sold in ‘boutiques’ rather than shops, and instore labels have been changed to say ‘pre-loved’ rather than ‘secondhand’ — a subtle change which plays on the prevailing fad for vintage fashion.
There’s also a hip new website, which boasts 100,000 pieces, from Reiss blouses to Karen Millen dresses and handbags by Osprey and Coccinelle from £5.99.
Visitors can browse by brand, size or colour, order and pay online and even return unwanted clothes for free — making the experience identical to a splurge on Net-a-Porter or Asos, but without the post-shopping guilt at spending so much.
Oxfam even hosted its own show at London Fashion Week this year, featuring model- of-the-moment Stella Tennant and supermodel Erin O’Connor. Vogue contributing editor Bay Garnett spent months scouring Oxfam’s warehouses for the donated outfits, which drew gasps and applause from a starstudded crowd.
‘We know shoppers are discerning, so we only sell high- quality, desirable clothes,’ explains Oxfam’s Emma Fabian.
‘We want our clothes to make you feel good, so they’re super-stylish, glossy and individual, and the shopping experience is stress-free.
‘There’s the added advantage of knowing you’re not going to turn up to a party and find someone wearing exactly the same dress. And you’re raising money for a really good cause.’
One woman’s cast-offs, it seems, can be another’s new autumn wardrobe. So, can you tell the Oxfam clothes from these High Street pieces?