Op till you drop this August and support National Op Shop Week while grabbing yourself a bargain.
The start of spring will see thousands of wardrobes around the country emptied, shuffled around, re-vamped and tossed, just in time for the next season's trends. Instead of re-gifting that scarf your Aunt bought that you'll never wear, or tossing those boots that are just a smidge too tight these days – why not donate your pre-loved clothes and accessories to the charity shops supporting the local community and those less fortunate?
A significant number of charity community programmes are funded by the income derived from charity op shops and their clothing collection bins. But keep in mind when donating your old clothing, make sure it’s still good quality – this will maximise the income for the charity.
While you're there dropping your bags off, browse around and find some old-but-soon-to-be-new pieces to add to your new wardrobe. It's fashion on a budget. Trendy with a twist. Luxe for less.“You can help your local charity op shops in three ways. You can donate unwanted clothes or goods, volunteer at a shop or help them to raise money by buying their goods,” says Founder of National Op Shop Week, Do Something Director, Jon Dee.
“Despite the generosity of Australians, many charity op shops are running short of good quality clothing,” says Jon. “That’s why we’re asking people to visit OpShopWeek.com.au – the site shows you how to get involved and help your local charity op shop.”An initiative of Do Something charity, National Op Shop Week is run in association with NACRO, the National Association For Charitable Recycling Organisations. Shops included in the week-long supporting event are Red Cross, Vinnies, the Salvos, Oxfam, Lifeline, The Smith Family, the RSPCA, Brotherhood of St Laurence, the Asthma Foundation, Anglicare, MS Australia, Youth Off The Streets, Uniting Care and many more.
So duck into your local hub and raid the racks for whole outfits, statement pieces, classic cuts and basics to go with the rest of your wardrobe. You might be surprised what you find. “I once found a Versace dress for $18 in my local Anglicare – yes, it still happens,” says Sally Creagh from Do Something. 
National Op Shop Week will run from 23-30 August. 
