For many, festivals are the biggest fashion event in their social calendar. Forget the Met Gala or any star studded red carpet look, festival goers are more concerned about creating the perfect and often outlandish outfit to make them stand out from the crowd.
No matter where the festival is, whether it be Parklife or Glastonbury, you’re bound to see some of the same trending themes across the weekend.
From bucket hats to star studded cowgirls, a lot of thought and careful planning goes into figuring out what you’re going to wear each day. Not only that, people often spend hundreds of pounds trying to achieve the ideal festival look.
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I’m the first to admit, I’ve spent money on bits for festivals that I didn’t even get around to wearing and overall spent more than I would have liked on outfits I only wore once for one weekend in the Summer.
This year, I’m pushing more towards sustainable wearing - not only for my wallet's sake but to prevent further waste, and you should too.
Here are some of the best places in Manchester to thrift for festivals.
Thrift Shop Manchester
Manchester is a haven for vintage clothes and is arguable one of the most stylish cities in the UK. Thrift Shop Manchester is located just off Piccadilly Gardens on 39 Parker Street and is full of bargains.
The store is known for its premium and thrift vintage clothing, and has a unique pricing system.
Any item marked with the colour Blue costs just £4 or better yet you can get three blue items for £10.
If it’s pink the item is £6 or two for £10, Purple means it is £9, Yellow costs £12 and Green is priced the highest at £15.
Speaking to one of the store supervisors, SJ, she said thrifting for a festival will save you money and also recommended that people donate their outfits if they don’t plan on wearing them again.
“With this whole push for sustainability, that’s the main thing really - so many clothes end up in landfill.
“A lot of people would shop for festivals in a different way than their everyday wear. They might get something really sparkly or a bum bag or little tops that they wouldn’t necessarily wear walking down the street in the centre of Manchester even on a night out.
“If it’s going to be a very short term wear, you’re better off getting it cheaper, something that’s sustainable and then maybe give it back to a charity shop. Make sure it gets back into circulation,” she said.
RSPCA Charity Shop
You never know what you could find in a charity shop, and nestled away on 15 Oak Street in the city centre is an RSPCA Charity Shop that’s packed full of stunning pieces perfect for a festival.
Some labels I came across included ones from massive online fashion giants such as Pretty Little Thing, New Look, River Island and Nasty Gal. I found this a nice guilt free way to reuse and repurpose fast fashion fits.
Prices vary in charity shops and often there’s room to negotiate costs. However, keep in mind the money goes towards a good cause.
Oxfam Emporium and Oxfam Originals
The Emporium located 8-10 Oldham St is the larger of the two Oxfam stores and inside did not disappoint.
Yet again, high street store brands were available for a fraction of their original prices, including outfits from New Look, Zara and River Island. In particular, I noticed that this place had a lot of dresses from these types of stores, so if you’re on the hunt for a sparkly dress I would definitely check out here first.
Here you can find Summer outfits for less than £6, including this skirt on display from New Look which was on sale for just £5.99
Right across from it is the Oxfam Originals store on 51 Oldham St. While it may look small, I found some great accessories here including an electric blue leopard print bucket that’s perfect if you’re looking for something original.
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