Nobody knew what brand of shoes Tom Decent was wearing as part of his head-to-toe makeover at Newtown's Red Cross shop for national op shop week. But at $36, the nearly new shoes looked and smelled good, and completed a $119 on-trend look that would've sold for new for more than $700.
"They smell lovely, new," said stylist Alex van Os, picking up the mystery shoes to check that they passed the sniff test. "They have that lovely leather smell."
Ms van Os - whose Op Shop to Runway Instagram account tracks op shop and vintage buys - has dressed some of Australia's biggest celebrities and reality stars in new clothes. She worked on Ricky Martin's wardrobe when he toured Australia and overseas, and she was part of the style teams that have dressed the cast of The Voice, I'm a Celebrity Get me Out of Here, The Bachelor and Home and Away. With so much wastage in the world, she said, she would love to dress the stars in more second-hand and preloved clothing.
"You have to be creative, and have an eye, but anyone can do it," she said. To show how, she agreed to a challenge to dress two Fairfax reporters, Decent and Lucy Cormack, from top to toe for a night out using only what she found in the Red Cross secondhand shop to mark National Op Shop Week. And she did both in less than an hour.
Op shops are becoming nearly as common in shopping centres as chicken and chips shop, with Australians donating about 2 million items a year. New research shows they attract shoppers from all socio-economic backgrounds. About one-third of op shoppers at charity stores, including Vinnies, the Salvos and the Red Cross shops, earn less than $35,000 a year, while another third earn up to $75,000, with the balance earning more than $75,000. The most popular items are clothing and accessories, bought by 63 per cent, followed by household items, books and magazines.
Like Ms Os and Cormack, who like to mix op shop finds with new clothes, about 30 per cent of op shoppers are trying to find hidden treasures, said the Red Cross' Kate Dear. "Many valuable and interesting items are donated to op shops every day, and finding them can be a real attraction for people," she said. On cue, shopper Harriet Cronley left the Newtown store with a perfect pink vintage hat, $25, and two shirts. Someone else pulled out a nearly new Lisa Ho skirt ($40) while a barrister's gown from David Jones was selling for $30.
With shoppers watching as Ms van Os flicked the racks of clothes, the session seemed perfect for its own reality show, You Will Never Believe What You Can Find in a Op Shop.
"OMG those shoes," said an onlooker as Cormack stepped out wearing some very high heels with wide black straps and a big buckle (nearly new Zara shoes for $28.) "The point elongates her legs," said Ms van Os.
Not usually her style, Cormack agreed to try on some plastic looking pants ($15 from H & M, discounted from $35) that Ms van Os paired with a men's Country Road shirt, $20, an $18 vintage clutch (again an object of desire, eliciting another round of OMGs).
"I would definitely wear this shirt, and I wouldn't have picked up the pants but I was pleasantly surprised," said Cormack. Her outfit cost $89.
Decent's outfit included bright nearly-new Insight shirt ($28) that he said was similar to ones he loved as a teen growing up in Wilberforce. His entire outfit cost $119, including some Levis for $17.
As a teenager on the northern beaches, Ms van Os fell in love with op shopping at the Red Cross in Avalon. "I love rummaging to find that hidden treasure, finding things that other people don't have." She will also up-cycle pre-loved clothing, turning a dress into a skirt, or cutting the bottom off jeans to make shorts.
Ms van Os loves the history that comes with every piece. "Often when I buy a handbag, it may have a note or an old train ticket in it from years ago. And I will think to myself about the history of the bag and the person who once owned it."
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