Your Guide to Thrift Shopping in Dorchester
We’re all in search of our next great fashion steal. The feeling of thrifting something fabulous and new (to you) is amazing! Here are some tips on how to find your next favourite piece of clothing in Dorchester…
Explore Dorchester’s charity shops
Charity shops are already paving the way to make fashion more accessible to all – AND they help to help reduce waste!
Dorchester has a fabulous selection of charity shops selling all kinds of items. From clothes and shoes to toys, books, CDs, and DVDs. And the best bric a brac you’ll find!
Our fabulous charity shops include Weldmar, British Heart Foundation, Julia’s House, and Oxfam. Fancy coffee and cake while you shop? Head to Mid Dorset Mencap which has a lovely coffee shop to enjoy after you’ve found your new favourite pre-loved clothes! If you’re a reader, Weldmar’s charity bookshop has a huge selection of second-hand books that you can bury your nose in.
Head to one of Dorchester's markets
Dorchester Market
The Dorchester Market is on every Wednesday of the year from 8am to 1pm. The market can be found opposite Brewery Square, only a short walk from the town centre. Along with some of the most delicious food stalls, you’ll find some fabulous clothing being sold!
Dorchester Car Boot
Where better to shop second-hand than a good old-fashioned car boot? Dorchester car boot runs every Sunday from 6.30am-12noon. You’ll find loads of lovely people selling their pre-loved clothing. Arrive early to avoid disappointment, and leave with a piece of clothing new to you.
Poundbury Independent Market
The Poundbury Independent Market is on Sunday 14th May 10am-4pm this year. Hosting the most amazing Dorset makers, bakers, crafters, and artists with 70+ stalls across Poundbury – with some great local clothes makers! Their goal is to ‘champion local, small, and independent’.
Support ReThink Fashion Dorchester
The best part of thrifting is, of course, its limited impact on our planet. What better way to think about the environment than to support our sustainable fashion event! ReThink Fashion Dorchester is a week-long event to promote sustainable fashion and highlight the importance of prolonging the life of our clothing. The event is all about sharing what we can do to make our fashion choices more eco-friendly.
What’s on…
- Pre-loved clothing SwopShop pop up at Brewery Square from 24th to 29th April. Exchange your unwanted clothes for swop tokens, and take home something amazing that’s new to you. Swop = Share with other people!
- Sustainable Fashion Show at Dorset Museum, 27th April 7pm-10pm. Hear from a panel of sustainable fashion experts and see a runway of fabulous ‘slow fashion’ and upcycled creations. There will be a small clothes sale to finish. Tickets are £5, a welcome drink & refreshments are included.
- A week full of workshops! From 22nd to 29th April, learn how to upcycle, mend, and make at various locations around Dorchester. Discover how to treat your clothes and shoes with the love they deserve!
Head to the ReThink Facebook for tickets & more information (ReThinkFashionDorchester) and follow their Instagram (@rethinkfashiondorchester) for updates!
Donate!
These fabulous places are filled with clothes because generous people donate their unwanted items to them! Every charity shop on this list is delighted to accept donations of quality undamaged items. Just head down with your unwanted things during opening hours and someone will be there to take them off your hands so they can carry on their journey to a new home.