Irish Cancer Society Shop

This is like the hip, younger sister to the other charity shops in Rathmines. I was drawn in today because they had three cool young outfits in the window, plus they had a drum set and some guitars, etc.
The wares inside are just as cool as the ones outside. The ones in the window are being reserved for a special window sale. Plus the Cancer Society does great work in Ireland and every one of us will be personally effected by cancer, whether ourselves or someone close to us. You really can’t go wrong in this shop!

I prefer this branch from the one on Camden Street. It’s usually less busy and I find the selection of accessories richer. On a lucky day, you can also find some true gems in the clothing section for a cheap-​ish price, even some unused pieces. It’s also a great first-​stop when you’re looking for an outfit for a fancy-​dress party.
I’m not a charity shop veteran, and usually need a helping hand from a friend to find the special-​something I’m looking for, but when I’m on a tight budget and in the mood to rummage around, this shop is a true godsend.

This shop is a real surprise. Unremarkable from the outside, inside is far from the typical charity shop layout you might expect.
Lots of space, carefully selected vintage and retooled clothes and books arranged not only alphabetically but also by genre. A boutique that may be a charity shop but is a real standard bearer for the breed.

In these recessionary times, the status of charity shopping has been elevated from the vice of the stingy to that of the über cool, with fashion magazines and the style supplements of broadsheet newspapers advising on where to find the best bargain-​bin beauties.
Since moving to Rathmines 6 months ago, I have become a regular trawler of the half dozen or so charity shops on the main street, and the Irish Cancer Society shop is where I find most of my gems. On a trip in there last month, I came away with no fewer than eight items of clothing, all for less than € 30 — 3 dresses, a cardigan, and 4 lovely tops. The amazing thing was that five of these items still had the tags on from the original shops, including such pricy trend-​merchants as Urban Outfitters. The shop was filled with such clothes which I can only guess were end-​of-​the-​line styles left over from the summer sales which were donated by the high street shops. They also stock an array of shoes and household items, and there’s a great vintage wardrobe containing lovely leather bags, hats and old dresses. At the front of the shop there’s an antiques cabinet with really reasonably priced jewellery and other pretty paraphernalia.
Great shopping at great prices, and for a good cause too.