As you are probably already aware, Chelsea is one of London’s most wealthy neighborhoods. Steeped in fashion history, The King’s Road was the birthplace of many a brand including the iconic Mary Quant- inventor of the miniskirt.
Today, this infamous street is still somewhat of a fashion mecca, and the good news is that alongside boutiques and designer stores, there are also a large number of charity shops. I’d even suggest that this route is possibly one of the best charity shop crawls in London.
This street is filled with some of the best charity shops in London for pre-loved designer clothes and accessories. I have personally visited the best charity shops in Chelsea to show you some of the brands that were available, alongside the price range that you might expect to pay.
WHERE TO START?
If you’re taking the tube into Chelsea, take the district line to Sloane Square, and turn out of the station onto the King’s Road.
You’ll walk past a few blocks of high street stores, but as the road begins to grow quieter, this is where the charity shops begin. The shops are concentrated in little pockets which means it’s super handy to nip into a few of them in quick succession.
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THE BEST CHARITY SHOPS IN CHELSEA
So without further ado, let’s get into the detail of the best charity shops in Chelsea.
OXFAM
432 King’s Rd, Chelsea, London SW10 0LJ
The stand out item in this store was a gorgeous Valentino evening dress for £65, alongside an incredible amount of other designer labels.
I also spotted an Armani dress, a Louis Vuitton jewellery box for £250 and some Prada heels for £60. Some high quality highstreet items included a Maje dress for £25, Ted Baker for £30 and an LK Bennett dress for £30.
RED CROSS
69-71 Old Church St, Chelsea, London SW3 5BS
These two beautiful Red Cross stores are neighbours- you could easily miss them as they are tucked down a side street of the King’s Road.
The large clothing store has racks and racks of clothing- just about everything that you can think of. It’s a must visit and is easily the largest charity shop in Chelsea. When I visited, the store had a 20% sale and a cute themed display in the window.
The smaller store is all about homeware. Lots and lots of vintage knick knacks including lamps, china and glassware. The store also has a good selection of soft furnishings such as curtains and cushions.
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ROYAL TRINITY HOSPICE
389 King’s Rd, Chelsea, London SW10 0LR
This store is brilliant for shoes. When I visited there was stacks of great quality shoes from French Sole pumps for £18, to Russell and Bromley heels for £30.
There were some beautiful vintage designer pieces in this store including vintage Escada, Valentino and Jaeger items. Designer brands also included See by Chloe and Hugo Boss.
I loved the vintage evening wear, skirts and sportswear that were on offer here at this store when I visited- a must visit for any fellow vintage lovers.
Note- there are also lots of clothing donation bins outside this store, so you can drop off your unwanted clothing or textiles at any time of the day.
CANCER RESEARCH
393 King’s Rd, Chelsea, London SW10 0LR
Just next door to the Royal Trinity Hospice you will find this Cancer Research store. I’d say that at the time of visiting, this place had the best designer shoe offering in the whole of Chelsea!
My favourite spots included Christian Louboutin heels for £79, Jimmy Choo heels for £52 plus shoes from Miu Miu, Prada and LK Bennett.
OCTAVIA FOUNDATION
303 King’s Rd, Chelsea, London SW3 5EP
This small store, like most Octavia Foundation stores, had a lovely window display and boutique aesthetic.
Here I spotted a brand new Diane von Furstenberg dress for £45, alongside an acoustic guitar! A very eclectic collection of beautiful pre-loved items. At the time of visiting there was a large selection of summer dresses- perfect for wedding and summer events.
Also spotted here were several beautiful vintage leather jackets and very reasonable prices. Another must-visit store in Chelsea!
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PRICES & DESIGNER BRANDS AVAILABLE
As you can see, there are a ton of brands to be found in the charity shops of Chelsea. From high end designer to premium high street brands, you can find a gem no matter what your tastes. Shops tended to vary in price, but most pre-loved high end designer items were priced from £50 to £100, although some items were less than this.
It can be easy to get disheartened when you go charity shopping for the first time and don’t find anything that you like, in your size, in your price range. But the key to finding those beautiful bargains that you see other people boasting about is to visit the stores regularly.
Stock often rotates every month in charity shops with a high footfall. That means that if you go in on 1st August, and then return again on the 1st September, it’s likely that the stock will be completely refreshed.
So if you head to Chelsea one afternoon, and you don’t find the designer brand that you are looking for, be sure to head back regularly to be in with the best luck of finding that exclusive designer bargain.
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WHERE NEXT?
Chelsea is in close proximity to Kensington, Fulham and Notting Hill. Check out my guide to the best charity shops in west London for the lowdown on all of these areas.
West London is home to some of the wealthiest neighbourhoods, so it’s worth scouting out these areas if you are looking for designer bargains in particular. Some residents will think nothing of donating their Jimmy Choo’s and Prada handbags to their local charity shops!
