Kilo sales – Have you been to one before, or are you planning to go?
My sister and I meet up at kilo sales once every 2 -3 months. It’s a time where we both hang out, go for lunch together, but also an opportunity to add a couple new pieces to our wardrobes that do not cost the earth. Both figuratively and financially.
I came away from last weekend’s kilo sale with 3 cotton t-shirts which cost £13 in total. The blue one in the photo is one of them! This is inexpensive, but only because I know what I’m doing. Read on to ensure you are making the most of a kilo sale and not end up at the scales with 5 kgs of clothes that will cost you £100!
What is a kilo sale Jill?
A kilo sale is a type of sale where items, typically second-hand clothing or vintage, are sold by weight instead of individual prices. You pay a set price per kilogram (e.g £20 per kilo), allowing you to mix and match different items and pay based on the total weight of your selection. So whilst 3 cotton tshirts for £13 is a good price, it may very well be a different story for 3 wool sweaters!
It is a slightly more curated selection of clothing and accessories than perhaps your local charity shop. In my experience, whilst it does all tend to be second hand, the number of vintage items can vary dramatically from sale to sale. Be prepared to pick through!
It’s not 100% sustainable. Bales of clothing are purchased from all over the world. With kilo sales such as Worth The Weight Vintage (Update: Sep 25- this company has since ceased to exist!), a lot of their garments are from America, so it’s obvious that will involve a large carbon footprint.
How to shop
1. First off- know your colours! It makes it so much simpler to know what colours are going to look great on you, which means you can focus looking out for those, rather than trying to take the whole rail in which can be overwhelming. It is the large number of clothes packed together tightly on the rails that generally put people off.
2. Which leads me to my next point. Tightly packed rails! You will get an arm workout believe me! From moving the hangars to trying to remove a piece that’s caught your eye, if you do this for any duration of time, believe me, your arm will start to feel it. My best advice? Engage your back muscles! Pinch your shoulder blades together like you are holding a pencil between them. This will engage your back muscles and then you can use them to help move your arm!
3. Have an idea of what it is you looking for before you arrive. I knew I was looking for tshirts ahead of spring and summer. Ideally to chop and customise. This is where I went to first as I had the energy. My sister knew she wanted skirts, so that’s where she headed.
4. Be prepared to drop your trousers(!) Some kilo sales have pop up changing rooms, but these can become pretty congested. I tend to wear an outfit that can be removed pretty easily to quickly try things on. A vest top or tightly fitted tshirt, shoes that can be taken on and off easily will all help you make the most of the sale. My go to outfit formula is:
– a fitted tshirt that I can try things over
– a longer button down shirt over my tshirt that I can use to cover my backside if I need to try bottoms on
– shoes that can slip on and off easily (no laces!)
In terms of what you wear on your bottom half, that’s really up to you. I usually wear jeans with no belt, but a skirt would work well, as would anything with an elasticated waistband for ease of going up and down!
I would also take a crossbody bag or backpack. This is a 2 handed sport ladies and gentlemen and I wouldn’t want you to lose possession of your shoulder bags!
5. Be realistic with yourself. I have talked in previous posts and blogs about pieces you will actually wear vs experimentation. I absolutely encourage experimentation to develop your personal style. What I don’t endorse is shopping for your fantasy self. Its always good to go with a trusted friend, in my case my sister, as that second opinion will bring you back down to earth! What glitters is not always gold!
These are my first thought hot takes for you, as I hope I will some of you at the next kilo sale event in Lincoln! I will continue to refine and add to this piece.
I would love to hear any of your kilo sale shopping tips!