Free clothes shop coming to Whiteley Shopping Centre where fashionistas can hunt for vintage brands - when

The clothes swap shop will be set up in Market Square, between Skin Squared and Walker & Waterer, on August 3. Organisers have teamed up with Cash for Kids South Coast, a local charity which supports disadvantaged children and young people across the south.

Mia Gordon, centre manager at Whiteley, said: “Supporting our local community is a key priority for us at Whiteley, and hosting this clothes swap pop-up is a fantastic opportunity for shoppers to donate their preloved clothes, and also curate a new wardrobe – for free! We’re looking forward to seeing the pieces shoppers bring in and giving the people a chance to enhance their wardrobe in a sustainable way.”

Visitors are encouraged to donate their pre-owned clothes in return for a chance to find vintage outfits and hidden gems. People ca drop off their attire between 11am and 1pm in exchange for tokens. One token is handed out per donated item, with each person receiving up to four. Shoppers can donate as many items as they like.

People can return to the store between 2pm and 4pm to trade their tokens in for other clothes. The donated items will be sorted by the shopping centre’s team, then displayed at the swap shop or donated straight to Cash for Kids South Coast.

The charity helped over 27,500 children and worked with Donate it Recycling, which manages local clothes banks. Any leftover items will be distributed to people in need, or recycled. More information can be found on the Whiteley Shopping Centre website.