Scavenging

The BBC Goes Thrifting

The reporter covering the Academy Awards for the BBC this year will wearing a thrift-shop dress to tonight’s extravaganza. 

“When trying to find the right evening wear for Oscars correspondent Susanna Reid, the Beeb looked to a charity shop,” announces the Daily Mail. (“Charity shop” is what they call thrift shops over there.) “In contrast to last year, when the 38-year-old slipped into a white designer column dress, Susanna will be going vintage this year in second-hand clothes at Sunday’s Academy Awards.”

Oxfam is the UK’s biggest charity-shop chain.

“After being contacted by the BBC, Oxfam representatives scoured 700 of its charity shops across the country to put together a shortlist of what Susanna could wear.” The reps assembled “a selection of dresses from branches across the country for Susanna to try on. One of the dresses, a pink and cream floor-length number, was donated by an aristocratic family from Yorkshire. The stunning gown was made in the 1930s by a designer who created clothes for King Edward’s wife Wallis Simpson. Another on the shortlist is a midnight blue 1950s dress, which was found in the Worthing branch of Oxfam and costs a bargain £19.99….

“In previous years, BBC presenters have worn designer gowns worth thousand of pounds while interviewing the stars on the red carpet. In 2007, Susanna’s fellow correspondent Kate Silverton wore a bright red £9,000 Kruszynska gown.”