Welcome back to our Salvos Stores customer profiles series! This month's profile features digital content creator and marketing coordinator Bella de Almeida Reis. As a 22-year-old living in Melbourne's inner north, Bella certainly embodies the Melbourne 'cool girl' dream, but in a way that is all her own. Her effortless style, which combines vintage, thrifted, and local designer pieces, is somehow vibrant, classic, and creative all at once - testifying to versatility and fun that can come with truly embracing sustainable fashion.

So, without further ado we'll let you dive in to Bella's thoughts on what makes shopping second-hand worth your time, the homewares section, and the power of a well-placed compliment.

Tell us a little bit about yourself…

Hello! My name is Bella de Almeida Reis. I’m a 22-year-old living in Melbourne, and I work as the Marketing Coordinator at Frank Green. In my spare time, I love doing anything self-care related. Whether it's curling up with a book in my reading corner (I’m currently deep into Love & Virtue!), doing some yoga, watching the newest show on Netflix, or eating straight from a peanut butter jar - I’ll be happy!

How and when did you first get into op-shopping?

My grandma is an avid thrifter. She took me to Salvos one day when I was 8 years old and it felt like I had struck gold! I thought ‘Yes! I can finally spend my pocket money on so many cute knick knacks!’ Like every grandma, they want to spoil you, so she would take me every time I asked to go on weekends.

What do you enjoy or appreciate about buying second-hand?

The thrill of searching through a messy pile for hours and finally finding the piece of your dreams. I like that it’s a patient activity. It forces you to slow down, and you can appreciate items you might not usually reach for.

What do you shop for the most in op-shops? What is your go-to section of a Salvos store?

I go nuts for the homewares, crockery, and glassware! Since I started styling my home, all I want is to add random pieces to elevate the spaces in interesting ways and op shops always have something special. I also find it much easier to sort through than clothing… that requires a whole other mentality!

Can you tell us about the best purchase you have made in a Salvos store?

I found a dreamy green trench-coat in a suburb I don’t often visit in Melbourne, so it was definitely a lucky find. I tried it on as a whim because I liked the colour (this is key, if you’re not sure, always try on in case) and the moment I came out of the dressing room, a random customer complimented the fit on me. That was all the confirmation I needed.