This week's challenge had a special twist that has Scout all fired up...

Op shopping is one of my favourite hobbies. When I was at that awkward and annoying age of 15, one of the only reasons my harried mother didn't kill me was because instead of lusting after expensive labels, I had a penchant for the op shop. She could give me 15 bucks and I would happily while away an afternoon and stock myself up with a sterling wardrobe.

But enough about me, although I do have a point. This week, the models hit Salvos and learned the value of oppy gold. They had to rummage through a Salvos store to find an outfit that was amazing enough to dominate the runway and dazzle the judges.

Before they strutted their stuff in front of the judges however, they had to walk on a catwalk in front of a real live crowd. The group was assembled from Salvos shoppers and locals and they had the chance to watch our wannabes work it. All the models say they loved the experience and found it exhilarating walking in front of humans... not that our delightful judges are anything but.

The whole event was spawned by the "Fashion With a Conscience" campaign, which supports fashion alternatives and those in need. It means that when you buy clothing from a Salvos store, you not only get a unique and original outfit, but you contribute towards helping others, recycle and reduce waste. Win, win if you ask me!

Bottom line – they scored some fab outfits and Tom even managed to snare himself a coat worth a few grand (lovely!), although Courtney had a few misses before she hit – inspiring Jackie to tell her she was looking way less than classy in one instance!

The very website will have an exclusive vid on the Salvos catwalk early next week, so make sure you check out how the final 9 went when faced with the public!

*hitting my local oppy this week in search of one-of-a-kind bargains...*
Scout