Posh Swaps Blog

Picture from The Sartorialist - A great place for style inspiration

Are you fed up with the credit crunch and recession? Are you broke but want to look stylish and trendy? The word frugal seems to have become a regular part of my vocabulary and I am now practicing frugality in most areas of my life. But is still possible to look stylish and be frugal. Here are my top ten tips to style on a budget.

1. Sell - Have a regular clear out of your wardrobe and sell anything that you no longer wear. I am sure that you can put the money to good use.
2. Swap -If you are getting bored of your clothes and need  a change, swap your clothes for a refreshing new look without spending any money. 
3. Buy - If you desparately need to buy something new, try second hand. Designer clothes expecially will be a fraction of the cost of new.
4. Invest - When you do have to buy new clothes, make sure that you invest in quality basics that will last for seasons to come and if they do no longer fit you can be sold second hand.
5. Mend - If you do damage your clothes, try mending them rather than just throwing them away. For a really good piece of clothing it will be worth your while.
6. Care - store your clothes carefully. The better you look after them, the longer they will last. Remember to use cedar wood to keep away those pesky moths that love nibbling at cashmere.
7. Accessorise - If you feel in need of  anew look a few new accessories can turn an old outfit into something completely different.
8. Inspiration - get inspiration on how to look stylish on the cheap from fashion blogs. There are many that focus on vintage and second hand style and fashion on a budget.
9. Discounts - when you do buy new clothes, buy online and look for discount voucher sites to ensure that you get best value for money.
10. Individual Style - It’s not about what you wear, it’s about how you wear it. Develop your own unique style instead of following trends, that way your clothes won’t go out of fashion and your wardrobe will be timeless.

 Eco fashion has become one of the hottest trends around as people start to realise the impact that their shopping and consumer choices can have on the environment. People are generally becoming more aware of environmental issues and many are trying to do their bit with initiatives such as recycling to help preserve the planet for future generations.

Fashion and textiles have been recognised as having quite an impact on the environment. New eco labels and eco fashion companies are popping up all over the place with efforts to minimise environmental damage ranging from organic cotton and bamboo to recycled textiles. But above all of these in terms of environmental credentials is second hand clothing for the following reasons:

Energy consumption - the manufacturing of most textiles and fabrics is fairly energy intensive. There is then the energy used to transport the clothing or textiles from the other side of the world where it is usually manufactured. The use of fossil fuels, a valuable and fast diminishing resource is an important impact of the production and distribution of most textiles. Apart from the small amount of transport, second hand clothing does not consume any energy to be produced.

Green house gases - green house gases are a by product of both the manufacture of textiles and the break down of natural textiles. There is growing concern about the build up of green house gases which is thought to contribute to green house gases. Recycling of second hand clothing can help reduce green house gases both by reducing waste and landfill and by reducing the gases produced in the manufacture and distribution of new clothes.

Waste and landfill - there is a huge problem in the UK with waste and landfill. A large proportion of this landfill is made up of textiles. The synthetic textiles do not break down and will have a lasting impact on the ecosystem. Chemical from textiles including dyes and bleaches can also be washed from the landfill potentially getting into the water table. Quite simply, every piece of recycled second hand clothing is one less piece of clothing to contribute to the problem of landfill.

Chemical pollution -Both the cultivation of natural fibres and manufacture of synthetic textiles can cause pollution of the surrounding areas. This can have a detrimental effect on the textile workers and people living in the vicinity as well as damaging flora and fauna. The most publicised pollution is from the pesticides used in cotton cultivation. Recycling of second hand clothing does not cause any pollution with harmful chemicals. The only chemicals that may be used are detergents for washing them. Even the impact of these can be reduced by using eco versions.

So if you really want to buy into the latest trend for eco chic, then second hand clothing is definitely the way to go.

picture from www.ehponline.org

Do you always find yourself reverting to the same types of clothing? Do you find it difficult to wear something different? Do you feel bored with your look but don’t have the confidence of budget to change it?

Well now is your chance. Have a good clear out of your wardrobe. Work out which of your clothes don’t do you any favours and also which clothes you haven’t worn for  a year. All of these clothes can be either swapped or sold. High street shops tend to stock lots of similar styles of clothes and tend to only follow the fashion for that season. By looking for second hand clothes, you will find a much greater variety of styles, making it easier to find something that looks amazing and that you really love.

When swapping clothes, you can afford take a few more risks than you normally might as you aren’t actually spending any money. Try going for a completely different look or if you are not that brave just try changing a small part of your look to start with. Perhaps some gorgeous accessories to brighten things up or a fabulous top that you can wear with your jeans. Try layering different items of clothing, mixing patterns and clashing colours, contrasting different styles and playing with different proportions. If you don’t feel one hundred percent comfortable wearing a skirt, start off by wearing a skirt over leggings or  a mini dress with trousers.

Just remember that variety is the spice of life so have fun!

This is the first ever Second Hand Style Weekly post, a weekly feature of individual and unique style using second hand, swapped and vintage clothes that will act as a source of inspiration for others. I would love to feature photographs of your second hand style, so please email them to me at ceri@heathcotecommunications.co.uk. The only requirements are that they do not contain nudity or in decency in any way, and include at least one piece of second hand clothing (oh and only over eighteens, no children please). Please give details of the second hand or vintage clothing and any other details of interest. In return, we will give you credit and link back to you if we publish your photo.

This week Second Hand Style Weekly features:

Elgin.jessica on Flickr’s Wardrobe Remix Group

All items are thrifted newer items from Goodwill (shirt is H & M, jeans are Express), except the earrings are vintage. The shirt is worn backwards so that the snaps don’t show. I love the colours and retro print of this top. It looks great layered with the long sleeved brown top.

Mai Le’s on Flickr’s Wardrobe Remix Group

*snake scarf by rosemary kim
*enon shirt from a show at bottom of the hill
*black eyelet dress from a thrift store, bought for $6
*black tights from the sock shop
*shoes from a 2003 trip to hong kong
*blue wool coat bought used in 1996 for $65 from das pussycat (no longer in business)
The coat is amazing. I love the style, the colour and the detail.

Karla of Karla’s Bonanza

Thrifted:
Skirt with sequin detail, Dean Alan: $7
Never-worn BCBG Platform Sandals: $3

Karla is living proof that you can wear second hand / thrifted clothes and look gorgeously stylish at the same time. The sequin skirt is beautiful.

All wardrobe remix photos used under the flickr creative commons licence

Another great way to support eco fashion is by wearing recycled clothing. This can mean anything from second hand clothes that have been customised to make them a bit different to recycling the fibres or fabrics into completely different pieces of clothing and even recycling materials that were something completely different in their previous life like plastic bags.

There are many new designers making clothes from recycled materials and successfully producing sustainable but innovative designs that are worthy of mention for their aesthetic appeal as well as eco merits.

Goodone is a label that will featured at Estethica at London Fashion Week and produces quality, one-off clothing which is made from hand-picked, locally-sourced, recycled fabrics. They try to create pieces that are not typically or obviously recycled. This helps to change our perception of what recycling second hand clothing means. This aproach enables them to mass produce unique one off items that are made of different combinations of fabrics.

The recycling of fabrics is a great solution to the problem of waste textiles in landfill. It has also helps reduce the energy usage and pollution caused by the manufacture of new textiles. All goodone products are made using individually hand-picked recycled garments which are either donated or locally sourced from textile recycling factories.

The best thing about the clothes designed by Goodone (apart from the fact they are totally guilt free) is that the creative spirit that is fired by the use of second hand clothes and fabrics. Perhaps something for us all to think about and have a go at, now where did I put my old sewing machine. If your sewing skills are non existant, Goodone offers a commission service where you can co design your own piece using by recycling your own piece of second hand clothing.

picture from www.londonfashionweek.co.uk

I love vintage clothing. It must be something to do with the fact that if it has survived this long it must be good. Vintage clothes are a great way to get your own unique style. You are very unlikely to see someone else wearing the same as you if you wear vintage clothing. You can just concentrate on vintage clothing from one period but I like to mix it up and just go for what I like the look of. I also love combining vintage women’s clothes with second hand, designer and high street pieces for a really eclectic look.

Buying and selling of vintage clothes has seen a huge surge in popularity recently. This could be due to the influence of celebrities or fashion and style blogs. It could also be partly due to the fact that it has beome so accessible on the internet.

Vintage clothes work beautifully in a modern context. Especially with the latest trend for unique, individual and eclectic style. Vintage is used by different people to describe different things. Some regard all second hand clothes as vintage whilst others refer to vintage as 1970’s and older. I say it doesn’t really matter if you love a piece of clothing then why not buy it?

picture vintage opulence coat from www.modcloth.com

Swishing is the name given to a party where people swap clothes. It can be a small gathering among friends or a much larger event. Each person should take along one clean piece of clothing that they no longer want but some one else would be delighted to have. All of the clothes are put out on display for everyone to browse before the swish commences. People can browse, socialise and have a drink or two. There is a warning 5 minutes before the beginning of the swish. Once the swish begins, everyone can grab what they want. They can take home as many items as they can grab.

Swishing is huge in the US and is now becoming popular in the UK. Economic factors and a greater awareness of the impact of both the manufacture and disposal of fast fashion on the environment are both contributing to the growth of swishing. But another key reason for the popularity of swishing is that it is fun.

If you are arranging a swishing party and would like a mention on this blog, please contact us.

picture from  http://news.sky.com