Posh Swaps Blog

Everyone is refashioning at the moment, obviously the word is getting out that you can get some really amazing clothes using second hand and vintage items. Oxfam has just opened a DIY store in its Camden shop with unique creations made from second hand. Top designer and styling Mrs Jones has revamped the store into retro heaven which has become an oasis of style for trendsetters and vintage enthusiasts.

Mrs Jones who is a stylist to the celebrities including The Killers, Kylie, Scissor Sisters and Goldfrapp has created a limited edition collection of only 30 reinvented Oxfam pieces that will be on sale in the shop and online soon. The shop opened on Saturday with a series of DIY workshops run by the stylist herself.

If you can’t get along to the store, you can always have a go at refashioning some second hand clothes yourself with their DIY tutorial on how to turn jeans into a skirt. You can also get some ideas from their sidewalk to catwalk gallery.

I really enjoyed watching Mary Queen of Shops last night, when Mary had the unenviable task of sprucing up a charity shop in Orpington Kent. Not only was I interested to see the challenges that Mary faced trying  to apply her vast skills and experience of high end retail to charity retail with a team of dedicated volunteers to manage through the change process, but I was also really pleased to see that second hand clothes were being valued and not labelled as just a load of old rubbish. Mary has helped to change the perception of many people to buying second hand clothes in charity shops. The thought of getting a Jimmy Choo handbag at a fraction of it’s original price is bound to see fashionistas flocking to their local charity shops.

I loved the way that she change the look of the charity to shop to give the feeling of a vibrant market place and made sure that the clothes were sold at their real value. Even the fact that charity shops were chosen as a subject for the programme shows the growing interest in second hand and vintage clothes in the fashion world. When Mary said that charity shops had untapped potential she is only saying what many second hand and vintage enthusiasts have been thinking for years. Buy jazzing up charity shops (and I hope many more will follow suit), she may be pushing up the prices of second hand clothes but more importantly, she is opeing up charity shop shopping to a whole new group of shoppers, who are not serious rummagers but like their clothes to be arranged neatly in size order.

picture from bbc.co.uk

The 3 R’s are used a lot to explain how you can reduce your waste and live a more sustainable life. Of the the thousands of tonnes of rubbish that are produced by UK households and business each year, only a relatively small proportion is recycled. There is still a large amount of waste that ends up in landfill when it could be recycled. In 2006, UK clothing and textiles produced up to two million tonnes of waste, 3.1 million tonnes of CO2 and 70 million tonnes of waste water.  Textiles and clothing is an area where the 3 R’s can be applied very successfully for increased sustainability:

Reduce - buying higher quality clothes in classic styles that will not go out of fashion quickly is a great way to reduce your clothing waste and the environmental impacts associated with the manufacture of new clothes.  Buying second hand clothes is also a great way to reduce your environmental impact.

Reuse - Always look after your clothes and repair them when they get damaged. If you get bored with your clothes or they no longer fit, you can also alter, customise them or rework them.

Recycle - Try swapping, selling or donating your old clothes to charity. If it is no longer wearable you can also take it to a clothing bank and it can be recycled as rags.

We have already established that clothes swapping is a great idea because it is environmentally friendly, frugal and fun, we have also discussed how to arrange a clothes swap. If you have already had a go at clothes swapping and enjoyed it, here are some ideas for clothes swaps with a difference.

1. A children/ baby clothes swap - this is a great way to recycle childrens clothes as they grow out of them. As baby clothes are only worn for a short amount of time they are often in really good condition. If you arrange a ticket system where everyone brings a bag of clothes and gets a number of tickets in return, it will allow people to swap clothes for the right size for their children.

2. A clothes swap and customising competition - not only can you get some new clothes but you could also get a completely unique and individual outfit that no one else has. You can ask frinds to bring along a sewing kit and any old buttons, trims, beads etc that they have. Once you have swapped, you can then spend the evening embellishing your clothes over a glass of wine or two. At the end, you can show off the clothes in a fashion show and award a small prize to the best creation.

3. Vintage clothes swap - If you and your friends love vintage clothes, why not arrange a vintage clothes swapping party. This is a great way to refresh your wardrobes.

4. Themed Clothes Swaps - for a bit of fun why not arrange a themed clothes swap. Perhaps try a flowers theme or  choose a particular colour which everyone should bring clothes in. In the run up to christmas, you could arrange a sparkly clothes swap with sparkly or evening clothes.

5. Accessories swap - you could arrange an accesories swap for accessories in general or for one particular type of accessories such as shoes, hand bags or jewellery.

Let us know your fun ideas for clothes swapping.

London College of Fashion is one of the worlds leading fashion colleges. It has a huge influence on the new designers and up and coming talents that graduate from it’s courses each year. It is really exciting to see London College of Fashion embracing recycling and second hand clothing with their short course in recycled clothing.

This course is great for anyone who wants to develop their own unique or individual style through second hand and vintage clothing. With second hand clothing being so immensley popular this course will give you the chance to get creative, gain some fashion inspiration and also utilise some of your jumble sale or posh swaps finds to make some thing gorgeous.

The course will teach you how to make a capsule wardrobe from second hand clothes or clothes in your existing wardrobe. Following some research on current fashion and trends combined with your own inspiration before learning how to apply customising techniques. You will also learn aboout key skills like soft tailoring and pattern cutting which will allow you to alter items, improve the fit, change the lining etc. You will also get the chance to have a go at creative techniques like beading and embellishment.

The best bit about the course is that it is aimed at beginners so you only need basic hand and sewing machine skills. You could even make yourself some extra money by selling your recycled creations on posh-swaps.com.

We were lucky enough to interview Sarah Korsiak Cellier of  Rice and Beans Vintage to find out a bit more about women’s vintage clothing and how it fits into her own unique style. Rice and Beans Vintage offers handpicked vintage and designer clothing to clients around the world. 

Rice and Beans is an interesting name for a vintage store, is there a story behind it?  

The name Rice and Beans Vintage comes out of a nickname that my now husband gave me a while back.  He used to call me Ms. Rice and Beans & according to him it is because of my sassyness (in a good way of course)!

How did you get started with vintage clothes? 

I have been wearing vintage clothing since I was around 10 years old.  I have always mixed vintage with modern clothing to create my own unique look.  I began dealing in vintage clothing about 7 years ago when I lived in San Diego and was studying to become an Acupuncturist!  I ended up choosing vintage & designer clothing over Acupuncture and I couldn’t be happier with my choice.

What is it about vintage clothing that you like?

I love that vintage clothing has a story to tell, it has history, roots.  The great thing about wearing vintage is that you can pretty much bet that you won’t run into anyone else that day who is wearing the same thing as you!  I also really admire for the most part the quality of vintage clothing, from the cut of the pieces to the fabric. 

Do you have a particular period of vintage clothing that you love?

I can honestly say that there is something from every period of fashion that I have at one time or another fallin in love with.

What is you favourite vintage piece?

I own a Vintage 60’s bright abstract print brocade coat with rhinestone buttons that I had shortened to right below the knee.  I love it because it has a bright almost neon pink lining and looks fantastic with denim.

How old does a piece of clothing have to be to be described as vintage? 

I consider a piece to be “vintage” if it is Pre-90’s. 

How can you be sure that an item of clothing is vintage?

I am not a vintage expert, I would have to clock a few more years before I would consider myself “schooled” in vintage.  However, I do a lot of research and try to be as thorough as possible when dating and describing each vintage and designer piece at Rice and Beans Vintage.  You can tell a lot from a label about the age of a piece as well as the styling.

Vintage clothing is become increasingly popular, why do you think this is?

I think vintage clothing has become more and more popular for several reasons.  Firstly people are recognizing the environmental impact of the clothing industry and purchasing vintage and pre-loved designer clothing is a great way to help minimize the demand for more and more new pieces to be made.  Secondly I think there is an economic component to the whole vintage craze.  Let’s face it purchasing a Vintage Chanel bag can be much less costly than buying a brand new piece and again it’s got history.  I also know that people love vintage because it does set your look apart from everyone else and gives you the freedom to be creative with your look.  Isn’t that what fashion is all about?

picture - vintage floral cotton maxi dress from Rice and Beans Vintage

11 Jun 2009 06:30

Venue: INC space, Holborn WC2

Launching our new Daisy bra and modelled by Amazon, Galdiator from SKY TV, our swishing evening will kick off at 6.30. As well as the swish, it will feature an ethical styling demonstration by Lupe Castro, music from top green band, The Phoenix Rose, burlesque dancing and shopping opportunities from ethical fashion brands including Bochica, Makepiece, Bourgeois Boheme, and natural beauty company, Green People.

Advanced tickets are £10.00 availble from nicola@daisygreenmagazine.co.uk

09 Jun 2009 17:30

Venue: Borough Bar, 10-19 London Bridge Street, SE1 9SG

Buy a ticket for the London Frock Exchange and be in with a chance of winning an LK Bennett handbag, a magnum of champagne and more! Tickets are just £10 and include a glass of bubbly on arrival. Buy yours today at www.londonfrockexchange.org.uk.

Confirmed: Pat McNulty and Kat Webster from InStyle.co.uk will be at the London Frock Exchange giving fashion advice and helping you put your new outfits together!

The London Frock Exchange is in aid of the Alzheimer’s Society

05 Jun 2009 19:00

Venue: Charing Cross Hotel, London

“Shoe Spectacular” is a party for all those women who just love shoes. There is an accessories swap (swap up to 5 of your unwanted items), a mini fashion show, live music, shoe artists exhibitors, shopping opportunities and beauticians onsite. All guests will receive a goody bag.
Tickets are on sale for £8 (advance). To buy tickets or find out more, please visit http://www.lagenevenorthevents.co.uk/

Email: theresa@lagenevenorth.co.uk

02 Jun 2009 20:00

Venue: Pink Bar, 93 Feet East, 150 Brick Lane

The East London Craft Guerrilla are back in the Pink Bar at 93 Feet East holding the second of their monthly clothes swap on Tuesday 2nd June. Once again, ladies and gentlemen, fling open your drawers and bring all those clothes, shoes and accessories that you don’t wear anymore (although please make sure they’re clean and in good condition) and swap them for new ones! The Craft Guerrilla tutors will be available to help you pimp your new clothes with vintage buttons and other trimmings.

As with all our DIY Craft Nights, please feel free to bring your own projects. Foxed by a knitting pattern? Got your garter tangled with your stocking stitches? Running stitch run away with you? Want to learn how to darn / knit / crochet? Ask our tutors to help you out!

£5 cover charge if you’re taking part in the clothes swap or free entry if you’re bringing your own projects.

Please get there with your clothes by 8PM as the first hour will be spent hanging them up and eyeing up your potential swaps. Please bring at least one item to swap per person with a maximum of five items in total. The amount you bring is the amount you can take home.

Craft Guerrilla DJs: Masonic Boom / Anna / Dawn Chorus / Handsome Twins will provide some crafty beats while you knit, sew and pose in your new clothes.

For more information and to download the flyer click the image below or visit the events page at www.craftguerrilla.com.