Posh Swaps Blog

Have you ever wished that you could live a  more green life but just can’t seem to find the time to do so? Finding the most eco friendly options and products can take time and that is something that most of us seem to be very short on. That is why I am really pleased that I came across www.wekangogreen.co.uk, a website that seems to give almost everything that you need to make your life a lot greener and be more eco friendly.

From organic gardening tips to a database of places to recycle and find eco friendly goods to making less waste when you cook, the website is jam packed with really useful information accompanied by charming pictures.The shop stocks almost anything that you could possibly need from cleaning and laundry products to hair care and organic makeup to batteries and even water saving devices. If you though going green would be difficult, this website will make it a whole lot easier.

They even run a stamp reward scheme so going green doesn’t have to be expensive.

What can make from a load of old rubbish? Quite a lot actually. I seem to come across more and more examples of very stylish upcycled fashion lately, especially accessories. I’m talking about the sort of gorgeous pieces that you desperately have to have not because they are eco friendly but because they will look amazing and make a real style statement with that …..

The more recycled pieces that I find, the more I think about how much we throw away. With jewellery made from such a diverse range of found items and scarfs and other accessories made from all sorts of beautiful reclamimed, vintage and second hand materials.

To get some inspiration or some lovely recycled fashion, just try searching ‘trashion fashion’ on Etsy. I hope you love what you find as much as I did. Don’t forget, if you are making upcycled/ recycled fashion, www.posh-swaps.com is a great place to source materials and sell you creations (for free).

This bracelet called coffee berries by Jupita is made from old gift cards.

This hot asphalt recycled LP necklace made by Tresijas is as the name suggests made from an old record, heated and then folded over to give the appearance of a warped pavement.

This Ladybug Fairy Hood by Fairytale Fibres looks both stylish and warm and is made from 100% upcycled wool.

A great round up this week on Green Chic links including ethical, cruelty free and eco fashion and beauty.

Prissy Green teaches us a sweet recipe to relax and warm up in the tub! Hot Chocolate Milk Bubble Bath! Sooth your skin and your senses!

The Fashionable Housewife reveals her five favorite Chic & Eco Friendly Handbags For Fall 2009.

The Fashionable Bambino dishes on Tips for Parenting a Disorganized Child.

My Beauty Bunny shares a cruelty-free beauty review from a (metrosexual) male’s perspective!

Posh Swaps talks about the Make Do and Mend craze that is sweeping the UK. A great way to reduce waste!

Quinta Trends loves 12na (Doceñada) dresses

This week, College Candy helps to school Fashion Pulse Daily in the ways of doing more savvy, eco-friendly shopping and overall living.

Over the last couple of days, I have had a few people ask me how a Posh Swaps clothes swap party works. I apologise if I have been taking it for granted that everyone knows exactly what happens and has been to a similar swishing party already, so here is a bit of an explanation.

Each person brings along 3 pieces of clothing or accessories that they would like to swap. They do not have to be really expensive designer clothes but it is really important that they are a reasonable quality, clean (i’m sure this goes without saying) and in good condition. It is also really important that the swapper is completely willing to part with the clothes as once they have been entered into the swap, there is no going back. The clothes are collected as the swappers arrive and laid out. We will do a very quick welcome speech, just to let everyone know how it all works and anything else important.

There will then be between 30 mins and an hour for swappers to browse the clothes, fashion and beauty market and enjoy a glass of wine and chat with friends before the swap begins. No one may take any clothes before the swap is declared open. There will be a five minute warning before the swap begins and then a bell/ whistle to signal the start of the swap.

Each person can take up to 3 items of clothing. They can try them on and come back and change them if they wish. We encourage everyone to keep it light hearted and friendly although occasionally things can get  a bit heated.

Frugal living is currently a necessity for many people but has also become quite fashionable as people find new and creative ways to live on a minimal budget. The media have likened this frugality to the second world war when rationing and shortages forced people to ’make do and mend’. John Lewis has even rewritten a wartime make do and mend booklet for modern times. It gives some great tips that still apply today as well as some new ones such as the economic use of the central heating.

This make do and mend philosophy, is not just frugal but also environmentally friendly and a real contrast to throw away society that has become so prevalent in recent years. Make do and mend positively encourages a reduction in waste and recycling in all sorts of different ways. Some thing that may be quite alien to many but that fits in perfectly with the current economic climate and make do and mend philosophy is making do with the clothes we have instead of buying new. Of course it help greatly if the clothes were great quality and classic styles in the first place.

A whole movement of fashionistas has began to spring up around the make do and mend idea. Clothes swapping, swishing parties, clothing repair and alteration, buying and selling second hand clothes and refashioning/ reworking old clothes have all become popular ways not just of saving money and the environment but also of creating unique, interesting and beautiful outfits.

Heres the latest from our Green Chic friends.

The Fashionable Bambino shows you the best Safe, Lead-Free Toys from Green Toys, Inc.

Prissy Green introduces EcoBabyBuys, a new retail concept, that offers eco-baby goods for 40-60%. A new deal everyday!

Posh Swaps is really excited about The next Posh Swaps clothes swap party in Bath a fun and frugal way to get some sustainable style.

Looking Sharp! scored some new eco-friendly wears from Pittsburgh-based designer Kelly Lane!

Mercola.com raises awareness that people who get a seasonal flu shot are twice as likely to catch Swine Flu!!

Not Green, But Totally Fashionable…

Fashionable Media presents Fashionable Gals For A Cure Breast Cancer Awareness Fund Raiser and Giveaway.

Help us raise money for BCA research and enter to win fabulous prizes from Elle Moss, Urban Decay, cashmere wraps, KC Tees, Laughing Vixen Pendants and more! We’re even giving away gift cards to TJ Maxx, Marshalls, Bare Necessities, and Super Shoes!

Enter for a chance to win >>

The Budget Fashionista Wants to know if you shop smart and never pay full price for designer fashion. If so, tell us why you’re a Maxxinista and you win a $500 Shopping Spree to TJ Maxx!!!!

The Ethical Fashion Show in Paris is the only trade show dedicated entirely to Ethical Fashion. It showcases the work of designers who respect both people and the environment. The show includes a whole range of different clothes from street and sports wear to accessories and couture from all over the world. This year it included over 100 designers in total including Ada Zandition, Bee-Bee, Bibico, Terra Plana from the UK.

The four day event which ran from the first to fourth of October also featured conferences including Fashion, field of social cohesion and Organic and fair-trade textiles: what guarantees across the supply chain? and workshops including Ethical designers’ forum: taking stock of ethical trends for the 6th edition of Ethical Fashion Show®.

Refashioning clothes is a huge trend at the moment. It is both an economical and eco friendly way to keep your wardrobe up to date and even better it is a great way of creating unique and individual clothes that no one else will have. Recycling is already big news with recent years seeing a surge in the sales of second hand and vintage clothes as well as the phenomena of clothes swapping. By refashioning second hand and vintage clothes, fashionistas are taking it one step further and getting fresh, innovative and up to the minute clothes. Refashioning clothes is also great fun.

When you refashion your wardrobe, you just need to take any clothes that you no longer wear and change them into something that you will wear. For each piece that you no longer wear, you need to think about why you don’t wear it and what would make you more likely to wear it. For example, if you are just bored with an item of clothing, you could make it more interesting by embellishing it, if you feel it is out of date, you could change the style to something more current, if it no longer fits you or is damaged in some way, you may want to deconstruct it and then make it into something completely different.

Dying or bleaching - You can change the colour of a garment by dying or bleaching it. There are a variety of techniques that can be used to create patterns using bleach or dyes.

Shortening - you can shorten or remove sleeves, cut off jeans and shorten a dress to become a top. Depending on the look that you are trying to achieve, you can either leave the shortened edges raw or hem or finish them.

Cutting - cutting is a great way to restyle t shirts. You can cut out the neckline and cut slashes across the t shirt.

Embellishing - There are countless ways that you can embellish a garment including beading, adding trims like lace, appliqué, and embroidery.

Fitting - a piece of clothing that does not fit properly can be altered to make it fit perfectly.

Deconstructing and reconstructing - For those with more advanced sewing and dressmaking skills, a piece of clothing can be turned into something completely different by taking it apart and using the fabric or trims to create another piece of clothing.

There are so many ways that you can refashion clothes to create a really original wardrobe. You will be helping to reduce the ever growing problem of landfill and saving yourself money. Your outfits will definitely be right on trend.

picture from office.co.uk

Being green has never been so stylish. check out this great links for green beauty and fashion.

Factio Magazine Jessa Brinkmeyer, owner of the Chicago-based eco-boutique Pivot, called on Euro RSCG Chicago for a little help with sharing Pivot’s mission and the values of eco-fashion!

Fashion Pulse Daily is giving away an Eco Tools Recycled Retractable Kabuki Brush in honor of its anniversary.

Looking Sharp! is recycling used and unwanted makeup at Sephora!

My Beauty Bunny is giving away over $3,000 worth of cruelty-free goodies!

Posh Swaps looks at the Uniform Project, an excercise in sustainability but she would rather swap clothes than wear the same dress for a year

Karissa from Prissy Green mixes things up with a post about Blogger to Blogger Respect & Support and discusses how loud blog voices can be! She even mentions Green Chic Updates!

After the success of our last clothes swap party in Chiswick in September, we can’t wait until our next clothes swap party in the historic city of Bath on 24th November. With christmas just around the corner, this will a great opportunity to look for something lovely to wear to a Christmas party and stock up on pressies from the Posh Swaps fashion and beauty market.

The party will be held in the picturesque setting of the Bath Guild Hall and swappers will get the chance to have a very frugal girls night out with tickets costing only £10 (in advance) and including a glass of wine and nibbles, plus a goody bag with fashion and beauty goodies.

Clothes swap or swishing parties are a great alernative to shopping, they are not only fun but also eco friendly and frugal.

Further information and to buy tickets click here: Posh Swaps Clothes Swap Party Bath