Posh Swaps Blog

With less than 2 weeks to go, we can’t wait until the first ever Posh Swaps Clothes Swap party on 17th September in Chiswick. The tickets are selling fast so buy soon to avoid disappointment. Why not get together a group of friends for a really fun, frugal and eco friendly night out. There will be lots to do besides swapping with a free glass of wine and a mini manicure or neck and shoulder massage included in the price. There will also be lots of great stuff at the Posh Swaps fashion and beauty market including jewellery hand bags and shoes and some food for those who are hungry.

Not only will you go home with 5 newly swapped pieces of clothing but you will also recieve a posh swaps goody bag filled with discount vouchers and product samples.

 http://www.total-renewal.com/page21.htm or by emailing info@total-renewal.com

We are so excited about our latest announcement. We have been really busy planning the first ever Posh Swaps clothes swap party. Whilst many people love swapping clothes online for it’s choice and simplicity, some also really like the social aspects of swapping and will give any reason for a good party. Clothes swapping parties or swishing have become hugely popular in the UK.

With this in mind, we have teamed up with Total Renewal and Style to Wear for our first ever clothes swap party for 17th September in Chiswick and we are sure that it is going to be a completely enjoyable event, the chance to catch up with friends and to relax and enjoy a bit of pampering. We think it will give you the chance to refresh and update your wardrobe but it is not just a clothes swapping party. The event will include a pamper treatment for each guest, a glass of wine and a fashion and beauty market. Each guest will also recieve a Posh Swaps goody bag.

For further information and tickets go to http://www.posh-swaps.com/blog/posh-swaps-clothes-swap-parties/

It’s great to see so many of the nominees for the Innovation awards using recycled materials this year. The competition was lauched by the Ethical Fashion Forum this year to support new fashion designers whose work exhibits both outstanding design and sustainability. The winners will have the opportunity to show at Estheica at London Fashion Week in September and will get support from an expert consultancy team.

The sustainable fashion using recycled materials, include:

• MIA - combining second hand clothes purchased from local markets in Malawi with traditional Malawian textiles to create contemporary womenswear.
• Dandi Maestre - handmade jewellery and accessories made from natural and recycled materials including reclaimed wood.
• Henrietta Ludgate - based in a crofting village in the highlands of Scotland and using surplus fabrics from mills including fleece and tweed.
• Hetty Rose - Handmade shoes using mainly reclaimed, recycled and vintage materials with very little waste including Japanese Kimono fabrics and recycled leather.
• Lu Flux - clothing made using upcyled vintage material.

picture - Lux Flux

If you are organising a swishing party for your friends, why not continue the environmental and sustainable them by serving some delicious and organic cocktails. By using organic spirits and fruit juices in your cocktails, you will get a very pure drink with no pesticides or nasties and may even avoid that hangover sore head the next day. Best of all these cocktails are delicious and very refreshing, great for sipping at whilst deciding which clothes you would like to swap.

Spajito - a new twist on the classic mojito

2 oz. Cucumber-infused Square One Organic Vodka

6 sprigs of fresh mint

1 Tbsp. organic Agave nectar

3 Tbsp. peeled and diced cucumber (preferably English)

1 lime, halved and juiced, with one half reserved

Club Soda or Sparkling water

Ice

Remove leaves from all but one sprig of mint, reserving that sprig for garnish. Place mint leaves, agave nectar, cucumber and lime juice in a cocktail shaker. “Muddle” (mash) the contents of the shaker with a wooden spoon or muddler for at least 30 seconds. Strain the liquid into a tall glass filled with crushed ice. Add the vodka and the lime half and stir. Fill glass to desired level with soda water. Garnish with the remaining sprig of mint.

Lavender Honey Cream - great for those with a sweet tooth

1.5 oz Square One Organic Vodka
1 oz organic heavy cream
1 oz organic egg white
1 oz lavender honey syrup*

Add all ingredients over ice in a shaker and shake gently for 30 seconds. This will make a thick, creamy cocktail without too much ice. Strain into a chilled martini glass and garnish with a piece of lavender (this will add to the nose with each sip

*Lavender honey available in specialty stores. Boil one cup of water and slowly stir in 1 cup of lavender honey until dissolved. Lower heat and reduce for 3 minutes. Let cool and add to a squeeze bottle.

from the Square One organic vodka website

Second Hand Ivory Lace Wedding Dress

Whether you are an eco warrior or not, having an eco wedding is a great way to show your commitment to the environment and get your married life off to a great start. A wedding is often a time when consumerism takes over and thoughts of the environment are forgotton. The carbon footprint of a wedding is often huge especially considering it is just one day.  Having an Eco chic wedding is also a great way to show your family and friends great ways to live a greener life. Here are some of our ideas for a greener or eco wedding.

• Buy a second hand wedding dress. As wedding dresses only get worn for one day, it is likely to be in great condition and a fraction of the cost of a new dress. Once your special day is over you can recycle it by selling it or donating to charity.
• Serve organic and locally produced food at the reception. Although organic food is a bit more expensive than normal food, it will taste better and you can keep it affordable by keeping it simple.
• Encourage guests to buy recycled wedding presents. You can still make a list of what you need, they can then look on ebay, at charity shops or car boots for something you will love.
• Reduce the carbon footprint of your honeymoon by holidaying in the UK. Just because you are not flying miles away, it doesn’t mean that you can’t enjoy a luxurious and romantic break.
• Grow the flowers for the wedding in your garden. This will take a bit of forward planning but will be better for the environment than flowers that have travelled miles.
• For your hen night, why not do something green and fun like some a conservation weekend or for those less outdoorsy types a clothes swap?
• You could even have a second hand / vintage theme or dress code for guests at the wedding.

Eco friendly weddings has a great list of UK suppliers of almost everything that you could need for an eco f wedding. even if you do not manage to make the whole of your wedding eco friendly, every little helps. Keeping things simple is  a really good start.

If you fancy going along to a swishing or clothes swapping party, here are just a few of those going on over the UK in July

POLAR FORD SWISHING PARTY

08 Jul 2009 19:00

Venue: POLAR FORD NEW CAR SHOWROOM

Ladies,Bring your clothes, jewellery, handbags and shoes and exchange the same amount for the same again! Nibbles and wine will be served and proceeds will to Help The Aged Charity. £5.00 entry fee

Email: maureen.mcevoy@polar-motor.co.uk

Come SWishing

08 Jul 2009 20:00

Venue: Harrison’s Bar, 15 - 17 Bedford Hill, Balham, SW12

Come SWishing!

SWish is back on 8th July at Harrison’s Bar, 15 - 19 Bedford Hill…and this time we’re upping our game! This SWish is all about those lovely items that you fell massively in love with…but just haven’t worn since, ooh, we last had a decent summer!

Step 1: Bring along 5 items of clean, stylish summer clothing, shoes or accessories that you no longer wear but you think another woman would love. Serioulsy…respect your fellow SWishers and bring along some fabulous gear!

Step 2: We get the items ready for you whilst you have a drink and wait for browsing time to begin…then the swapping starts!

Step 3: We SWish in rounds and raffle items that more than one person wants to claim

Balham Bou wowed us at the last SWish with the most amazing dress, which went to a lucky lass who had a wedding that very weekend…result!

Please bring your items at 8pm, the SWishing will begin at 8.30 pm. Entry is £5 on the door.

For more details and to book your place email jo at comeswishing@yahoo.co.uk

Clothes Swap for FUN

11 Jul 2009 11:30

Venue: The Royal School, 65 Rosslyn Hill, Hampstead

*BRING - good quality items you no longer love and SWAP - for items you will adore forever*

Look good on the outside and feel great on the inside knowing that you have supported FUN, a charity that has been helping disadvantaged children in London for over 25 years.

Advanced entry donation £5, on the door £6.
To book: email amy@friendsunitednetwork.org.uk or
call: 0207450900

On the day: sale of fantastic high-street designer clothing, cakes, refreshments and raffle.

Email: amy@friendsunitednetwork.org.uk

Clothes Swap Party

11 Jul 2009 19:30

Venue: The Nightjar, Mead Vale, Weston super Mare

This is our first swishing event, and we’re hoping it will go with a swing! If anyone in the area would like to donate clothes rails, or can offer to help with organising swishers on the night, please email.

Email: partridgebazaar@tiscali.co.uk

Swansea Summer Swish

17 Jul 2009 17:30

Venue: St. Phillips Community Hall, Bathurst Street, Swansea,

Need something new for the Summer but feeling the pinch of the credit crunch? Is your wardrobe bulging with clothes that you don’t wear and want to see go to a good home? Looking good doesn’t have to cost the earth!

Come to the second Swishing party hosted by SCRAP, as part of Swansea’s ‘Wise up to Waste Week’, for your chance to make your unwanted items another person’s treasure and take home some new delights for your own collection.

Attendees must bring at least one item of clothing, jewellery, shoes or accessories. You will be able to take home as many items as you can get your hands on. But remember, This isn’t an excuse for you to dump your ripped, stained, unwearable clothes but an opportunity to really clear out your wardrobe of all those things that don’t quite suit you or no longer fit and exchange them for something that you will truely value.

The evening will go as follows:

5pm - 6.00 Guests arrive and place their items on the appropriate rails/tables

6.00 - 6.30 Time to browse through and try the items on (but no claiming until the Swish begins)

7.00 - 7.30 The Big Swish begins, run for your favourite item (with dignity & respect please. Remember ladies, no scratching, spitting or snatching)

Please bring your clothes on hangers and lots of your friend to join in with the fun.

Entry is just £4 and all guests will be treated to a glass of wine and other refreshments. All proceeds will be donated to the Environment Centre and any items left over will be evenlyu donated to the MOre Green Project & RSPCA Llys-Nini.

We look forward to seeing you there. For more information or to volunteer to help out please e-mail.

Email: info@scrap-partnership.org.uk

Swish North East

23 Jul 2009 18:00

Venue: Thistle Hotel, Fry Street, Middlesbrough

have the ultimate girls night out in Middlesbrough, chance to go out with friends and family and get a new outfit into the bargain. Not only loads of clothes, shoes and accessories to pick from but a wide range of local retailers including hairdressers, Style and Colour Consultants, Massage, nails, shoes, bags etc etc.

Email: pauline.osborne2@ntlworld.com

Green Britain Day is on 10th July and Team Green Britain is all about showing that Britain is leading the world in the race against climate change and coming together as a team to make a change for the better. Green Britain Day is the chance for everyone to do something green for the team.

You can sign up to a variety of teams on the Team Green Britain website, which suggests lots of difference ways that you can become more green and even save some money from swapping something to changing your light bulbs to low energy.

At Posh-swaps.com, we have joined the Team Green Britain, Team Swap. You can swap anything not just clothes but we are pledging to clear out out wardrobes and find lots of lovely clothes to swap. There really is no hardship as we will get lots of lovely clothes in return without spending any money.

Why not join team swap and arrange a clothes swap with your friends for 10th July or list some of your old clothes to swap on www.posh-swaps.com.

Yet more evidence that recycling in the fashion industry is starting to take off. Graduate fashion week is a great indicator of the future of fashion almost certainly some of this years graduates will be the next rising stars of the fashion industry.

I loved Lucie Vincini’s collection of menswear. It had some eclectic and innovative designs but was mor than just a eco fashion novelty. It stood on it’s own merits in terms of wearable clothes and a very cohesive collection. The collection was made of a wide range of recycled materials and included a jacket made from Royal Mail bags and trousers made from plastic bags.

I hope this will inspire people and designers to have a go at making more outfits from recycled materials and second hand clothes is a great place to start. Don’t forget you can sell your outfits from second hand clothes and recycled materials for free on www.posh-swaps.com.

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.

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