Posh Swaps Blog

You can sell your used and refashioned or recycled clothes on www.posh-swaps.com for free. Refashioning is a great way to create your own line of individual clothes. It is not only fun and good for the environment but it is also a great way to make money. If your old clothes are looking a bit out of date refashioning them is a great way to bring them right up to date. There are so many ways to refashion clothes including dying, embellishing, shortening and deconstructing and reconstructing them into a completely new piece of clothing.

You can also sell second hand, designer, high street and vintage clothes on Posh-swaps.com.

Set up your Posh-swaps.com account today and start listing your items.

I am a firm believer that most trends come back again and again there are very few completely new trends that appear. This means that if you love second hand clothes, no one will ever know that you are wearing second hand clothes. In teh long term look at the vintage trend, clothes from the forties, fifties, sixties, seventies and eighties regularly come into fashion. In the shorter term, the same trends come back year after year.

There really is no need to buy brand new clothes each season to keep up with fashions. Just take for example the key trends for this autumn and winter of black and white tweed.

Alexander McQueen AW09

Pringle AW09

Alexander Wang AW09

pictures from www.style.com

You need look no further than Posh-swaps.com for a great second hand version.

Black and white tweed jacket

Silk Missoni Dress

Do you love wearing designer clothes? Most of us would love to be able to fill our wardrobes with lovely designer clothes each season, but in reality there are only a few who actually have enough money to do so. With the recession hitting many of us and our clothes spend, don’t despair, you can still have a great designer clothes filled wardrobe without filling for bankruptcy.

Investing in second hand designer clothes or swapping your old designer clothes is a much better way to look stylish on a budget than resorting to fast fashion clothes that are not good for the environment and are sometimes produced unethically. They are often poorly made in inferior fabrics and it will show when you wear them.

Firstly you should sort through any designer clothes that you no longer wear. These can then be listed on a clothes swapping website like Posh-swaps.com. All that you need is a photograph of the item and as much information as possible about it including the size, designer, fabric and details of the condition. It can also be useful to take a photograph of the label to show that the item is genuine.

Then comes the fun part. Browse for some lovely clothes that you would like and propose a swap or to buy.

We thought we would put together some ideas on how to be thrifty and do some good for the environment. Here are our fifteen best ideas on how to look stylish, save money and even make a bit of money.

1. Of course clothes swapping is at number one. Apart from being great fun, it also doesn’t cost any money and is a great way to reduce waste.

2. Selling your old clothes, just like clothes swapping this is a great way to reduce waste and make money from something that you no longer want.

3. Buying second hand clothes. So much cheaper than new clothes, you get a lot more quality for your money by buying second hand clothes.

4. Selling refashioned or customised clothes. This is another one of our favourites, why not make old clothes into something unique and more valuable. If you are clever enough, you will be able to sell them for more than the original piece of clothing.

5. Accessorise - the cheapest way to get a new look is to accessorise some clothes that you already have. It is not about what you wear, more how you wear it.

6. Borrow clothes - if you have  one off event to go to and you need something specific to wear, why buy something new if you can borrow off a friend. Remember to always return borrowed clothes in immaculate condition.

7. Buy quality clothes that will last. If you buy quality clothes they will wash better and last longer. They don’t neccesarily cost much more than poor quality clothes.

8. Develop your own individual sense of style - you will be less dependant on following trends and so your clothes will last longer.

9. Look after you clothes - the better they are looked after, the longer they will last. Don’t let the moths get to your cashmere, your clothes lose their shape by being hung on the wrong hanger. Always follow the instructions on the label.

10. Mend your clothes - instead of throwing your clothes away if they get damaged try mending them. If they are irrepairable, you can recycle them by making them into something else.

11. Shop in the sales- look for classic clothes that will not be out of fashion next year and you could find some great bargains at a fraction of their original prices.

12. Compare prices - if you are looking for a specific item of clothing, shop around a bit. You may be able to find it somewhere else a bit cheaper.

13. Use shopping discount vouchers - there are plenty of websites with discount vouchers that will give you the opportunity for some money off.

14. Plan carefully. If you are going shopping, think beforehand about what you really need, set yourself a budget and stick to it. Thinking in advance will help to avoid those impulse buys that turn out to be a big mistake.

15. Watch out for extras associated with going shopping, like car park charges and delivery fees. If you are only buying something small these can add on a large percentage to your shop. Try shopping less often so you don’t pay out too many unnecessary charges.

picture from www.treehugger.com

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.

I hope that you had a very lovely wedding day and have lots of lovely wedding photos to remember it by. Many people decide to keep their wedding dress for sentimental reasons but if you are not that sentimental about a piece of clothing or you don’t have space to store it, then selling a second hand wedding dress is a great way to ensure that someone else gets as much benefit from it as you have done. You also will get some money back and I am sure that most newly weds could do with that.

If you leave your wedding dress boxed up in your loft, there is a chance that it will get moth eaten or ruined. Are you ever going to use it again? I am thinking probably and hopefully not (not as a wedding dress anyway). So why not sell your wedding dress. It is very simple, first of all take three picture of the dress including one full length, plus two more of either the back view or close ups of the detail. Then set up and an account with www.posh-swaps.com and list the dress. Give as much information about the dress as you can.

You will also need to decide on a price . This will depend on how much  it cost new as well as it’s condition. As a general rule, if it is in excellent condition, it would be reasonable to charge about 50% of it’s new price, but it is really up to you.

Don’t forget to link to your listing from any blogs, social networks or fashion forum to give it maximum exposure on the search engines.

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.

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.

First of all I would like to say, car boot sales are uber fun. Not just because you can find amazing one off items for next to nothing, but because if you’re like me on a Sunday morning (usually feeling lazy, hung-over and nursing a sore head) then there really is no better reason to drag yourself out of bed than to nose around other peoples junk.

So last Sunday the 26^th of April the Sun was shining and the people of Carshalton were out in droves. After driving around the boot sale for 45 minutes (trying to park inside was like trying to get into fort knox) we finally found a parking spot and scuttled towards the boot fair. As we hurriedly walked towards the humongous school grounds of St Philomena’s catholic school the first thing I noticed was two women engaged in fisticuffs. Seriously. And it was over a dress it seemed, finger nails and hair tearing galore. This was when I realised this boot sale was going to be special, as the last time I saw this much passion for fashion was at the opening of the Selfridges spring summer sale 08.

 So I stepped over the bloodied boxers and inhaled a huge gulp of air whilst gazing across the fields and fields of bargain buys. Much to my Jaw dropping excitement, it was HUGGGE, like really huge. There were 3 fields of car bootie action. And it really was amazing, with unusual buys going for ludicrously cheap, confirming my theory. Boot fairs ARE every recessionistas dream.

After I had calmed myself down from all the excitement I headed towards the first stand I could focus on and noticed a vintage looking brown jacket. After examining the piece, I realised ok it wasn’t vintage but it was cute, like really cute. So after asking for a price on the jacket I was told “that would be a fiver love”. This was when it got tricky. The bargaining phase. Never one to be put off a touch of haggling (I conquered Pat Pong market in Bangkok don’t you know) I sniggered and put my bargain head on before quipping back “I’ll give you a couple of quid if ya luckie mate” (it’s good to put on an old east end accent at these car boots, gives the impression you’re a bit of a wheeler bargain dealer).

Anyway after much dispute over the value of the blazer we got involved on the finer details and finally agreed on a price of Two English pounds and fifty pennies. Luuuuuverly. So I left with a gem which cost less than my early morning hot dog. This purchased piece was the first of many that day, but it was by far the most expensive. Which taught me a lesson. Start ludicrously low when bargaining, because at these types of events it really does seem fifty pence is a reasonable price for a dress.

 At the end of the day I worked out I had spent £5.50, and I had purchased 2 dresses, 3 jackets and a jumper. Weighing in at roughly 50p per item, it was apparent boot fairs really are the ultimate bargain fest. This particular boot sale was in St Philomena’s in Carshalton, and it takes place once a month. If you fancy a spot of vintage chic on the cheap you can find the monthly dates on the following site.

http://www.stphils.org.uk/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=84&Itemid=90

But remember is just one of many on the London circuit of boot sales, the beauty of these events being clueless souls selling grandmas vintage brooches for 50p a pop. Fabulous.

If searching for a bit of car bootie action then do check out the nationwide listings on www.carbootjunction.com but be warned it is not always 100% accurate. I have often gone searching for car booties which don’t exist (I once drove all the way to Esher to be told the car boot wasn’t on that week) so if you’re looking for a more reliable source of information check out http://www.carbootcalendar.com/. This site is generally very reliable and has an annual subscription magazine costing just £14.00 (a year) which lists all the latest car boot sales across the country monthly. Worth every penny. So next Sunday when you’re feeling lazy get yourself down to your local car boot sale, for the sake of your wallet and your wardrobe.

Finally, for those of you thinking you don’t fancy getting your manolo’s grubby, I would just like to say I once found a vintage Chanel handbag for 5 pounds in a boot sale in Battersea. Yes really. Oh you’re suddenly considering it? So I’ll see you next Sunday?

This post was written by our guest writer

Alice Kelleher is a 24 year old freelance writer often known to be distracted by shiny pretty things. Fresh off the block after just returning from a five month travelling trip around south east Asia, Alice is slightly obsessed with Noodles, and totally obsessed by boys in bands and the latest greatest fads and trends. Currently she is working in a Deli part time (she loves cheese), until she finds a stable job in fashion Journalism/fashion PR.

pictures by Ross Matthews

picture from www.craftstylish.com

How to update an 80’s Prom dress - Threadbanger

This post gives detailed instructions on how to restyle an old prom dress so that it looks really up to date. It also allows a bit of your own creativity for a completely unique prom dress. A great idea if you hahen be ve an old dress packed up in the attic, I also wondered whether this could be applied to an old or second hand wedding dress that could dyed to make a very special prom dress.

a Shrug and Skirt Set out of an Old Sweater - Threadbanger

This is a great way to restyle a sweater. The skirt looks quite short but would look good worn with leggings. The shrug would look great with a vest top or a dress.

Board Shorts out of an old suit - Threadbanger

I love this idea, it could also be adapted to use a floral material, or whatever material you like for some different tailored shorts for the office.

A recycled necktie scarf - Craft Stylish

A great way t recycle old silk ties into a gorgeous scarf. You can pick the patterns / colours for the look that you would like to achieve.

Refashion a boring cardigan - Craft Stylish

This shows how to get a plain and boring cardigan and make it into something really different and unique. I love the colours of the cardigan.

Refashioned Blouse - this mama makes stuff

a great way to turn a shapeless blouse into a more fitted style and adjust the sleeves. This post shows how you can change or customise something if you don’t like it.

Refashioned denim skirt - Burda Style

Add new life to a denim skirt. The frills and paint give it a really up to date and cutting edge feel.

Vintage Lace Tank Top - Into the fray

Yet another great idea for making something very ordinary look special. I love the lace used on this one but you could use whatever trim you like.

Embroidered Hoody - Burda Style

A great way to recycle an old hoody. Again this technique could be used for all sorts of things including t shirts and polo shirts. You can really get creative.

Recycle old jeans into sandals - Wikihow

This video made by the thegreengirls.com shows you exactly what to do to make your old jeans into sandals. A great idea for  an old pair of jeans that has worn out and is no longer wearable.