Posh Swaps Blog

If you get easily bored of your clothes, join the club. After wearing a particular uniform for a whole season, I am often sick of the sight of it. Even though it is still in perfectly good condition (usually) and not out of fashion. I suppose this is why many people resort to fast fashion for a quick retail fix and a wardrobe refresh.

But I am becoming more and more determined to stick my principles of avoiding fast fashion and  opting for better quality clothes that will not go out of fashion. The problem with spending more money on an item of clothing is that it usually makes me less likely to take risks and instead I always end up with the safe options.

The Solution is clothes swapping. I get the best of both world, a new look with quality clothes, which I find looks much better than cheap clothes anyway. But because I have not spent so  much money, I am more inclined to try out new looks and have a bit of fun with what I am wearing. If the look doesn’t work or I don’t feel great in it, I can always swap it for something else.

In the current economic climate, some have expressed concerns that the eco fashion industry that has been doing so well over the past few years, may experience some set backs. This is a result of more cautious spending and lack of disposable income. Eco fashion tends to more expensive than conventional clothing and in times of hardship, people just may not be able to afford it.

But there is one way of being frugally fashionable in a sustainable way - clothes swapping. Clothes swapping is the ultimate guilt free alternative to clothes shopping. It is a greay way to completely revamp your wardrobe without spending any money. It is also a great way to recycle your old clothing, reducing waste and reduce your carbon footprint and the pollution and environmental damage caused by the manufacture of new clothing. Second hand clothes are a great way to try out new looks and you can get a whole new look by swapping all of your old clothes.

There are lots of different ways to swap clothes. Swishing is the name given to a clothes swapping party. You can go a long to an organised swish or try arranging your own with friends. The easiest and most convenient way to swap clothes is to use a clothes swapping website like Posh-swaps.com. Why don’t you give it a try?

picture of Style Eyes Fashion Blog

There has been a growing trend for the fashion conscious to seek out different styles of clothing and develop their own unique style instead of following the fashion trends. This includes seeking out clothes that are not available on the high street including handcrafted fashions on websites such as Etsy.com, clothes from unknown and Indie designers, individual boutiques, second hand and vintage clothing. The key to the new eclectic look is not so much about what you wear as how you wear it. This change in consumer behaviour is evident in the decline of the phenonmenas like fast fashion and the ‘IT bag’ and also the decline of sales on the high street. Consumers are becoming less likely to buy a piece of clothing just because of its brand or label. The focus is moving way from looking the same as everyone else to looking different and individual. Spring and summer 2009 is rapidly becoming known amongst fashionistas as the seasons with no trends. Posh-swaps.com actively encourages its readers to develop their own unique style by buying quality second hand clothes that look and feel great and unique one off vintage and restyled recycled second hand clothes. There are a number of possible reasons for the recent change in he focus of fashion, these include

The Recession

Less disposable income means that people need to think carefully about each purchase and how long it will last them. By developing their own personal style, individuals create a timeless wardrobe that does not need to be updated with every change in trend.

Increase in Environmental and Ethical Awareness

Greater publicity of issues like the use of pesticides in growth of cotton and child labour used to manufacture clothes has led to a much greater awareness of these issues. Consumers are becoming more ethically and environmental responsible by buying second hand clothes. Second hand and vintage clothing works particularly well with the eclectic look.

Celebrity Style

Celebrities have led the way in buying vintage clothes and creating their own look. Personalities like Beth Ditto and Dita Von Teese and Kate Moss have been key in developing their own style using a mixture of designer, high street and vintage clothes. People enjoy and are gaining confidence in creating their own styles in the same way. Again second hand clothes are a great way to find affordable, quality clothes to create an individual look.

Greater Choice Through the Internet

The internet has opened up a whole new world of fashion with many buying and selling clothes through ebay and other websites as well as online vintage boutiques offering almost unlimited choice. Posh-swaps.com will offer even more choice of second hand, vintage and restyled recycled clothing with the added benefit of being completely free to use.

Fashion Blogs

There are now hundreds of fashion blogs many giving inspiration to readers to try out unique and different styles. Style Bubble written by Susie Lau has got a cult following of readers who gain inspiration from Susies DIY and fiercely individual style often using second hand clothes. Street style blogs such as thesartorialist.com and facehunter.com to name a few also open up a whole world of inspiration with their global style photographs.

We at Posh Swaps are convinced that swapping is the new shopping. People are starting to realise the benefits of swapping clothes in terms of saving money, minimising environmental impact, having fun and finding a great new look. Press coverage and articles about second hand clothing, swishing and clothes swapping have helped to spread the word. Here is some of the most recent press coverage;

April 2009 - UK Aware the UK’s biggest ever swish?

March 2009 - BBC Radio 4 - why clothes swapping parties are gaining in popularity

February 2009 - Reuters - Fashionistas: Swap ’til you drop at a “swishing do”
February 2009 - Daisy Green - to swish or not to swish
December 2008 - CNN - London Women Swish for their fashions
November 2008 - GMTV - Swishing with Mark
October 2008 - Sky News - swish swapping is new shopping
September 2008 - The Daily Mail - recycle your way to a ’swish new wardrobe’
August 2008 - BBC - For women who love to swap

The cost of eco fashion has always been something that has concerned me a bit and put me off buying organic or other eco fashion. But since the credit crunch, I have started to think about the whole fashion / Eco / frugality thing in a new light. It has dawned on me that not only is it possible to be eco concious and frugal at the same time but the two actually go hand in hand.

I read an interesting post the other day about low cost fashion and whether it is possible to produce low cost clothes ethically. I think it is difficult and clothes produced with little regard for ethical issues are often also produced with little regard for the environment. But whilst these clothes at first sight might seem like a frugal buy, in the long run they are not. I usually find that they don’t look that great and so they don’t get worn much, to me  they look like cheap clothes. Perhaps it is an age thing and fast fashion that would have been fine in my teens is a lot less forgiving now.

For me cheap badly made clothes look just that cheap and badly made. To buy them is a false economy and I would much rather save up and buy something that is well made. If I do get fed up with it I can be frugal and eco friendly by selling it second hand or swapping it. 

Buying second hand clothes is the perfect solution to both Eco and frugal fashion. Quality second hand clothes are cheaper than their new counterparts and help to reduce waste, landfill, pollution and carbon footprint associated with the manufacture of clothes.

Some more lovely pictures for this weeks second hand style weekly. You may have noticed that most of our pictures are from the US. Is this because the UK doesn’t have any second hand style? Surely not. If you have any pictures of lovely outfits that you have put together including one or more second hand or vintage items, please email them to us at posh-swaps@heathcotecommunications.co.uk, we will gladly link back to you.

Another great picture from Pork Chop Rules on Flickr Wardrobe Remix. The pink looks great on her.

vintage boots,levis,Dior sweater from the thrift store 2.99

Thrifted:
Banana Republic Blazer - $6
Magazine brand polka-dot blouse - $3
Yellow leather handbag (weirdly, from Franklin Covey) - $4
Teal Fioni sandals (new) - $5

A lovely outfit from Karla of Karlas Bonanza - Karla explains why second hand blazers are great second hand buys, they are usually well made of sturdy fabric so do not suffer from piling, shrinkage etc,  they are not usually worn out as the styles change so often, women don’t usually wear them very much before recycling them.

Here is a summary of our favourite clothes swapping types. Which one are you?

The Social Swapper - you love swapping clothes because it is fun. You don’t really care what you end up with as long as you have a laugh in the process. Your ideal method of clothes swapping would be at a swishing party where you can have a drink and chat about your swaps with your friends or even meet new friends.

The Designer Doll - You love designer clothes and will leave no stone unturned in finding clothes by your favourite designer. You swap clothes by your favourite designers when you have run out of money to buy new designer clothes or as a way of getting more of your favourite designers clothes from past collections. Your swapping criteria is simple, if it has a designer label, it’s a deal.

The vintage vixen - you love anything vintage or vintage inspired. You regularly trawl vintage boutiques and charity shops in search of gorgeous and well preserved vintage items. You regularly swap items from your vintage wardrobe as a way of changing your look. Your key criteria when looking for a swap is if it is pre 1980’s, it’s a deal.

The frugal fashionista - you can’t resist a bargain and new ways to save money. Swapping old clothes that you no longer wear is a great way to refresh your wardrobe. If you are in need of an new evening dress or party dress, you see no reason to buy new. You even look for a second hand wedding dress when you get married, after all what is the point in starting married life with a load of debt.

The green goddess - All of your consumer choices are carefully considered to minimise your impact on the environment. You are all for sustainable clothing and swapping clothes ticks all your environmental boxes in terms of reducing waste and landfill and reducing the pollution and carbon foot print of clothing manufacture. Your idea of trendy designer clothing is a piece from the wave designers recycling materials and clothing into new designs.

The eclectic hunter - you love eclectic clothes and like to mix up different looks and styles. Clothes swapping is a great way for you to find more unique and unusual clothes than the current trends available in the high street shops. Your work on the basis that it is not just about what you wear, it is how you wear it.

It goes to show that there really is no one type of second hand clothes swapper. The only one thing that we all have in common is a love of stylish clothes.

The launch of Posh-Swaps.com is now only weeks away. The official launch date is 2nd of April but for very keen swappers it may well be available a few weeks before.

Posh Swaps will be a place to swap, buy and sell second hand, vintage and restyled, recycled clothes, accessories and shoes for men, women and children. It will be completely free to register, swap, buy and sell (the only charge will be a standard paypal fee).

We are really excited about this opportunity to promote sustainable style through second hand clothing and help to reduce landfill, the carbon footprint associated with clothing manufacture and the pollution and impacts of harmful chemicals used in the cultivation and manufacture of textiles.

We also hope that this site will be a great resource for the recessionista who wants to look stylish on a budget and for those looking to develop their own unique and individual style. An easy and convenient alternative to swishing.

pictures from www.style.com

Never let it be said that those wearing second hand and vintage clothes are not up with the latest trends. At London Fashion Week, Charles Anastase showed a great collection inspired by second hand clothes. His collection reflected the eclectic style that many vintage and second hand clothing enthusiasts already love and regularly wear.

I love the mixtures of textures and colours. Charles managed to create a very fresh and vibrant collection using old ideas. A great collection but I really prefer the real thing when it comes to second hand clothes, much more cost effective and better for the environment!

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.