Posh Swaps Blog

Today we have some great examples of second hand style and how you can make great outfits with thrifted or secondhand clothes. The photographs were sent to us by Cynthia, who has a website and Etsy shop selling beautiful re-purposed clothing, purses, hats and lovely accessories.

This piece is adorable, it has a lot of vintage stuff on it. The fringe is actually off of an old drama curtain. It hangs beautifully around this lace and satin ruffle. She added a few bobbles with the vintage earring broach it is removable for dry cleaning. Every thing in this piece is up-cycled for new use.

vintage slip remade, skirt goodwill, boots thrifted‏

This is a really darling coat. It just glitters with thoughts of the holiday season. Small multi-color sequins have been sewn on the coat for the festive feel. Great for over your special party dress. Looks super with jeans as well.

Today we have some great examples of second hand style and how you can make great outfits with thrifted or secondhand clothes. The photographs were sent by Cynthia, who has a website and Etsy shop selling beautiful re-purposed clothing, purses, hats and lovely accessories.

Just sometimes the process of using recycled materials in fashion designs causes something amazing. In the case of his SS10 collection it was Christopher Raeburn who brought about this transformation turning decommissioned military stock that would usually be destined for the bin into some very beautiful clothes. The designer who is a graduate of the Royal College of Art and has recently been awarded NEWGEN sponsorship reinterprets streetwear into luxurious high end pieces made from parachute silk, heavy wools leather and quilting. The collection will also be accompanied by a range of hats and bags.

This has to be recycling at its best.

An interesting report entitled Well Dressed? and published by the University of Cambridge, Department for Manufacturing in 2006 explores the present and future sustainability of textiles in the United Kingdom. Most of us are probably aware that there are many issues surrounding the sustainability of the textiles industry in the UK but the report gives a really in depth and neutral look at the problems and identify the potential for significant and lasting change.

The report is highly relevant for consumers, media, business, education, government and campaigners and provides balanced evidence based information. Some of the key findings of the report in relation to the recycling of clothes are summarised below:

• The UK’s current behaviour in disposing of used clothing and textiles to landfill is not sustainable as volumes are growing.
• The second hand sector is growing and there is further demand so improved collection and sorting procedures will be beneficial in reducing waste and providing usable clothes to developing countries.
• Recycling is siginificant for materials with high impacts in the production phase.

According to the analysis in order to create change a consumer would:

• Buy second hand clothing and textiles where possible.
• Buy fewer more durable garments and textile products.
• When buying new products, choose those made with least energy and least toxic emmissions, made by workers paid a credible living wage with reasonable employment rights and conditions.
• Lease clothes that would otherwise not be worn to the end of their natural life.
• Extend the life of clothing and textile products through repair.
• Dispose of using clothing and textiles through recycling businesses who would return them for secondhand sale where ever possible but otherwise extract and recycle the yarns or fibres. 

Swapping, buying and selling second hand clothes is a great way of recycling and improving the sustainability of textiles. You can swap, buy and sell your second hand clothes for free on www.posh-swaps.com.

The latest great idea for creating sustainable and desirable fashion by recycling old items into new are these beautiful shoes by Terra Plana. The shoes are created using recycled Pakistani quilts making each one a unique piece. But they are not just eco friendly, they are comfy and stylish too. I love the rich colours and the different textures. The shoes are high heel platform shoes, making them a great addition to a day time or evening outfit. They are lightweight with flexible memory soles for extra comfort.

Terra Plana works towards creating sustainable shoes by minimize waste and toxin use and maximize product use. They use eco friendly materials including recycled materials where ever possible and use innovative minimal glue constructions.

Timberland and fashion recycling charity TRAID have collaborated on a project to supply customers with a range of bags made from 100% recycled denim, leather and reconditioned Timberland shirts and jackets.

The collaboration involves the design and production by the recycled TRAIDremade fashion label (Textile Recycling for Aid and International Development) of a collection of limited edition, handmade ‘eco bags’ exclusively for sale in Timberland stores.

According to Timberland, the new initiative is part of the company’s ongoing commitment to socially responsible retailing. Working closely with TRAID, the company already offers in store recycling points in its London stores and under the ‘Change Your Wardrobe, Change Their Lives’ scheme, it also offers customers 20% off new purchases when they recycle clothes they no longer need or want. TRAID then transform these clothes through their charity shops into funds to fight global poverty.

“Timberland is proud to partner TRAID, as both companies have similar goals of producing fashionable and functional products whilst maintaining a strong social conscience and positive community interaction,” said head of Timberland Marketing UK Jo Fisher.

“It’s incredibly exciting to have created this collection of TRAIDremade bags for Timberland,” added head of TRAIDremade Paula Kirkwood. “We’ve reincarnated old jackets, leathers, shirts and denims into must have bags that are fashionable, functional and ethical.”

bag from TRAIDremade

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.

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.

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

At Posh Swaps, we love this recycled eco jewellery range by Anna Clifton. Anna’s newest work is made using or rather “re-using” aluminium drinks cans and recycled glass beads to create beautiful pieces of jewellery and bridal hair accessories. Anna also takes commissions for bespoke pieces.  

Anna Clifton Jewellery prides itself on being an “Environmentally Friendly” company. It is a family run business where each and every piece of jewellery (including tiaras, circlets and hair accessories) is made by hand in the UK.

Anna Clifton Jewellery is a home run business and has strong environmental beliefs. They re-use, recycle and compost as much as is physically possible, use energy saving light bulbs, don’t leave appliances and electrical equipment on standby, always buy local wherever possible and are a one car family.

By using recycled materials in their work they cut down on the use of raw materials. All other pieces are made using traditional hand silversmithing and wire working techniques and waste material is kept to the bare minimum .

The perfect piece of jewellery to compliment your second hand eco wedding dress.

My first reaction to this picture of of two suited men  at New York Fashion Week is to laugh. I found the picture on Lela Luxe and on further reading realised that all is not as it seems. The clear plastic suit made from recycled bottles is not actually a fashion statement but more an elaborate statement to show how a suit made from recycled bottles is not what you would expect. The man on the right is wearing a suit made by Bagir, an Israel-based tailored apparel manufacturer that specializes in high-tech suiting innovations. It is made from ECOGIR™ a fabric made from recycled plastic bottles. The fabric is machine washable and can be tumbled dried so is also eco friendly in that it does not require dry cleaning.

This is another great example of ways that you can help the planet without compromising on style.