Posh Swaps Blog

Trends are great but they come and go. If you are a true follower of fashion you will need to update your wardrobe constantly to keep up with the latest fashions and trends. If everyone shopped in this way it would have a huge impact on the environment with a high carbon footprint and lots of waste.

Classic pieces of clothing are a great way to build a timeless wardrobe that will effortlessly take you from season to season on style. Most pieces of clothing that have earnt ‘classic’ status have done so for a really good reason. They are usually incredibly flattering and wearable pieces. But if you are worried you will look dated in classic clothes, don’t be. You can pick out some amazing modern classics that combine timeless style with a modern twist. You can also keep your look on trend by adding fashionable accessories. Here are our favourite 4 modern classic pieces.

Sheath Dresses - the sheath dress is a style which has been made popular by Victoria Beckham. It is simple but very stylish and suitable for an range of different occasions.

The Wide Legged Trousers - these are such a flattering cut of trousers, they will never go out of fashion. Whilst peg legged, skinny and harem trousers have come and gone out of fashion wide legged trousers have remained a firm favourite with so mnay stylish women.

The Classic Blazer - you really  can’t go wrong with a classic cut blazer. It is one of the most stylish and flattering pieces of clothing that you can own. Wear with jeans for a casual look or tailored trousers for work. You can even wear with a little dress for the evening.

Floral Shift Dresses - bright florals, romantic florals and ditsy florals all come back into fashion year after year. Pick yourself a simple shift dress for the most timeless style.

Classic clothing is also great for swapping, buying and selling second hand.

Which classic pieces do you love?

The great thing about swapping and buying second hand clothes is that although you might not be buying the latest designer collection, if you know what to look for you can find some great pieces that work perfectly with the seasons new fashion.

Get some fashion inspiration for your swapping and shopping with these 5 trends for SS11.

Stripes - stripes are one of those looks that are always on trend. For SS11 they featured heavily in the Prada collection, a sure sign that they are going to be huge for SS11.

Floral Prints - another look that never really goes out of fashion floral prints just keep on coming back. There were some amazingly bright and colourful prints featured on the catwalk at D&G for SS11.

Bright Colours - the perfect way to get yourself noticed bright colours were the perfect contrast the neutral colours that have become so popular recently. Look out for neons and juicy citrus colours to brighten up your spring wardrobe.

Maxi Skirts - hemlines will be moving downwards for the spring with long ankle length and mid calf length skirts and dresses. As maxi dresses have been popular for some time now there are likely to be some great second hand choices available.

The Seventies - the seventies will have a huge influence o Spring fashion with flare, maxi’s and pussycat bow blouses all featuring. Also watch out for that Studio 54 disco style.

For more ideas on trends for the season ahead check out www.theshoppingforecast.com

With Spring weather here at last, why not refresh your wardrobe by swapping a few of your clothes? Instead of buying new clothes for the season ahead, why not try some second hand clothes? Don’t forget to send in pictures of you second hand style to posh-swaps@heathcotecommunications.co.uk.

picture from Mai Le’s photo stream on Flickr

I love the way Mai Le has dyed these jeans and teamed with the neutral coloured top, very stylish. This photograph is from Flickr Mai also blogs at fashionist.

sunglasses: bought at a store on St. Laurent in Montreal
blouse: by borne, purchased at boru shop (no longer in business)
jeans: acidwash overdyed orange and blue jeans from a freecycle event in duboce park 2005/6
shoes: white snakeskin peeptoes by dolce vita

Picture from elgin.jessica photostream on Flickr

Jessica shows how you can look stylish is an outfit that is 100% second hand.

Skirt: Old Navy skirt thrifted from Goodwill
Shoes: Target brand thrifted from Goodwill
Shirt: American Apparel, gift from a friend who was getting rid of it
Sunglasses: gift from a friend going to donate them

I love this floral print dress in the photo by Meormeor on Flickr. Floral prints never really go out of fashion and always look feminine and stylish.

This picture by Porkchoprules on Flickr has to be one of the best ways I have seen of restyling clothes. She says “Vintage clothes that I recycled and recounstructed and then PRINTed my PANDA.”

This week it really feels like spring has sprung. So time to cheer yourselves up with some very stylish second hand outfits.

Our first outfit from Karla of Karla’s Bonanza shows how to do second hand classic style. At second hand prices you can afford to be uncompromising about quality and Karla has managed to find some great quality pieces.

Thrifted: 100% Wool Jacket, made in Italy (it’s actually a knit, comfy and beautifully constructed): $10
Brown leather clutch (also beautifully constructed, with a clip inside for your keys, and other wonderful design details) $5

This lovely jumpsuit worn by Mai Le, is living proof that fashions come and go. What is out of fashion one year will be back in again another. This photo is from Mai’s photo stream on Flickr, she also has a great blog http://fashioni.st/.

sunglasses: bought on st. laurent
jumpsuit: $3.99 community thriftstore in montreal
black leather belt: $1 value village in montreal
leather peep toes: brand = bay club, $1 at community thriftstore in montreal

I love the outfit worn by Hope of Pansy Lane Blog in this photograph - simple but very stylish. The photo is pretty amazing, I love the background, light and shadows.

Sweater: vintage, thrifted by my mom
Dress: ’70s, ebay
Tights: Target
Boots: ’70s, ebay
Belt: because I have to cinch dresses like this or I’ll look pregnant.

This week we have some more great outfits imaginatively put together using second hand and vintage clothes. Proof that it is not just about what you wear but how you wear it. It is not just the girls who can look great in second hand and vintage clothes, we also have our first ever male on second hand style weekly with some very stylish ebay finds.

This photograph is taken from Flem007’s photostream on Flickr

A great mixture of vintage and new clothes, perfect for wandering around Carnaby Street

Hat - Topman.
Waistcoat - Vintage from Ebay
Jacket - Vintage from ebay
Jeans - Topman
Trainers - Next
Tee - Urban Outfitters 

 I really love this picture for the bright and fun outfits using colour co ordination to the extreme, from Lorena Cupcakes photostream. The inspioration comes from trying to be the most alternative couple on earth- now that is really individual and unique style. 

CLAUDE: thrifted scarf, 2 secondhand Ts, Old Navy hoodie, F21 girl jeans by way of Rag-O-Rama

LORENA: Hobby Lobby bandanna, DIY Robots Shall Overcome T, Delia*s mini, mismatched American Apparel socks, Happy Socks

SHOES: Claude and I are wearing identical PF Flyer Bob Cousy All Americans

WAYFARERS: Claude got his from Michael who was randomly given them at a party, mine are from Fred Flare and relensed in my prescription by Global Eyeglasses 

All Flickr pictures are used under the Flickr creative commons attribution licence

Some more great second hand outfits this week. these photos are from Flickr, but don’t forget, we would love to publish photos of your second hand style to posh-swaps@heathcotecommunications.co.uk.

picture from bmentes photostream on Flickr

purple striped longsleeve shirt: Express via TJ Maxx a million years ago, neckhole cut out by me.
black cap-sleeve: H&M
wrist/arm warmers: Hue, gift from a friend <3
belt: thrifted
skirt: thrifted
tights: Hue, via TJ Maxx
boots: remixed
burgundy string-bandana: possibly my mother’s?
feather hair ornament: self-made from feathers my cats pulled out of their toys

I love the layered look of this outfit.

Picture from Mai Le’s photo stream on Flickr

vintage 1940s cocktail dress from Clothes Contact, recut and tailored to fit
*straw belt thrifted eons ago
*socks from Nordstrom Rack
*Randall Loeffler platforms

An outfit with real wow factor - some gorgeous colours and tropical pattern.

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.

This week for Second hand style weekly, we have found some completely unique items of clothing made from recycled second hand clothes. All of this weeks clothes come from the Etsy boutique Margeauxdesigns. Check it out for even more very stylish and unusual recycled clothes. 

The Margeaux Halter

This unusual style dress would look great with a bikini on the beach or with a par of jeans or trousers for an evening out. It started out as a long sleeve shirt - I cut the sleeves off and then right under the bust - attached my strips and macramed the design. The sleves were cut off and strips of fabric attached and macramed under the bust.

The Eceaux Throw on

Capes and poncho’s are really on trend at the moment. I love the way this has been made from a second hand ladies shirt. I love the delicate embroidery down one side even more.

The Black Margeux Halter

This halterneck top is fashioned from recycled ladies shirt and then finished with macrame detail. It would look equally amazing on its own or over a t shirt.