Posh Swaps Blog

A new online boutique company called Sequel London has arrived on our scenes- one of the latest boutiques to launch that are eco-friendly. Sequel London offers a range of leather handbags, which have been made from recycled leather jackets, discarded silk ties and curtains that are no longer wanted. The company has been created by cousins Claire Baigent and Laura Queening, both of whom want to reduce waste and to encourage sustainability in fashion by choosing unwanted clothes and accessories from Oxfam’s Wastesaver Warehouses, and using the materials to create their stunning new range.

The collection features bags made from leather including leather buttons, a removable silk tie decoration to add colour and style to the bags, and recycled curtains which are cut so to provide the lining of the bag. The ties on each bag will vary by design and will depend on the amount donated to Oxfam, so no two pieces will be the same. All of the Sequel London products are made in London itself, and the company is aiming to use recycled materials wherever possible- from the leather and the curtains, to the packaging and the stationary which will be made from recycled paper. All of the products have been designed by co-owner Laura Queening, who graduated from the London College of Fashion in 2007. “We decided to launch Sequel London as a way of encouraging sustainability in fashion by using those cast-offs that most of us have in the backs of our wardrobes, to produce classic, beautiful pieces that can be worn with pride time and again,” comments Laura. “We only choose the best quality material, even if the clothing itself has passed its fashion sell-by date.” Claire Baigent graduated from Newcastle University in 2006, and holds a CIPR Advanced Certificate in Public Relations.

The Spring/Summer collection, which is only available to buy online at sequellondon.co.uk, consists of six designs which are priced from £39 to £79, and offer beautiful and durable designs to last a life-time at high street prices.

Pictures and Quotes from www.sequellondon.co.uk

A beautiful new collection has appeared on racks and shelves in H&M shops- The Garden Collection, named for its floral patterns and use of organic and sustainable materials. The collection has arrived just in time for Spring to show off our romantic, exotic and glamorous side with plenty of floral patterns which includes big, bold prints, sunny landscapes, vibrant green gardens, and the cool 70’s hippy flower print look. The collection is made entirely out of organic and sustainable materials such as organic linen, organic cotton, tencel, and recycled polyester. The organic cotton and organic linen for this collection has been grown without the use of hazardous chemicals, the recycled polyester tops and dresses are made from PET- bottles and textile waste, whilst the tencel provides you with a silky, renewable material that has been produced with minimal environmental impact, so that when you buy these clothes you are helping to do your bit for environment!

The sumptuous designs mixed with sustainable materials helps to create a sensuous sophistication, whilst the vivacious patterns spread the radiant richness of the season. The stunning floral and bright trends will offer a modern yet sustainable look to everyone, no matter what their own style or taste is as the collection also includes pretty neutrals as well as the bright and the bold. You can combine a vibrant floral top with neutral cropped trousers or linen shorts, or wear a feminine chiffon dress with plenty of floral print combined with a beige anorak which are all available in the collection. These fantastic floral prints will really add some sparkle to your wardrobe, helping you to update and totally rejuvenate your own collection.

For those of us looking to update our wardrobes, there is a new craze sweeping around which could be the answer to all our shopping dilemmas- Swishing Parties. Swishing Parties are great as they don’t cost anything, you get to clear out unwanted items from your wardrobe and gain new pieces simply by swapping what you no longer need for something that you really want but what your fellow swisher doesn’t want. You can do swapping online as there are more websites appearing that are dedicated to swishing, or you can organise one in the comfort of your own home. All you will need is a few friends/neighbours/colleagues with an armful of clothes that they are each willing to trade! And because you’re not throwing away your clothes or spending money, swishing parties are environmentally friendly- even more perfect!

How to organise your swishing party:

. First round up as many friends as possible, telling them to completely empty their wardrobes and decide on what they no longer need. This can be clothing, shoes, accessories, jewellery, and bags.                           

. Next, decide on a date and venue for your party, sending out invitations/emails if necessary.

. Encourage your friends to bring along other friends so that you have a wider variety.

.You will need to think about how to organise everyone’s clothes for show, perhaps by size or by type, and use whatever space you’ve got- doors, chairs, tables etc.

Once you have organised everything, you will need to lay down a few rules so that everyone knows where they stand and that it works out fair for everyone.

. First things first- No money should ever be exchanged- all clothes are free!

. Second- Everyone must bring at least one item but can leave with as many as they like!

. Third- If two people are arguing over the same item, then toss a coin to make it fair.

. Forth- No one can claim items before the opening of the swish- it’s first come, first served!

. And finally- Whatever people take is theirs, but make sure that you are happy to give things away (although you don’t have to). To prevent people from walking out with armfuls of clothes they may never use, encourage them to try things on- perhaps create a dressing area in a room with the curtains closed and where no one can accidentally walk in!

If your party is a success, then maybe next time you could make it even bigger. Find a suitable venue such as a cafe and create posters to advertise it.

Clogs are right on trend at the moment (well if Alexa is wearing them they must be). Chanel do a great pair but as most of us just can’t afford Chanel and some of us prefer to take a much more eco friendly and comfy path, these eco clogs are the perfect choice.

The Eco friendly clogs are biodegradable with 50% of the sole being made of biodegradable materials. Quite simply they are shoes that rot (eventually- not while you are wearing them). The plus side being that you can’t feel just a little less guilty about buying into the latest fashion and be sure that these shoes will be well worn as they are just so very comfy.

We can’t say this for sure but we are betting that many those high heel cloggs are not all that easy to walk in and end up in the bin by the end of this season! These babies will be with you for years until the leather and rubber that they are made of finally return to where they began as part of nature.

These Eco clogs are made by El Naturalista, whose eco friendly designs are brought to you with the greatest respect for the environment.They can be bought from Spartoo an online shoe retailer of women shoes that Posh Swaps has recently partnered with in order to bring you details of some of the most desirable eco shoes.

Tesco have just recently announced the launch of their new clothing collection, which is made out of recycled and discontinued materials. The collection ‘From Somewhere’ for Florence and Fred consists of just six pieces and is made purely from left-over materials that would have otherwise been thrown away.

Tesco got the inspiration to produce recycled clothing as part of their commitment to help the environment after a visit to From Somewhere’s collection at Estethica as part of the London Fashion Week back in February this year. The decision to launch a recycled clothing collection has had mixed responses as this is just a small step for Tesco to associate themselves with a commitment to recycling and helping the environment whilst yet remaining a company not normally known for their ‘light carbon footprint’- and because of this, why would one of the UK’s most respected ethical fashion labels want to be associated with Tesco? From Somewhere and Estethica designer Orsola de Castro has said that she believes that ‘upcycling’ fabrics should be made more accessible, and that the larger retailers should be encouraged to take responsibility for their waste. ”I have always believed in infiltration,” she states. ”We put Estethica right at the centre of London Fashion Week.”

The clothes, being produced in a ‘green’ factory in Sri Lanka, has still received negative views from the customers, with some believing that this is not a ‘go green’ production as the recycled materials are being flown to Sri Lanka and back again. The factory, however, is the first one of its kind in the world to be awarded a gold rating for Environmental Responsibility.

The collection is as you would expect from ‘From Somewhere’- they have kept to their original style with dresses made to flatter the shape, using bright, bold colours. The collection is available exclusively at www.tesco.com/clothing.                                                   

Picture taken from www.guardian.co.uk

There has been a lot of talk lately about sustainable clothes and eco fashion. Every day a new brand emerges that is in some better for the environment than conventional clothing and usually more ethically produced. But with fast fashion and the culture of buying cheaply (and often unethically) made high fashion clothing still highly popular and ‘environmental green washing’ becoming the new in phrase, what really can be done to make clothing more sustainable?

At Posh Swaps we believe that there is no right or wrong way to become more sustainable, anything that we can do, no matter how small is a positive step in the right direction. But there are some things that we can do that are likely to have a more positive effect than others.

1. Buy less clothes - it is quite simple really, the less clothes that we buy, the less environmental damage is caused in their manufacture and the less waste we make. Clothes swapping is a great alternative to buying clothes. It allows you to update your wardrobe without having an impact (or a very minimal impact on the environment)

2. Buy second hand clothes- this is the most eco friendly way to buy clothes. There is no additional carbon footprint (except for transport) associated with buying new clothes. But we understand that you cannot always find exactly what you want second hand and will sometimes need to buy new.

3. Buy quality clothes that will last, where possible in Eco friendly fabrics- fabrics made from recycled materials, probably have the smallest footprint as they do not have to be made from scratch. There is also the benefit of having saved materials that may have otherwise ended up in landfill. Other eco friendly fabrics including organic bamboo, cotton and hemp are all better than their conventional alternatives but still have a carbon footprint associated with their growth and manufacture and contribute to the problem of waste so should always be bought to last.

Finally, in order to ensure that your clothing is really sustainable, you should consider its whole life  cycle:

• Buy clothes to last
• Wash and dry (or clean) in as eco friendly manner as possible
• When you no longer need them recycle by selling or donating to charity.

Posh-swaps.com was at the Southbank Centre in London on Wednesday for the Sustainable Clothing Conference and update of the Sustainable Clothing Roadmap. The conference included entrance to Estethica, London Fashion Week’s sustainable trade show, a reception and address by Environment Minister Dan Norris.The conference brought together over 200 clothing industry representatives to discuss the ethical and environmental impacts of clothing.

One year on from the first sustainable action plan in which Posh Swaps pledged to promote recycling and reuse of clothes by encouraging clothes swapping and buying and selling of second hand clothes as well as other eco fashion and sustainable clothing. A further 40 companies and organisations have signed up to the action plan including British Retail Consortium, Ethical Fashion Forum, Forum for the Future, Levis Strauss, MADE-BY, Cotton Made in Africa, RSPCA, Society of Dyers and Colourists.

Since its creation the SCAP has brought together over 40 organisations, from high street retailers, to designers and textile manufacturers to battle the environmental and ethical impacts of ‘throw away’ fashion.  Some of the biggest names in fashion are working to take actions which will make a significant difference to the environmental footprint and social inequalities which blight some of the consumer fashion supply chain.

Many of the initiatives from the original action plan are now well underway including Tesco’s new sustainable clothing range in collaboration with From Somewhere which will launch this Spring and the Oxfam ‘Clothes Exchange’ partnership with M&S.

There was also the announcement of a £3.5 million fund to be made available over 3 years by the Responsible and Accountable Garment Sector (RAGS) fund for bids from organisations who want to make the clothing business more ethical and contribute more strongly to development in poor countries.

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.

The principles of sustainability can be applied to almost anything but for humans, it is the potential for long-term maintenance of wellbeing, which depends on the wellbeing of the natural world and the responsible use of its resouces. Fashion and clothing are well recognised as having a high environmental impact and being unsustainable. Here are just a few ways that you can become a more sustainable shopper when it comes to clothing and fashion:

• Buy clothes to last - choose quality pieces in classic styles that will not go out of fashion quickly.
• Look after clothes- ensure that clothes are washed according to instructions, protect from moths using cedarwood balls and make minor repairs as neccessary.
• Where possible buy second hand clothes or swap clothes.
• Recycle old clothes by selling them, swapping them or donating to charities.
• If you do buy new clothes, opt for sustainable fibres like organic cotton, bamboo and hemp.
• Consider carefully how you wash clothes and the environmental impact. Wash on a low temperature, line dry and use eco detergents where possible.

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.