Posh Swaps Blog

Clothes Swapping and Second Hand Clothes - The History

Traditionally people have bought clothes to last and throughout most of history fashions and trends have been fairly slow to change. Mending and repairing was usually attempted before getting rid of a piece of clothing. Historically, most people will only buy new clothes to replace old ones when they wore out and were unrepairable. Clothes that were no longer wanted were often recycled by passing onto someone else. The rag and bone man used to collect old and unwanted clothing with his horse and cart. Most second hand clothing was turned into Mungo and Shoddy (disintegrated rags) which were respun into new materials to be used in the textiles trade.

In Victorian Britain, the Salvation Army, motivated by poverty, played an important role in the use of second hand clothing by redistributing it for humanitarian reasons or selling it at jumble sales. Over the years, second hand clothing has developed into a thriving trade both for charities and commercial organisations. Second hand clothing online, at charity shops, jumble sales, consignment shops and markets.

Clothes swapping was really popular in the Uk during the second world war. Due to rationing and lack of clothing swaps were arranged, originally for childrens clothes but it increased to also include adults clothes. To reduce the stigma associated with recycling of old clothes, all clothes were swapped anonymously.

Clothes swapping became a trend in the US, when people began to hold clothes swapping parties, a fun way to refresh their wardrobes and get some new clothes for free. It seems to have started in the eighties and steadily grown from there. This trend has now taken off in the with large and small parties being organised by individuals, companies and charities all over the UK.  Futerra Communications, a sustainability communications agency, has been instrumental in promoting clothes swapping parties in the UK has coined the term ‘swishing’ to describe them. The green movement, publicity in many very popular publications and the 2008/2009 worldwide economic recession has further fuelled the clothes swapping trend.

Most recently, there have been a number of new clothes swapping websites which offer swappers a wider variety of choice and control over the swap than clothes swapping parties or swishing. These websites have also tapped into the new popularity of social networking and social shopping.

How to get a whole new wardrobe for free

Most people quickly get bored or fed or with their clothes and sometimes decide they do not like a piece of clothing as soon as they have bought it. So how can you get a whole new wardrobe of clothes for free?

By clothes swapping of course!

The first step, is to look through your existing clothes and select some items that you no longer want or need. You could try applying a rule that if you have not worn something for more than a year, you are unlikely to wear it again. This process of clearing out your clothes is essential to make room for some new clothes and also giv eyou some great swapping material. Clothes that no longer fit, that you bought for a one off occassion, that don’t suit you or that are unsuitable for your current life style are all perfect for swapping.

Once you have sorted out a pile, you should ensure that all clothes are cleaned, pressed and in a good state of repair. List your clothes on a clothes swapping website. Try to give a full and honest description as well as a good photograph of each item.

You will also need to think carefully about which items you would like to have. Think carefully about what colours and styles suit you and look in books and magazines to get ideas. Also look at what types of clothes will suit your lifestyle and go with the items that you already have in your wardrobe.

Occassionally try out something different that you had not considered before, you may find a style that you really love and will also keep your look fresh and interesting.

Vintage Clothing

Women’s vintage clothing has seen a massive surge in popularity over the last five years with more vintage shops, websites and fairs starting up all the time. The beauty of vintage clothing is usually in the traditional methods used for construction as well as the quality, nostalgic value and the fact that each piece has its own story to tell.

Vintage clothing is really the best of what each decade had to offer, with less interesting pieces falling by the way side over time. Vintage clothes are a great way to get a really unique and individual look as the older the piece of the clothing, the less likely you are to see someone wearing the same thing.

Certain vintage designer pieces are really sought after and become even more valuable the item when it was originally manufactured. There some key styles of clothing from each of the decades that are particularly coveted as vintage pieces; this may be in part due to their association with that particular decade.

Generally vintage dealer consider vintage to be clothes from between the 1920’s and 1970’s although some would also include clothes from the eighties. Some designer clothes from iconic designers may also be considered vintage within years of being produuced.

Twenties - the key vintage pieces from the twenties are beaded flapper dresses reminiscent of girls dancing away to jazz music. Masculine silhouettes are also popular. Coco Chanel vintage pieces are probably some of the most coveted vinatage pieces of this decade.

Thirties and forties - Economic depression, war and rationing were all very influential factors in fashion in the thirties. Practical styles and military tailoring were popular. Dior New Look and wasp waists did start to appear although they did not really become popular until the fifties.

Fifties - one of the most sought after vintage items of the fifties is the circle skirt worn by youngsters or teenagers. The clothes are the fifties reflect the post war attitude and increased consumerism. Other key items include Coco Chanel style boxy jackets, jeans and Dior New Look.

Sixties - key styles of the sixties are mod dresses and mini skirts. Mary Quant was one of the most influential designers but there were also many others like Halston and Pucci.

Seventies - vintage clothes of the seventies tend to be either hippy styles or disco clothes from the late seventies.

Eco Fashion

Eco fashion is a very general term used to describe fashion and clothing that some how has a reduced impact on the environment. As the environmental impacts of fashion have become well documented, eco fashion is becoming an important trend. Clothes swapping, buying and selling second hand clothing are probably the ultimate in eco fashion as they reduce just about every environmental impact associated with the fashion industry.

Pesticides and cotton

 Cotton is particularly prone to insect attach and so vast amounts of pesticides are used by farmers to ensure a good crop. As the insects become more tolerant of the pesticides, the farmers are forced to use more pesticides. When combined with other damaging methods of cultivation used when growing cotton, there is a significant amount of environmental damage caused including the contamination of drinking water and health risks to growers, barren and infertile soil and destruction of flora and fauna. Organic cotton is grown without the use of pesticides and with minimal environmental impact. There are also a range of other organic material available including soy, hemp and bamboo.

Waste and landfill

The environment, food and rural affairs committee has stated that almost 30% of the waste at some UK landfill sites comprises of clothing. Much of clothing is made of synthetic materials which will not break down and even the natural fabrics will produce gases such as methane contributing to global warming. Chemicals in fabrics that have been thrown away can also be washed out contaminating water supplies. You can reduce the amount of clothing that is put into landfill by recycling, swapping and selling your old clothing and buying clothes that will last.

 Textile Manufacture

Textile manufacture can be very damaging to the environment with both energy used and gas and chemical emissions produced. The manufacture of both natural and synthetic fabrics uses a variety of chemicals that can be very damaging to the local environment. You can reduce the impact if clothing manufacture on the environment by again buying clothes that will last and recycling, swapping and selling your old clothes. It is also possible to buy clothing made from old clothing and recycled materials.

 Clothing distribution

There is even an environmental cost of the transportation of clothing from the place of manufacture to the UK. Most clothing is made in countries a long way from the UK and transportation will use valuable resources and fossil fuels as well as creating damaging emissions. It is possible to buy clothing that is made from hemp, grown in the UK, although at the moment there is not a huge amount of choice. The best way to minimise the environmental cost of the distribution of clothing is to buy less fast fashion and instead find ways to make clothes last longer. The impact of distribution is also reduced by buying or swapping second hand clothes in the UK instead of buying new.

There are many ways that you can reduce the impact of your clothing on the environment whilst still looking stylish. It is important to remember that you do not have to have the latest fashion to look good and often those that swap or buy second hand clothes create their own much sought after eclectic style.

The Real Cost of Fast Fashion

Fast fashion is a term that is regularly used and connected with  the negative environmental and ethical aspects of the fashion industry. Recently, there has been an increased interest on the environmental impacts of our consumer behaviour. What is fast fashion and what are it’s environmental impacts?

Fast Fashion is term used to describe the cheap high fashion clothing, usually sold by high street retailers. Traditionally retailers would tend to stock new trends or lines each season, with fast fashion, they stock new trends each or even week. This change is consumer buying behaviour is driven by both the reduction in the price of clothing and increased marketing of new trends and fashions. Fast fashion clothes are generally only worn a few times before being replaced by the latest trend.

The environmental impacts of fast fashion are well reported with the green house gas  emissions, chemical pollution and landfill waste all being key issues. The growth of cotton, the most widely used natural fibre uses huge amounts of chemicals that are damaging to the health of the workers, the surrounding environment. Synthetic fibres like polyester which are regularly used for making ‘fast fashion’ clothes, require the use of vast amounts of petro chemicals and releasing all sorts of polluting chemicals that also present health risks for workers in the industry and those living in the vicinity. The manufacture of most textiles is an energy intensive process, this combined with the transport of textiles of products around the world produces even more green house gas emissions.

As if that wasn’t enough, there is also the problem of disposing of unwanted clothing. Landfill in the UK is a huge problem with textiles accounting for an estimated 30% of UK landfill waste each year. Synthetic textiles simply stay in the system and do not break down naturally. Even natural textiles pollute water systems with chemicals and dyes that are washed out by rain water. They also produce methane, a powerful greenhouse gas as they breakdown.

Recycling of clothing is a great idea but the quality of many fast fashion items makes them less desireable second hand. In March last year Allan Wheeler of the textile recycling association reported in the House of Lords on how “the quality of the clothing that is coming through to our members is on the decline, which makes it harder to reuse”.

Whilst there are a variety of eco textiles and brands with excellent environmental credentials now available, it is consumer behaviour that will need to change in order to reduce the impact of fashion and clothing on the environment.  Fashion retailers are primarily led by customer demand and will change their products and marketing strategies in response to a change in consumer behaviour. We are starting to see a move in the right direction with key retailers such as Marks and Spencer’s and Next all stocking organic and eco lines.