Posh Swaps Blog

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.

We are delighted to welcome some fashion bloggers to our online swap party in celebration of International Day of Swishing tomorrow. below are just some of the gorgeous items that have been listed so far. To see the full list of clothes to swap go to http://www.posh-swaps.com/swap.php?type=S

From Sherin of Hi Fashion

Pink plaid skirt

Pink Heart Necklace

Grey Denim Skirt

From Illustrator Claire

Wine Ruffled Jacket

From the Style Eyes Fashion Blog

Pink Jaeger Jacket

Cream studded leather handbag

Vintage style green beaded choker

A big thank you to all those fashion bloggers participating in tomorrows online swap party. For those who would like to join in, all you need to do is register with www.posh-swaps.com and add your clothes, shoes, handbags and accessories.

We would also like to thank the following fashion bloggers for their supports and mentions:

 Mizzj of Being High Maintenance Not Bitchy

Stephanie Grace Blog

Intrinsically Florrie

Posh-swaps.com will celebrate International Day of Swishing on 9th January 2009 with a free online swishing party. The party is open to anyone and everyone with the opportunity to list and swap as many clothes as they like for free. The phenomena of swishing or clothes swap parties have become hugely popular as they are fun, frugal and environmentally friendly. Online swapping is the perfect alternative to swishing for those who prefer to swap from the comfort of their own home.

9th January 2009 has been declared International Day of Swishing by Futerra Sustainability Communications and Lucy Shea founder of Swishing. The flagship event will be held at the Andaz Liverpool Street Hotel in London but for swappers all over the world who want to take part, there will also be an online swishing party at Posh-swaps.com on 9th December 2009.

Swappers can join the online party by registering with posh-swaps.com, before listing as many items of clothing as they like by uploading a photo, description and details. They can then browse swap items listed by others before proposing as many swaps as they like. The website is completely free to use including registering, listing, swapping buying and selling second hand clothes. Fashion Bloggers from all over the world will also be invited to attend and help promote sustainable style by listing their clothes.

International Day of Swishing is such a great opportunity to get people from all over the world online at once to swap clothes, have fun and promote sustainable style. It is also a great way to refresh your wardrobe for the New Year without spending money and swap any unwanted Christmas presents.

Attend the posh-swaps.com online swap by visiting www.posh-swaps.com to register and list your items of clothing on or before 9th January 2010.

A very happy New Year from Posh-swaps.com. We hope that you had a great 2009 and also look forward to lots if swapping in 2010. Here at Posh-swaps.com, we  have made a few changes to the way that you list items to make it even easier for you. You can now upload any size photograph and it will be resized to the required dimensions. Other plans for 2010 include more promotion of the site to increase out user base and the choice of clothes for swappers. We hope to promote eco fashion and sustainable style even more, keeping you up to date with the ultimate in guilt free style. We also hope to organise lots more fun clothes swap parties. Finally, we have no plans to introduce any fees throughout 2010 and beyond. Posh-swaps.com is still completely free to register, list, swap, buy and sell second hand clothes. Please let us know if you have any other ideas or feedback about the site.

The new year is a great time to swap clothes. Why not have a clear out of your wardrobe and swap anything that you no longer wear. If you have not worn something for over a year, then you will probably not wear it again.

If you have received clothes from well meaning friends and family that you just know you won’t wear, instead of leaving it hanging in your cupboard, why not swap it for something you will wear.

If your new years resolution is to lose weight, treat yourself to some new clothes in your new size by swapping your old clothes. A great new wardrobe to suit your figure for free.

Happy New Year and Happy Swapping!

9th January is the  first ever International Day of Swishing as announced by Futerra Communications, a UK sustainability communications agency on swishing.org. ‘Swishing’ is the term coined by Futerra Communications to describe clothes swap parties a phenomena that has become hugely popular all over the world. The dictionary definition of swishing is ‘to rustle as silk’ but the futerra definition is ‘to rustle clothes from friends’.

2010 looks likely to be a year where swishing will increase in popularity. It is a greay way to refresh your wardrobe without racking up debt on your credit card. It is also a great sustainable alternative to shopping, reducing the textile waste in landfill and the environmental impact of clothing manufacture.

To celebrate they will be throwing an eco-fabulous ‘Red Carpet Swish’ at London’s Swanky Andaz Hotel in Liverpool Street, London. At Posh Swaps, we will be celebrating the International Day of Swishing by hosting our own online swap party or swish. There is no exclusive guest list everyone is welcome to list and swap as many clothes as they like for free. We will also be inviting our favourite Fashion Bloggers to come along and join in the swap.

Eco fashion is a bit of a trendy buzz word at the moment with so many clothing companies describing their clothing as Eco fashion. Some companies promote themselves as selling only Eco fashion whilst others have a small range of Eco fashion clothing. I would consider Eco fashion to be clothing that in someone has less environmental impact that the equivalent piece of conventional clothing. Obviously the lesser the impact the better. So how as a consumer can you decide what is important in terms of Eco fashion. Here are just a few considerations that may help.

Sustainability - this describes the use and renewal of resources. Is the clothing using resources that can not be easily replaced. This would include many synthetic fabrics which are made using oil a resource that will eventually run out. Sustainability considerations also include the use of landfill to dispose of waste. Clothes that have a longer life cycle are generally more sustainable.

Pollution- the release of chemicals both as gas, solids or liquids into the environment can be damaging to flora, fauna, Eco systems and the people living nearby. Pollution can be caused by effluent from factories where clothes are manufactured, pesticides used to cultivate cotton and dyes, chemicals washed from textiles that have been disposed of in landfill sites.

Carbon emmissions - global warming is though to be caused by the build up of green house gases. This includes both carbon dioxide produced when fossil fuels are burnt and methane released when natural textiles break down in landfill. It is important to consider how much energy has been used to manufacture a piece of clothing (its carbon footprint) this will include the energy used in transportation and again it life span. If clothes last longer, less clothes need to be made and less end up in landfill.

The environmental impact of a piece of clothing does not end with just these factors though. Through out its life a piece of clothing will probably be washed, cleaned, dried and ironed numerous times. In order to really minimise the environmental impact of a piece of clothing, you should also consider how these processes will affect the environment. For example, dry cleaning a piece of clothing will have quite a big environmental impact. A piece of clothing that dries naturally easily and doesn’t need ironing will be a good Eco friendly choice especially if washed at a low temperature.

Clothes swapping, buying and selling second hand clothes is a great option for those looking to help the environment. It increases the life cycle of each item of clothing, reduces landfill and reduces the amount of new clothes being bought therefore reducing all of those other impacts. For those living on a budget it also offers a low cost alternative to fast fashion (which is usually bad for the environment due to the way it is made and its short life cycle), that allows them to regularly update and refresh their wardrobe.

Last night was another fun clothes swap party for Posh Swaps. This time at the Guildhall in Bath. The swappers had a relaxed evening, enjoying a glass of wine and browsing the clothes and stalls. That was until the swap began at about 8pm, when the room turned into a frenzy of swapping with everyone grabbing for the items that they really wanted.

Once again I was gutted to be working as I would have loved to participate in the swap. I saw so many gorgeous clothes and couldn’t believe that these were actually clothes that people no longer wanted. Some great labels like Monsoon and Nougat, some gorgeous evening wear and lots of colourful and sparkly clothes and accessories  and even some brand new clothes with the tags still on.

We were delighted to welcome Emma McDonnell, Personal Stylist of Style to Wear along to the swap. Emma styled one lucky swapper and also showed her collection of gorgeous leather and suede corset/ obi belts are the perfect finishing touch for so many outfits.

Clothes swap parties are now really popular but have you ever though about arranging a clothes swap for children’s clothes. A school or nursery would be the ideal place to hold one. You could even charge a small entrance fee and have a few child related stalls to raise some funds for the school.

It makes sense as children grow out of their clothes so quickly, often before they have had the chance to wear their clothes very much. It is also a great way of saving money and also reducing waste and the amount of textile waste that goes into landfill. You could even combine it with a toy or book swap and second hand sale for nursery items.

If you prefer, you can sell or swap childrens clothes online at www.posh-swaps.com.

The Fashionable Housewife is reading Return To Beauty, a new book filled with all natural skin care recipes. A must read for eco-friendly gals!

Factio Magazine checks out destination clubs, a savvy new way for luxury travelers like you to vacation in exotic locations around the world!

Fashion Pulse Daily wonders if the Norma Kamali for Walmart Sleeping Bag Jacket is up to par…your thoughts?

My Beauty Bunny is giving away a free Orglamix mineral eyeshadow every day!

Posh Swaps explains why almost everyone has some clothes they should swap in the perfect clothes for swapping

The Fashionable Bambino is giving away a $25.00 Gift Card for Maukilo!!! Wooden toys sold at Maukilo.com are finished with non-toxic, natural lacquers; and plastic toys are made from child-safe, PVC-free materials.

The Fashionable Gal dishes on Abrione Chakra Masks for Face & Body.

Have you ever considered swapping your clothes? Maybe not but considering most people only wear a small percentage of their clothes most of the time, perhaps it would be a good idea. Most people have a least one or two items of clothing that for one reason or another they never wear. These clothes are just gathering dust and using up valuable wardrobe space, swapping them is  a great way to get something new that you would wear. Some of the prime clothes for swapping include:-

• Clothes that you are just bored of, you have worn them so many times, you are completely fed up with them even though they are still in great condition.
• Clothes that don’t fit. Perhaps you have lost or put on weight, had a baby or the clothes have never fitted you. If you are holding on to them in the hope that they will one day fit you, you may well of gone off them by then anyway.
• Clothes that are just not your colour. You will have a number of colours that look great on you and make your complexion glow and also a number of colours that make you look washed out. If you have clothes that don’t look great on you get rid of them and get something that does.
• Clothes that just don’t suit your bodyshape. We all make the occasional purchasing error when it comes to clothes. If something doesn’t suit you there is absolutely no point in hanging on to it, swap it now.
• Unwanted presents. Whilst friends of family may have had the best of intentions, you will sometime receive clothes as gifts that you just don’t like. Don’t feel guilty about swapping them, surely it is better than wasting them by leaving them at the back of your cupboard.
• Clothes that don’t suit your lifestyle. What is the point in having 10 party dresses if you only go to one party a year. Why not swap them for day dresses that you can wear more often.
• Last years Christmas party dress. If you always go to a party with the same people, you will probably not want to wear the same dress twice. Swapping it is the perfect solution.

So why not have a sort out. You can swap your clothes online at Posh-swaps.com for free or if you live near enough why not come along to one of our clothes swap parties. You will be doing your bit for the environment and saving yourself some money.