Posh Swaps Blog

We have already established that clothes swapping is a great idea because it is environmentally friendly, frugal and fun, we have also discussed how to arrange a clothes swap. If you have already had a go at clothes swapping and enjoyed it, here are some ideas for clothes swaps with a difference.

1. A children/ baby clothes swap - this is a great way to recycle childrens clothes as they grow out of them. As baby clothes are only worn for a short amount of time they are often in really good condition. If you arrange a ticket system where everyone brings a bag of clothes and gets a number of tickets in return, it will allow people to swap clothes for the right size for their children.

2. A clothes swap and customising competition - not only can you get some new clothes but you could also get a completely unique and individual outfit that no one else has. You can ask frinds to bring along a sewing kit and any old buttons, trims, beads etc that they have. Once you have swapped, you can then spend the evening embellishing your clothes over a glass of wine or two. At the end, you can show off the clothes in a fashion show and award a small prize to the best creation.

3. Vintage clothes swap - If you and your friends love vintage clothes, why not arrange a vintage clothes swapping party. This is a great way to refresh your wardrobes.

4. Themed Clothes Swaps - for a bit of fun why not arrange a themed clothes swap. Perhaps try a flowers theme or  choose a particular colour which everyone should bring clothes in. In the run up to christmas, you could arrange a sparkly clothes swap with sparkly or evening clothes.

5. Accessories swap - you could arrange an accesories swap for accessories in general or for one particular type of accessories such as shoes, hand bags or jewellery.

Let us know your fun ideas for clothes swapping.

London College of Fashion is one of the worlds leading fashion colleges. It has a huge influence on the new designers and up and coming talents that graduate from it’s courses each year. It is really exciting to see London College of Fashion embracing recycling and second hand clothing with their short course in recycled clothing.

This course is great for anyone who wants to develop their own unique or individual style through second hand and vintage clothing. With second hand clothing being so immensley popular this course will give you the chance to get creative, gain some fashion inspiration and also utilise some of your jumble sale or posh swaps finds to make some thing gorgeous.

The course will teach you how to make a capsule wardrobe from second hand clothes or clothes in your existing wardrobe. Following some research on current fashion and trends combined with your own inspiration before learning how to apply customising techniques. You will also learn aboout key skills like soft tailoring and pattern cutting which will allow you to alter items, improve the fit, change the lining etc. You will also get the chance to have a go at creative techniques like beading and embellishment.

The best bit about the course is that it is aimed at beginners so you only need basic hand and sewing machine skills. You could even make yourself some extra money by selling your recycled creations on posh-swaps.com.

Eco fashion is every where at the moment, you only have to turn up at London Fashion week or go to your local high street and you will find eco fashion of one sort or another.  The main reason for it is that eco sells, consumers are becoming more aware of the impact that there fashion choices have on the environment and demanding that the clothing industry reduce it. Recycling and reworking of clothes is just one type of eco fashion that is on the rise. Recycling old clothes is probably the ultimate eco fashion. It reduces waste and also the environmental impact associated with manufacture of new clothes.

Recycling of clothes is nothing new. Sales of vintage and second hand clothes have shown huge growth in the last few years, but what is really on the rise is the reworking and refashioning of second hand and vintage clothing. Whilst many love second hand and vintage clothing just as they are, refashioning them into new pieces has the benefits of creating completely unique, designer and cutting edge.

The great thing about recycled and refashioned clothing is the way that old clothes, styles and fabrics inspire the designers to create something gorgeous and new. The new designs keep a bit of the history of the clothing from which they were made but also give consumers something fresh and exciting.

There are so many new labels that use recycled clothes to create new but Junky styling was probaby one of the first, deconstructing traditional suits from charity shops and jumble sales and reconstructed them to form twisted tailored pieces. Other great recycling ideas include turning old saris into sandals and leather jackets into hand bags.

DIY restyling and refashioning of clothes has also become hugely popular from changing shirts into dresses to dying prom dresses and wedding dresses, to changing jeans into skirts. There are a number now a number of blogs and online communities dedicated to restyling and refashioning of clothes.

Recycling and restyling of clothes is also getting further publicity through initiatives like alternative fashion week which has a strong emphasis on eco fashion and the choice of fashion graduates to use recycled materials in their final year projects and graduation shows.

picture from www.junkystyling.co.uk

picture from www.craftstylish.com

How to update an 80’s Prom dress - Threadbanger

This post gives detailed instructions on how to restyle an old prom dress so that it looks really up to date. It also allows a bit of your own creativity for a completely unique prom dress. A great idea if you hahen be ve an old dress packed up in the attic, I also wondered whether this could be applied to an old or second hand wedding dress that could dyed to make a very special prom dress.

a Shrug and Skirt Set out of an Old Sweater - Threadbanger

This is a great way to restyle a sweater. The skirt looks quite short but would look good worn with leggings. The shrug would look great with a vest top or a dress.

Board Shorts out of an old suit - Threadbanger

I love this idea, it could also be adapted to use a floral material, or whatever material you like for some different tailored shorts for the office.

A recycled necktie scarf - Craft Stylish

A great way t recycle old silk ties into a gorgeous scarf. You can pick the patterns / colours for the look that you would like to achieve.

Refashion a boring cardigan - Craft Stylish

This shows how to get a plain and boring cardigan and make it into something really different and unique. I love the colours of the cardigan.

Refashioned Blouse - this mama makes stuff

a great way to turn a shapeless blouse into a more fitted style and adjust the sleeves. This post shows how you can change or customise something if you don’t like it.

Refashioned denim skirt - Burda Style

Add new life to a denim skirt. The frills and paint give it a really up to date and cutting edge feel.

Vintage Lace Tank Top - Into the fray

Yet another great idea for making something very ordinary look special. I love the lace used on this one but you could use whatever trim you like.

Embroidered Hoody - Burda Style

A great way to recycle an old hoody. Again this technique could be used for all sorts of things including t shirts and polo shirts. You can really get creative.

Recycle old jeans into sandals - Wikihow

This video made by the thegreengirls.com shows you exactly what to do to make your old jeans into sandals. A great idea for  an old pair of jeans that has worn out and is no longer wearable.

I am loving all of the creative and innovative ways that designers are finding to create somthing new from something old. I have just discovered LauraLaura an exciting and affordable new label. It is created by London based designer Laura Hearn. Combining classic styling with vintage twists, LauraLaura’s range of knitwear and accessories is fashion with a conscience - all created from unwanted items.

Born out of a love of trawling car boot sales and markets, LauraLaura is a reaction to disposable fashion - pieces that can be treasured beyond a single season and that breathe new life into otherwise redundant objects.new from old, re-working the unwanted to create captivating clothing and accessories.They source the best second-hand knitwear (always 100% wool) to hand embroider with our thoughts and create unique accessories from the forgotten; fabric remnants wrap old bangles and odd buttons become adorable earrings.

Every piece is truly unique, and with the right care can be treasured for years to come

Alternative Fashion Week is produced and presented by Alternative Arts and this year will be held on 20-24th April at Spitalfields London. Alternative Fashion week as the name suggests is different to other fashion weeks. It is open to everyone and free to designers to enter. It has an amazing atmosphere with 15 shows each day held in the vibrant fashion market.

Alternative Fashion Week has strong environmental concerns and actively encourages designers to use recycled and ethical materials. The number of ethical and eco designers increases each year. This years eco friendly and recycled collections include:

Laura Booty Cherished possessions, discarded nick-knacks, unwanted rubbish create glamorous dresses

Colchester School of Art & Design Recycling & reworking garments for men over 60

Cooltan Arts ‘Make Do and Mend’ collection of customised recycled clothing

Holly Dutton Bobbie’s Boutique Nostalgic collection using organic cottons, hemp and bamboo

Lu Firth Precious Mary Tailor made pieces using recycled materials

picture Laura Booty from www.fuk.co.uk

Here are Posh Swaps we are swapoholics, any excuse for a spot of clothes swapping. That is why we love the idea of Rag and Beau clothes swapping parties so much. For  a small(ish), fee Rag and Beau will arrange your very own clothes swapping party with a difference.  A Rag and Beau party combines the fun of clothes swapping with the treat of a variety of beauty treatments so you and your friends can go home with a new outfit and feeling rejuvenated and beautiful. Rag & Beau offer a whole range of treatments including manicures and facials. They even offer make up or tips on what to wear and how to wear it.

As with any good party the clothes swapping and treatments are accompanied by a bottle or two of bubby and lots of fun and games. I think this sounds like a great idea for a hen do, a birthday party or just a bit of a gathering.

Even if you don’t fancy holding a clothes swapping party, the Rag & Beau shop is well worth a visit. They are committed to recycling of clothes. They sell by new, second hand and vintage clothing. They have their own childrens label Rag&Beau Baby which is made from completely recycled materials and they can prolong the life of your clothes by repairing, altering and restyling them.

  The great thing about second hand, vintage and recycled clothes is that they all have a story to tell. In reconstructing the clothes this history is preserved but updated to give the clothes a very modern day relevance. Recycled and reworked clothes will always be very individual and one off pieces and this is also a great selling point.

 In terms of fashion and creativity this is great news. Recycling is one of the most sustainable ways of making clothes and adds interest in ways that clothing made from scratch could not.  The great thing about second hand, vintage and recycled clothes is that they all have a story to tell. In reconstructing the clothes this history is preserved but updated to give the clothes a very modern day relevance. Recycled and reworked clothes will always be very individual and one off pieces and this is also a great selling point.

Julia Barbee of Frocky Jack Morgan produces the most exquisite clothes by deconstructing recycled and vintage pieces . The dresses are fit for fairy tale princesses and incorporate intricate details and embellishment. She loves to use extraordinary antique pieces and old couture hems to add something really special to his pieces. Her formal training in sculpture shows through in the amazing gowns which have such amazing structure. The colours are almost always neutral, not detract from the interesting textures.

Who would have though that being Eco chic could be this desirable.

picture from www.frockyjackmorgan.com

What a great idea. From Somewhere uses pre consumer waste from luxury designers such as proofs, swatches, production off cuts and ends of rolls, to make sustainble and very desirable clothing which is sold from their Portbello Road Shop.

The label which is the creation of Orsola De Castro and Filippo Ricci, creates designs that are reproducable in large numbers but still retain an element of uniqueness. The beauty of the clothes is both in the creativity and the luxurious fabrics including cashmere, cotton, silk, jersey and tweed from which they are made.

The recycling of these materials is a  great way to tackle the waste from the fashion industry which is increasingly coming under under scrutiny regarding its environmental impacts and damaging practices including waste.

Orsola De Castro and Filippo Ricci are also invloved in many other sustainable fashion projects and are founders and creators of the British Fashion Week Esthetica at London Fashion Week.

Quality buttons are usually a sign of well made clothes. You can make a very ordinary piece of clothing look more expensive by replacing the buttons. Vintage buttons add character to any clothing and are an easy way to add a vintage or retro feel to any outfit. If you have a piece of vintage clothing that is missing a button, the chances are that you will not be able to find a matching button. The best way to replace it with buttons that are in keeping with the vintage character of the piece is to get a whole set of vintage buttons.

There are plenty of websites that offer vintage buttons. I have found a great Etsy store Gramsvintagebuttons with a variety of lovely buttons. Buttons can also be used to create interesting designs on clothes, all you need to do is get a bit creative.