Posh Swaps Blog

Landfill in the UK is becoming a huge problem. With the drop in the price of recycled products, the issue is what to do with all of the waste that we produce. The breakdown of waste in landfill sites creates huge amounts of the greenhouse gas methane. There are also many products that will not breakdown and will remain in the environment for ever with the potential to contaminate water supplies.

Traid, a charity specialising in the recycling of textiles reports that 900,000 tons of shoes and clothing are thrown away each year in the UK. Only 200,000 tons per year are recycled and the rest is dumped in landfill. The government estimates that similar amounts of between 550,000 and 900,000 tons of textiles are thrown away each year.

In addition to the problems of waste and landfill in the UK, there is also the consideration of the energy used and waste generated by the manufacture and distribution of clothing and textiles. Growth of cotton uses a huge amount of chemical pesticides and environmentally damaging cultivation methods. The manufacture of man made fabrics also has a huge environmental impact with. Demand for polyester the most widely used synthetic fabric has almost doubled in the last 15 years. The manufacture of polyester uses large amounts of crude oil and an energy-intensive process. It releases emissions including volatile organic compounds, particulate matter, and acid gases such as hydrogen chloride, all of which can cause health problems for workers by causing or aggravating respiratory disease.

Second hand clothing is becoming more popular as people begin to recognise the real costs of fast fashion. Consumers are becoming more aware of their buying choices and ways that they can help the environment.

So there are plenty of great reasons to swap clothes. Another great reason is that it is fun, frugal and a great way to try out new looks.

Manufacture and transportation of textiles and clothing both use valuable fossil fuels and contribute to global warming by releasing Carbon dioxide. The manufacture of many synthetic textiles such as polyester also uses petro chemicals and is particularly energy intensive. As many clothes are manufactured outside of the UK, their transportation and distribution also represents a significant carbon footprint.

Patagoniais a company that leads the way in environmentally responsible clothing manufacture. Not only does it use a number of environmentally friendly fibres including hemp, bamboo and organic cotton for their outdoor and sports clothing, but they also actively promote and facilitate the recycling of their garments.

In 2005 Patagonia launched their common threads recycling program which is a scheme where customers can return their used clothes to be recycled It started by recycling just the Capilene® Performance Baselayers but then expanded  to include the worn out Patagonia® fleece, Polartec® fleece clothing (from any maker), Patagonia cotton T-shirts, and now some additional polyester and nylon-6 products that come with a Common Threads tag. The garments are recycled into new clothes.

Patagonia has a great company goal of taking responsibility for every product that they make and I think there is certainly a lot that other clothing manufacturers could learn from Patagonia. They don’t just talk the talk, I think they really walk the walk when it comes to environmental responsibilty with 1% of their sales going to preservation and restoration of the natural environment.

  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

I have made yet another great recycled discovery. Tia style freestyle sandals made using beautiful vintage sari silk which can be tied in different ways to create your own unique style. Check out this video showing how the sandals can be created.

Each sari yields only 2 to 12 pairs of straps, depending on its condition. So you can pretty much be assured that nobody else you know will have the same straps. Not exactly one of a kind, but close to it! What a great way to recycled this beautiful silk which is too good to waste.

The leather base of the sandal can also be used with different straps to co ordinate with different outfits. Not only is it Eco friendly but frugal as well we love it.  They also sell scarves made from recycled saris and whole second hand saris for you to turn into your own creations.

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.

Another great way to support eco fashion is by wearing recycled clothing. This can mean anything from second hand clothes that have been customised to make them a bit different to recycling the fibres or fabrics into completely different pieces of clothing and even recycling materials that were something completely different in their previous life like plastic bags.

There are many new designers making clothes from recycled materials and successfully producing sustainable but innovative designs that are worthy of mention for their aesthetic appeal as well as eco merits.

Goodone is a label that will featured at Estethica at London Fashion Week and produces quality, one-off clothing which is made from hand-picked, locally-sourced, recycled fabrics. They try to create pieces that are not typically or obviously recycled. This helps to change our perception of what recycling second hand clothing means. This aproach enables them to mass produce unique one off items that are made of different combinations of fabrics.

The recycling of fabrics is a great solution to the problem of waste textiles in landfill. It has also helps reduce the energy usage and pollution caused by the manufacture of new textiles. All goodone products are made using individually hand-picked recycled garments which are either donated or locally sourced from textile recycling factories.

The best thing about the clothes designed by Goodone (apart from the fact they are totally guilt free) is that the creative spirit that is fired by the use of second hand clothes and fabrics. Perhaps something for us all to think about and have a go at, now where did I put my old sewing machine. If your sewing skills are non existant, Goodone offers a commission service where you can co design your own piece using by recycling your own piece of second hand clothing.

picture from www.londonfashionweek.co.uk