Posh Swaps Blog

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.

The cost of eco fashion has always been something that has concerned me a bit and put me off buying organic or other eco fashion. But since the credit crunch, I have started to think about the whole fashion / Eco / frugality thing in a new light. It has dawned on me that not only is it possible to be eco concious and frugal at the same time but the two actually go hand in hand.

I read an interesting post the other day about low cost fashion and whether it is possible to produce low cost clothes ethically. I think it is difficult and clothes produced with little regard for ethical issues are often also produced with little regard for the environment. But whilst these clothes at first sight might seem like a frugal buy, in the long run they are not. I usually find that they don’t look that great and so they don’t get worn much, to me  they look like cheap clothes. Perhaps it is an age thing and fast fashion that would have been fine in my teens is a lot less forgiving now.

For me cheap badly made clothes look just that cheap and badly made. To buy them is a false economy and I would much rather save up and buy something that is well made. If I do get fed up with it I can be frugal and eco friendly by selling it second hand or swapping it. 

Buying second hand clothes is the perfect solution to both Eco and frugal fashion. Quality second hand clothes are cheaper than their new counterparts and help to reduce waste, landfill, pollution and carbon footprint associated with the manufacture of clothes.

A beautiful maxi dress By Malene Birger from www.my-wardrobe.com, just not practical for my lifestyle!

I was reading an article the other day by Hollywood stylist Edith Head in the Mail on Sunday You Magazine, which described how a large proportion of women have wardrobes full of clothes that hardly ever wear. They tend to buy clothes that are not fit or appropriate for their lifestyle. This definitely rung true with me. I have  a wardrobe full of party and going out dresses. Since having children, I don’t often go out in the evening and as much as I would love to wear these dresses in the day time and sometimes do, they look a bit over the top for picking the children up from school.

She goes on to describe how to build yourself the perfect wardrobe. This is a wardrobe that is comfortable and suits all of your needs. She suggests that you chart which activities you do and then ensure that your wardrobe covers all of these activities. It suddenly struck me why despite having plenty of clothes, I can never find anything to wear. Most days are spent with a brisk walk to school in the rain, wind or whatever nature can throw at me. High heels and dresses are just not comfortable for this and look ridiculous. What I need is comfy shoes or boots with a small heel and well cut trousers or jeans that really flatter my figure, a smartish jacket which I can dress up with a few accessories.

The perfect case for a bit of clothes swapping. Most of my lovely but hardly ever worn dresses can be swapped for some comfy, practical and very stylish clothes that I can wear every day. Of course I will be hanging on to a few of those party dresses just in case I ever get the opportunity for a night out.

Here is a summary of our favourite clothes swapping types. Which one are you?

The Social Swapper - you love swapping clothes because it is fun. You don’t really care what you end up with as long as you have a laugh in the process. Your ideal method of clothes swapping would be at a swishing party where you can have a drink and chat about your swaps with your friends or even meet new friends.

The Designer Doll - You love designer clothes and will leave no stone unturned in finding clothes by your favourite designer. You swap clothes by your favourite designers when you have run out of money to buy new designer clothes or as a way of getting more of your favourite designers clothes from past collections. Your swapping criteria is simple, if it has a designer label, it’s a deal.

The vintage vixen - you love anything vintage or vintage inspired. You regularly trawl vintage boutiques and charity shops in search of gorgeous and well preserved vintage items. You regularly swap items from your vintage wardrobe as a way of changing your look. Your key criteria when looking for a swap is if it is pre 1980’s, it’s a deal.

The frugal fashionista - you can’t resist a bargain and new ways to save money. Swapping old clothes that you no longer wear is a great way to refresh your wardrobe. If you are in need of an new evening dress or party dress, you see no reason to buy new. You even look for a second hand wedding dress when you get married, after all what is the point in starting married life with a load of debt.

The green goddess - All of your consumer choices are carefully considered to minimise your impact on the environment. You are all for sustainable clothing and swapping clothes ticks all your environmental boxes in terms of reducing waste and landfill and reducing the pollution and carbon foot print of clothing manufacture. Your idea of trendy designer clothing is a piece from the wave designers recycling materials and clothing into new designs.

The eclectic hunter - you love eclectic clothes and like to mix up different looks and styles. Clothes swapping is a great way for you to find more unique and unusual clothes than the current trends available in the high street shops. Your work on the basis that it is not just about what you wear, it is how you wear it.

It goes to show that there really is no one type of second hand clothes swapper. The only one thing that we all have in common is a love of stylish clothes.

The launch of Posh-Swaps.com is now only weeks away. The official launch date is 2nd of April but for very keen swappers it may well be available a few weeks before.

Posh Swaps will be a place to swap, buy and sell second hand, vintage and restyled, recycled clothes, accessories and shoes for men, women and children. It will be completely free to register, swap, buy and sell (the only charge will be a standard paypal fee).

We are really excited about this opportunity to promote sustainable style through second hand clothing and help to reduce landfill, the carbon footprint associated with clothing manufacture and the pollution and impacts of harmful chemicals used in the cultivation and manufacture of textiles.

We also hope that this site will be a great resource for the recessionista who wants to look stylish on a budget and for those looking to develop their own unique and individual style. An easy and convenient alternative to swishing.