Posh Swaps Blog

Posh-swaps.com was at the Southbank Centre in London on Wednesday for the Sustainable Clothing Conference and update of the Sustainable Clothing Roadmap. The conference included entrance to Estethica, London Fashion Week’s sustainable trade show, a reception and address by Environment Minister Dan Norris.The conference brought together over 200 clothing industry representatives to discuss the ethical and environmental impacts of clothing.

One year on from the first sustainable action plan in which Posh Swaps pledged to promote recycling and reuse of clothes by encouraging clothes swapping and buying and selling of second hand clothes as well as other eco fashion and sustainable clothing. A further 40 companies and organisations have signed up to the action plan including British Retail Consortium, Ethical Fashion Forum, Forum for the Future, Levis Strauss, MADE-BY, Cotton Made in Africa, RSPCA, Society of Dyers and Colourists.

Since its creation the SCAP has brought together over 40 organisations, from high street retailers, to designers and textile manufacturers to battle the environmental and ethical impacts of ‘throw away’ fashion.  Some of the biggest names in fashion are working to take actions which will make a significant difference to the environmental footprint and social inequalities which blight some of the consumer fashion supply chain.

Many of the initiatives from the original action plan are now well underway including Tesco’s new sustainable clothing range in collaboration with From Somewhere which will launch this Spring and the Oxfam ‘Clothes Exchange’ partnership with M&S.

There was also the announcement of a £3.5 million fund to be made available over 3 years by the Responsible and Accountable Garment Sector (RAGS) fund for bids from organisations who want to make the clothing business more ethical and contribute more strongly to development in poor countries.

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.

Frugal living is currently a necessity for many people but has also become quite fashionable as people find new and creative ways to live on a minimal budget. The media have likened this frugality to the second world war when rationing and shortages forced people to ’make do and mend’. John Lewis has even rewritten a wartime make do and mend booklet for modern times. It gives some great tips that still apply today as well as some new ones such as the economic use of the central heating.

This make do and mend philosophy, is not just frugal but also environmentally friendly and a real contrast to throw away society that has become so prevalent in recent years. Make do and mend positively encourages a reduction in waste and recycling in all sorts of different ways. Some thing that may be quite alien to many but that fits in perfectly with the current economic climate and make do and mend philosophy is making do with the clothes we have instead of buying new. Of course it help greatly if the clothes were great quality and classic styles in the first place.

A whole movement of fashionistas has began to spring up around the make do and mend idea. Clothes swapping, swishing parties, clothing repair and alteration, buying and selling second hand clothes and refashioning/ reworking old clothes have all become popular ways not just of saving money and the environment but also of creating unique, interesting and beautiful outfits.

Back in February, we posted about the launch of the Government’s sustainable clothing action plan during London Fashion Week and how Posh-swaps.com is supporting the action plan by promoting and enabling the reuse and recycling of clothes through swapping, buying and selling second hand clothes.

Shared Talent India, one of London College of Fashion’s Centre for Sustainable Fashion’s (CSF) key projects of 2009 funded by Defra and supported by the Indian Government, was showcased on the Monsoon stand at Estethica at London Fashion Week. The project is one of a series of actions being implemented by the clothing and fashion sector under the Defra-led Sustainable Clothing Action Plan and Roadmap process to improve the environmental and ethical performance of clothing.

Born out of a collaboration between UK and Indian designers and London College of Fashion (LCF), Pearl Academy India and AMFI Amsterdam Fashion Institute students, the project has explored and promoted the design applications of a range of sustainable Indian textiles. Earlier this summer the group took part in a ten day workshop in Delhi to produce concepts to showcase Indian sustainable textiles and share their skills and designers and makers. After being showcased at London Fashion Week the collection will go to Indian Fashion Week in October 2009.

The award winning Shared Talent project model, developed to find transformative solutions through collaboration, has already been successfully applied to communities in Ghana and South Africa. Shared Talent India kicked off early in 2009 with a call out by the CSF for applications from UK-based designers and liaised with Pearl Academy to recruit India-based designers* to take part in the project. The designers along with selected AMFI and LCF students travelled to India to engage in a programme of activity including workshops and active design collaboration to produce concepts to showcase the sustainable textiles.

Accompanying the group were members of the Monsoon team; Head of Design, Kim Elliott commented, “This is an exciting collaboration between fashion students and designers in the UK and India which reflects our heritage and we are proud to be involved with it. The students brief for this project will showcase some quite directional design work demonstrating the fashion potential of sustainable textiles, the outcome of which will be displayed on the Monsoon stand at London Fashion Week in September.”

further information can be found on http://www.defra.gov.uk/news/2009/090918b.htm

Silk Missoni Dress

Do you love wearing designer clothes? Most of us would love to be able to fill our wardrobes with lovely designer clothes each season, but in reality there are only a few who actually have enough money to do so. With the recession hitting many of us and our clothes spend, don’t despair, you can still have a great designer clothes filled wardrobe without filling for bankruptcy.

Investing in second hand designer clothes or swapping your old designer clothes is a much better way to look stylish on a budget than resorting to fast fashion clothes that are not good for the environment and are sometimes produced unethically. They are often poorly made in inferior fabrics and it will show when you wear them.

Firstly you should sort through any designer clothes that you no longer wear. These can then be listed on a clothes swapping website like Posh-swaps.com. All that you need is a photograph of the item and as much information as possible about it including the size, designer, fabric and details of the condition. It can also be useful to take a photograph of the label to show that the item is genuine.

Then comes the fun part. Browse for some lovely clothes that you would like and propose a swap or to buy.

We were lucky enough to interview Sarah Korsiak Cellier of  Rice and Beans Vintage to find out a bit more about women’s vintage clothing and how it fits into her own unique style. Rice and Beans Vintage offers handpicked vintage and designer clothing to clients around the world. 

Rice and Beans is an interesting name for a vintage store, is there a story behind it?  

The name Rice and Beans Vintage comes out of a nickname that my now husband gave me a while back.  He used to call me Ms. Rice and Beans & according to him it is because of my sassyness (in a good way of course)!

How did you get started with vintage clothes? 

I have been wearing vintage clothing since I was around 10 years old.  I have always mixed vintage with modern clothing to create my own unique look.  I began dealing in vintage clothing about 7 years ago when I lived in San Diego and was studying to become an Acupuncturist!  I ended up choosing vintage & designer clothing over Acupuncture and I couldn’t be happier with my choice.

What is it about vintage clothing that you like?

I love that vintage clothing has a story to tell, it has history, roots.  The great thing about wearing vintage is that you can pretty much bet that you won’t run into anyone else that day who is wearing the same thing as you!  I also really admire for the most part the quality of vintage clothing, from the cut of the pieces to the fabric. 

Do you have a particular period of vintage clothing that you love?

I can honestly say that there is something from every period of fashion that I have at one time or another fallin in love with.

What is you favourite vintage piece?

I own a Vintage 60’s bright abstract print brocade coat with rhinestone buttons that I had shortened to right below the knee.  I love it because it has a bright almost neon pink lining and looks fantastic with denim.

How old does a piece of clothing have to be to be described as vintage? 

I consider a piece to be “vintage” if it is Pre-90’s. 

How can you be sure that an item of clothing is vintage?

I am not a vintage expert, I would have to clock a few more years before I would consider myself “schooled” in vintage.  However, I do a lot of research and try to be as thorough as possible when dating and describing each vintage and designer piece at Rice and Beans Vintage.  You can tell a lot from a label about the age of a piece as well as the styling.

Vintage clothing is become increasingly popular, why do you think this is?

I think vintage clothing has become more and more popular for several reasons.  Firstly people are recognizing the environmental impact of the clothing industry and purchasing vintage and pre-loved designer clothing is a great way to help minimize the demand for more and more new pieces to be made.  Secondly I think there is an economic component to the whole vintage craze.  Let’s face it purchasing a Vintage Chanel bag can be much less costly than buying a brand new piece and again it’s got history.  I also know that people love vintage because it does set your look apart from everyone else and gives you the freedom to be creative with your look.  Isn’t that what fashion is all about?

picture - vintage floral cotton maxi dress from Rice and Beans Vintage

So last week, I went out to the theatre with a friend of mine who I haven’t seen in years. She was late (some things will never change) but she managed to arrive just in the nick of time for the performance. She was out of breath, panting and telling me all about the London fields to Shoreditch bus diversion when I noticed she was wearing a little one shouldered floral number (which is bang on trend may I add). Although I should have sympathised with her dreadful journey, I couldn’t help but tune out some of the finer details of her bus diversion whilst tuning into her dress. I immediately wondered where she had picked this beauty up from. So I asked if it was a vintage piece from the 80’s or a Topshop replica, she uttered what I feared yeah, it is vintaaaaage, dahling. Dammit I thought. Where from I wondered, thinking for sure it was from an east London boutique as that was her neck of the woods. So when she told me it was from the US of A I wasn’t quite sure what to make of it.

I was thinking ok I haven’t seen her in a few years but where in the hell has she found the time (or the money for that matter) to pop to the states and back on a vintage shopping trip?? Obviously she spotted my bewildered expression, as she then whispered in my ear very lightly as if it revealing the world’s best kept secret.

“eBay”.

Then the penny dropped. “Of course, eBay!” And it suddenly occurred to me that when on the vintage bargain hunt I had missed a whole niche in the market. The dot.com revolution.
eBay I’m thinking.. God every time I have tried to conquer eBay it has been a nightmare. I still cannot work out how to use PayPal (from what I have worked out you have to leave a refundable deposit then they’ll pay it back in to your account to activate your pay pal. Confused?? Yeah so was I.) So I gave up. As a result the day I last clicked off PayPal’s site was the day my relationship with eBay ended. So for the purpose of this article I’m throwing myself in the deep end and giving it another go. Gulp.

And within 5 minutes on the site I’ve found a vintage black body con dress with a cut out middle revealing just a smidgen of flesh, and I need it, immediately. SO I bid. Its only £9.50 right?? That’s nothing. And pretty much straight away a “watcher” (who are these people??!) has spotted my bid and out bid me. Not one to be defeated I bid again, and again and before you know it I’m out of control and perspiring at my desk bidding 40squid+ for a dress I didn’t really want in the first place. Luckily by the time I came to my senses I was outbid and the auction time was up.

So, I thought maybe eBay isn’t for me. But some of my friends do seem to step out in show stoppers every time I see them which they have purchased for next to nothing on eBay, so there are obviously a lot of bargains to be had, if you have the patience. Personally I like visiting nutty old charity shops and boots sales where I can try on and feel clothing, a non refundable dress which is likely to be 4 sizes too small doesn’t overly appeal to me, (case in point, my cousin recently became obsessed with Fred Perry T shirts and bid a small fortune for one, and when it arrived it was a Fred Perry, designed for a baby between 0 and 6 months. Très cute, but totally unwearable)

So I’m still trying to purchase but as I am too behind the times to win the bidding war on anything (it’s really starting to stress me out, how do these people win??) I’m going to hand this one over to a couple of my friends who are official eBay addicts. One of which is my friend James (who is pictured above wearing a shirt he purchased on eBay). James is 22 and the only real male competition I have for a terrible spending habit on clothing, my other source is my friend Jo an interior design student, (also known above as the lady in the floral number). James is my first point of call, so I go and meet him for coffee to get to the bottom of this eBay phenomenon. He tells me that half the fun of the online auction is the thrill. “I like the bidding and winning element, it makes shopping more fun”, he says. James also thinks American eBay stores are better than our British counterparts. “My brother got a pair of top quality vintage shoes from an American eBay store for 12 pound the other day” he adds, also stating that in his opinion the clothes are generally nicer and cheaper in the US of A.
Jo interestingly also tells me that she loves American Vintage stores on eBay as they seem to be much cheaper, despite the shipping costs. She particularly recommends to me noirohio which I am fast becoming addicted to. Full to the brim with uber cute playsuit’s and feminine floral dresses, it’s a great find for people looking for reasonably priced, one off vintage statement pieces. She also recommends trashy vintage, which in my opinion has more edgy street orientated fashion selection, with a richer choice for the boys

So it really does seem the thrill of the chase makes eBay a great place to pick up a bargain. Well I know I want a spot of American chic on the cheap, especially if it going to end up costing less than our own home grown garms. So I’m putting an end to my eBay strike, yet again. Now, all I have to do is activate my payPal account…

If you really can’t get to grips with ebay, there are lots of alternatives. Why not try www.posh-swaps.com for swapping, buying and selling online. Unlike ebay it is completely free to use.

This post was written by our guest writer

Alice Kelleher is a 24 year old freelance writer often known to be distracted by shiny pretty things. Fresh off the block after just returning from a five month travelling trip around south east Asia, Alice is slightly obsessed with Noodles, and totally obsessed by boys in bands and the latest greatest fads and trends. Currently she is working in a Deli part time (she loves cheese), until she finds a stable job in fashion Journalism/fashion PR.

I can’t believe I didn’t get into clothes swapping years ago. It just makes sense. What better way to refresh your wardrobe without spending loads of money. It is perfect for the fickle dresser like myself. I would like to say that I have one particular style but it varies so much, it would be very hard to put a description on it. Clothes swapping allows me to change my mind as often as I want and not feel at all guilty about it.

As well as allowing me to indulge my ever changing desire for new clothes, it also has a more serious aspect. It gives me a chance to do my bit for the environment and prove that I really do have a bit of a social conscious, without missing out on my regular fashion fixes.

I can try out all sorts of new looks without the risk of wasting lots of money on an item of clothing that doesn’t suit me. I can also create my own unique individual style with quality clothes that look great.

One of the most important benefits of swapping clothes is that you no longer have to get your fashion fix with cheaply (and sometimes unethically) produced fast fashion. This trend for throw away clothes is so over, cheap clothes never look good on me anyway and I would much prefer to having quality second hand clothes instead.

By swapping/ recycling my clothes for others clothes, I am getting a double environmental benefit. I am reducing waste and the amount of clothing going into landfill. I am also reducing the environmental impact associated with the manufacture of new clothes (by swapping instead of buying new).

First of all I would like to say, car boot sales are uber fun. Not just because you can find amazing one off items for next to nothing, but because if you’re like me on a Sunday morning (usually feeling lazy, hung-over and nursing a sore head) then there really is no better reason to drag yourself out of bed than to nose around other peoples junk.

So last Sunday the 26^th of April the Sun was shining and the people of Carshalton were out in droves. After driving around the boot sale for 45 minutes (trying to park inside was like trying to get into fort knox) we finally found a parking spot and scuttled towards the boot fair. As we hurriedly walked towards the humongous school grounds of St Philomena’s catholic school the first thing I noticed was two women engaged in fisticuffs. Seriously. And it was over a dress it seemed, finger nails and hair tearing galore. This was when I realised this boot sale was going to be special, as the last time I saw this much passion for fashion was at the opening of the Selfridges spring summer sale 08.

 So I stepped over the bloodied boxers and inhaled a huge gulp of air whilst gazing across the fields and fields of bargain buys. Much to my Jaw dropping excitement, it was HUGGGE, like really huge. There were 3 fields of car bootie action. And it really was amazing, with unusual buys going for ludicrously cheap, confirming my theory. Boot fairs ARE every recessionistas dream.

After I had calmed myself down from all the excitement I headed towards the first stand I could focus on and noticed a vintage looking brown jacket. After examining the piece, I realised ok it wasn’t vintage but it was cute, like really cute. So after asking for a price on the jacket I was told “that would be a fiver love”. This was when it got tricky. The bargaining phase. Never one to be put off a touch of haggling (I conquered Pat Pong market in Bangkok don’t you know) I sniggered and put my bargain head on before quipping back “I’ll give you a couple of quid if ya luckie mate” (it’s good to put on an old east end accent at these car boots, gives the impression you’re a bit of a wheeler bargain dealer).

Anyway after much dispute over the value of the blazer we got involved on the finer details and finally agreed on a price of Two English pounds and fifty pennies. Luuuuuverly. So I left with a gem which cost less than my early morning hot dog. This purchased piece was the first of many that day, but it was by far the most expensive. Which taught me a lesson. Start ludicrously low when bargaining, because at these types of events it really does seem fifty pence is a reasonable price for a dress.

 At the end of the day I worked out I had spent £5.50, and I had purchased 2 dresses, 3 jackets and a jumper. Weighing in at roughly 50p per item, it was apparent boot fairs really are the ultimate bargain fest. This particular boot sale was in St Philomena’s in Carshalton, and it takes place once a month. If you fancy a spot of vintage chic on the cheap you can find the monthly dates on the following site.

http://www.stphils.org.uk/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=84&Itemid=90

But remember is just one of many on the London circuit of boot sales, the beauty of these events being clueless souls selling grandmas vintage brooches for 50p a pop. Fabulous.

If searching for a bit of car bootie action then do check out the nationwide listings on www.carbootjunction.com but be warned it is not always 100% accurate. I have often gone searching for car booties which don’t exist (I once drove all the way to Esher to be told the car boot wasn’t on that week) so if you’re looking for a more reliable source of information check out http://www.carbootcalendar.com/. This site is generally very reliable and has an annual subscription magazine costing just £14.00 (a year) which lists all the latest car boot sales across the country monthly. Worth every penny. So next Sunday when you’re feeling lazy get yourself down to your local car boot sale, for the sake of your wallet and your wardrobe.

Finally, for those of you thinking you don’t fancy getting your manolo’s grubby, I would just like to say I once found a vintage Chanel handbag for 5 pounds in a boot sale in Battersea. Yes really. Oh you’re suddenly considering it? So I’ll see you next Sunday?

This post was written by our guest writer

Alice Kelleher is a 24 year old freelance writer often known to be distracted by shiny pretty things. Fresh off the block after just returning from a five month travelling trip around south east Asia, Alice is slightly obsessed with Noodles, and totally obsessed by boys in bands and the latest greatest fads and trends. Currently she is working in a Deli part time (she loves cheese), until she finds a stable job in fashion Journalism/fashion PR.

pictures by Ross Matthews

07 May 2009 19:00

Venue: Hampstead, London, NW3

Have you been swishing before but have been disappointed with the quality of clothes on offer? If so, this is the event for you. Only clothes of high quality and in good condition will be accepted for swishing. It’s first come, first served so make sure you arrive on time to avoid missing out! Ticket price is £5 and includes a glass of wine. Please email me at roisin_traynor@hotmail.com for further details and to book. Please note that entry to the event will only be granted to those who have booked in advance.
Any clothes left over at the end of the evening will be donated to local charity shops. Proceeds from the evening will be donated to The Stroke Association.

Email: roisin_traynor@hotmail.com