Posh Swaps Blog

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

I love this floral print dress in the photo by Meormeor on Flickr. Floral prints never really go out of fashion and always look feminine and stylish.

This picture by Porkchoprules on Flickr has to be one of the best ways I have seen of restyling clothes. She says “Vintage clothes that I recycled and recounstructed and then PRINTed my PANDA.”

If you get easily bored of your clothes, join the club. After wearing a particular uniform for a whole season, I am often sick of the sight of it. Even though it is still in perfectly good condition (usually) and not out of fashion. I suppose this is why many people resort to fast fashion for a quick retail fix and a wardrobe refresh.

But I am becoming more and more determined to stick my principles of avoiding fast fashion and  opting for better quality clothes that will not go out of fashion. The problem with spending more money on an item of clothing is that it usually makes me less likely to take risks and instead I always end up with the safe options.

The Solution is clothes swapping. I get the best of both world, a new look with quality clothes, which I find looks much better than cheap clothes anyway. But because I have not spent so  much money, I am more inclined to try out new looks and have a bit of fun with what I am wearing. If the look doesn’t work or I don’t feel great in it, I can always swap it for something else.

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

I love the one shouldered dresses that are in the shops at the moment. I decided to have a go at making one myself using a dress that I bough from a charity shop for £5. It was a fairly easy project and only took an hour or two (not great pictures I am afraid but I hope to invest in a better camera soon). The dress was a navy long/ maxi style with an empire line. This is how I restyled and recycled it into a one shouldered dress.

1. I tried it on and worked out where to cut.

2. I finished the cut edge by turning over twice pressing and sewing.

3. I sewed part of an old scarf along the neckline.

4. I finished the cut edge of the other half of the scarf, tied around the empire line of the dress and secured with a few stitches on each side.

There are endless possibilities for restyling clothes into one shouldered dress or tops. You could embellish with all sorts of ruffles, flowers, patterned or contrasting trims made using a piece of clothing that is no longer wearable.

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.

Clothes swapping is the perfect solution to the problem of clothing going into landfill. You can do your bit for the environment by buying quality clothes that will last and swapping or selling your second hand clothes. When you get bored with your clothes do not throw them out, swap them. You can also buy some great clothes second hand, often they have hardly been worn or are in almost perfect condition.

 Eco fashion has become one of the hottest trends around as people start to realise the impact that their shopping and consumer choices can have on the environment. People are generally becoming more aware of environmental issues and many are trying to do their bit with initiatives such as recycling to help preserve the planet for future generations.

Fashion and textiles have been recognised as having quite an impact on the environment. New eco labels and eco fashion companies are popping up all over the place with efforts to minimise environmental damage ranging from organic cotton and bamboo to recycled textiles. But above all of these in terms of environmental credentials is second hand clothing for the following reasons:

Energy consumption - the manufacturing of most textiles and fabrics is fairly energy intensive. There is then the energy used to transport the clothing or textiles from the other side of the world where it is usually manufactured. The use of fossil fuels, a valuable and fast diminishing resource is an important impact of the production and distribution of most textiles. Apart from the small amount of transport, second hand clothing does not consume any energy to be produced.

Green house gases - green house gases are a by product of both the manufacture of textiles and the break down of natural textiles. There is growing concern about the build up of green house gases which is thought to contribute to green house gases. Recycling of second hand clothing can help reduce green house gases both by reducing waste and landfill and by reducing the gases produced in the manufacture and distribution of new clothes.

Waste and landfill - there is a huge problem in the UK with waste and landfill. A large proportion of this landfill is made up of textiles. The synthetic textiles do not break down and will have a lasting impact on the ecosystem. Chemical from textiles including dyes and bleaches can also be washed from the landfill potentially getting into the water table. Quite simply, every piece of recycled second hand clothing is one less piece of clothing to contribute to the problem of landfill.

Chemical pollution -Both the cultivation of natural fibres and manufacture of synthetic textiles can cause pollution of the surrounding areas. This can have a detrimental effect on the textile workers and people living in the vicinity as well as damaging flora and fauna. The most publicised pollution is from the pesticides used in cotton cultivation. Recycling of second hand clothing does not cause any pollution with harmful chemicals. The only chemicals that may be used are detergents for washing them. Even the impact of these can be reduced by using eco versions.

So if you really want to buy into the latest trend for eco chic, then second hand clothing is definitely the way to go.

picture from www.ehponline.org