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.

Eco fashion is a bit of a trendy buzz word at the moment with so many clothing companies describing their clothing as Eco fashion. Some companies promote themselves as selling only Eco fashion whilst others have a small range of Eco fashion clothing. I would consider Eco fashion to be clothing that in someone has less environmental impact that the equivalent piece of conventional clothing. Obviously the lesser the impact the better. So how as a consumer can you decide what is important in terms of Eco fashion. Here are just a few considerations that may help.

Sustainability - this describes the use and renewal of resources. Is the clothing using resources that can not be easily replaced. This would include many synthetic fabrics which are made using oil a resource that will eventually run out. Sustainability considerations also include the use of landfill to dispose of waste. Clothes that have a longer life cycle are generally more sustainable.

Pollution- the release of chemicals both as gas, solids or liquids into the environment can be damaging to flora, fauna, Eco systems and the people living nearby. Pollution can be caused by effluent from factories where clothes are manufactured, pesticides used to cultivate cotton and dyes, chemicals washed from textiles that have been disposed of in landfill sites.

Carbon emmissions - global warming is though to be caused by the build up of green house gases. This includes both carbon dioxide produced when fossil fuels are burnt and methane released when natural textiles break down in landfill. It is important to consider how much energy has been used to manufacture a piece of clothing (its carbon footprint) this will include the energy used in transportation and again it life span. If clothes last longer, less clothes need to be made and less end up in landfill.

The environmental impact of a piece of clothing does not end with just these factors though. Through out its life a piece of clothing will probably be washed, cleaned, dried and ironed numerous times. In order to really minimise the environmental impact of a piece of clothing, you should also consider how these processes will affect the environment. For example, dry cleaning a piece of clothing will have quite a big environmental impact. A piece of clothing that dries naturally easily and doesn’t need ironing will be a good Eco friendly choice especially if washed at a low temperature.

Clothes swapping, buying and selling second hand clothes is a great option for those looking to help the environment. It increases the life cycle of each item of clothing, reduces landfill and reduces the amount of new clothes being bought therefore reducing all of those other impacts. For those living on a budget it also offers a low cost alternative to fast fashion (which is usually bad for the environment due to the way it is made and its short life cycle), that allows them to regularly update and refresh their wardrobe.

What can make from a load of old rubbish? Quite a lot actually. I seem to come across more and more examples of very stylish upcycled fashion lately, especially accessories. I’m talking about the sort of gorgeous pieces that you desperately have to have not because they are eco friendly but because they will look amazing and make a real style statement with that …..

The more recycled pieces that I find, the more I think about how much we throw away. With jewellery made from such a diverse range of found items and scarfs and other accessories made from all sorts of beautiful reclamimed, vintage and second hand materials.

To get some inspiration or some lovely recycled fashion, just try searching ‘trashion fashion’ on Etsy. I hope you love what you find as much as I did. Don’t forget, if you are making upcycled/ recycled fashion, www.posh-swaps.com is a great place to source materials and sell you creations (for free).

This bracelet called coffee berries by Jupita is made from old gift cards.

This hot asphalt recycled LP necklace made by Tresijas is as the name suggests made from an old record, heated and then folded over to give the appearance of a warped pavement.

This Ladybug Fairy Hood by Fairytale Fibres looks both stylish and warm and is made from 100% upcycled wool.

The Ethical Fashion Show in Paris is the only trade show dedicated entirely to Ethical Fashion. It showcases the work of designers who respect both people and the environment. The show includes a whole range of different clothes from street and sports wear to accessories and couture from all over the world. This year it included over 100 designers in total including Ada Zandition, Bee-Bee, Bibico, Terra Plana from the UK.

The four day event which ran from the first to fourth of October also featured conferences including Fashion, field of social cohesion and Organic and fair-trade textiles: what guarantees across the supply chain? and workshops including Ethical designers’ forum: taking stock of ethical trends for the 6th edition of Ethical Fashion Show®.

I noticed in the Editors letter in this months copy of Elle,a mention of ‘ the Uniform Project’ an exercise in sustainability and the brainchild of Sheena Matheiken. Starting in May this year Sheena, pledged to wear the same dress every day for a year. Well actually she has seven identical versions of the exact same dress, one for each day of the week. She aimed to create a different look each day by accessorising with vintage, second hand and hand made accessories and layers. Sheena illustrates just how it can be done and creates so many different looks with the same dress and some very gorgeous and hand made vintage accessories.

Elle Editor, Lorraine Candy explains how she dresses according to her mood and found it very difficult to wear the same black dress every day when trying to replicate the excercise. I can understand completely what she is saying and think it would be incredibly difficult to wear exactly the same style of dress for a whole year, even for someone creative with their accessories.

But, the project does prove an interesting point that you do not have to constantly update your wardrobe with every new trend. It brings a new meaning to the words classic investment piece and versatile staple. It shows that if you buy quality and timeless pieces, you can look amazing and original. For those who just have to constantly update their wardrobe, there is always the clothes swap, you could even try swapping accessories.

picture from theuniformproject.com

My first reaction to this picture of of two suited men  at New York Fashion Week is to laugh. I found the picture on Lela Luxe and on further reading realised that all is not as it seems. The clear plastic suit made from recycled bottles is not actually a fashion statement but more an elaborate statement to show how a suit made from recycled bottles is not what you would expect. The man on the right is wearing a suit made by Bagir, an Israel-based tailored apparel manufacturer that specializes in high-tech suiting innovations. It is made from ECOGIR™ a fabric made from recycled plastic bottles. The fabric is machine washable and can be tumbled dried so is also eco friendly in that it does not require dry cleaning.

This is another great example of ways that you can help the planet without compromising on style.

Nina Dolcetti is the label started by Elisalex Grunfeld de Castro in 2008 after she graduated from Cordwainers in 2005. The high end shoes that she makes are both luxurious and sustainable. The upcycled materials used for these design led, avant garde shoes are off cuts and remnants and unwanted pre consumer waste. They are hand made in a work shop in East London.

The label which showed at Esthetica, London Fashion Week, recognises the waste within the fashion industry and the environmentally unfriendly effects of leather tanning. Yet another exciting development in our search for luxurious but sustainable style.

picture from www.londonfashionweek.co.uk

Yet more gorgeous and sustainable style, this time from Kristinit, a fashion brand with a holistic approach to fashion, one that links social responsibility, sustainable fabrics and great design. Kristina Lenss, designer of Kristinit explains that this autumns collection named the Love Campaign is “inspired by an integrated approach to designing and manufacturing a high fashion collection” She says “This collection is about complementing fashion with sustainability — without sacrificing style.”

The collection contains intricate details such as custom lace pieces handmade by artisan weavers in Brazil combined with innovative organic fabrics and fairtrade partnerships for a truly design orientated sustainable collection. Kristinit also donates a percentage of each sale to One Percent for the Planet and the Pachamama Alliance. 

The KRISTINIT collection is available in Los Angeles at FRED SEGAL and PETRO ZILLIA boutiques or by emailing sales@kristinit.com or visiting the website: www.kristinit.com.

It has just come to my attention that my favourite ethical superstore Adili is now called Ascension. It must have happened on the quiet and in the dark of night as I have only just realised. I thought it was worth a mention in case anyone else hadn’t even noticed.

Adili (now ascension) have since their fairly recent launch, quickly made a name for themselves as a one stop shop for ethical clothing from underwear to shoes and accessories. If green is the new black, then Ascension is the new Harvey Nics. They stock a variety of well known brands including People Tree, Patagonia and Tatty Bumpkin as well as their own designer led label. They are supporting and nurturing some of the best young design talent to move ethical clothing onto the next level. Ascension is also working on a number of projects in countries like Rwanda, Columbia and Nepal to help improve peoples lives by developing skills and providing sustainable employment.

The clothes on the website are sorted by ethic to give shoppers the chance to find exactly what they are looking for, with categories including organic, fairtrade, recycled and alternative fibres and 1% for the planet. The Ascension T shirts are also the first fashion item to hold the new carbon reduction label. If you are looking for some guilt free shopping and sustainable style Ascension is the place to go (as well as Posh-swaps.com of course). At the moment, they have a great warehouse clearance with up to 80% off.

picture - 100% organic cotton lengthen T shirt

Picture from Facto Magazine

Fashion Pulse Daily tests (and loves) the new Burt’s Bees Super Shiny Lip Gloss in Juicy Peach — find out why!

Factio Magazine checks out all of the vintage and eco-friendly fashion during Lollapalooza!

Runway To Retail says, “Deep green is the new black”, for nails that is. Sephora recently pumped out several new products on their website.

Looking Sharp! is back to school cool with this upcycled Frito-Lays pencil case found at Target

Posh Swaps has been really busy creating some sustainable style with her DIY Project – refashioned and recycled T shirts

My Beauty Bunny shows you how to get some fab beauty products from LUSH, help orangutans in Borneo and get 15% off!

Quinta Trends (En Espanol) remembers vintage years with Re_cuerda