Posh Swaps Blog

The great thing about swapping and buying second hand clothes is that although you might not be buying the latest designer collection, if you know what to look for you can find some great pieces that work perfectly with the seasons new fashion.

Get some fashion inspiration for your swapping and shopping with these 5 trends for SS11.

Stripes - stripes are one of those looks that are always on trend. For SS11 they featured heavily in the Prada collection, a sure sign that they are going to be huge for SS11.

Floral Prints - another look that never really goes out of fashion floral prints just keep on coming back. There were some amazingly bright and colourful prints featured on the catwalk at D&G for SS11.

Bright Colours - the perfect way to get yourself noticed bright colours were the perfect contrast the neutral colours that have become so popular recently. Look out for neons and juicy citrus colours to brighten up your spring wardrobe.

Maxi Skirts - hemlines will be moving downwards for the spring with long ankle length and mid calf length skirts and dresses. As maxi dresses have been popular for some time now there are likely to be some great second hand choices available.

The Seventies - the seventies will have a huge influence o Spring fashion with flare, maxi’s and pussycat bow blouses all featuring. Also watch out for that Studio 54 disco style.

For more ideas on trends for the season ahead check out www.theshoppingforecast.com

Theshoppingforecast.com, an innovative new fashion democracy and social shopping website, has just launched.

The groundbreaking new website will allow users to browse, comment, vote on and save to their own personal wardrobes, the fashions and trends for the season ahead. It is the first of its kind to highlight the key trends for the season as identified by experts, fashion enthusiasts and the public. It will also provide invaluable quantifiable information to buyers in fashion retail allowing them to make informed decisions. The website will provide ongoing quantitative information and analysis on consumer preferences of women to fashion buyers for the season ahead. 

Fashion enthusiasts can register with theshoppingforecast.com for free and vote, comment and save items for their next outfit. The items on the site, which will include women’s fashion for a variety of occasions, will be carefully selected by an expert style council comprising of popular fashion bloggers, stylists and industry insiders as well as forward looking consumers of fashion. By voting on the clothes on the site, users will also have the chance to win their favourite item each month. The results of the voting and most popular items will feature in the monthly newsletter along with plenty of other information on fashion and style for the season ahead.

Matthew Murfin founder of the website commented ‘Theshoppingforecast.com is the first of its kind to give fashion enthusiasts and consumers a say in which clothes they would like to see in stores. It aims to create a fashion democracy that will be a link between female shoppers and retail buyers, so no more puffball skirts!’

Our verdict - we love the idea that by giving our input and helping to decide what clothes will be in the shops, we can help to reduce the waste of the fashion industry. It is also a great way to discover new trends.

This gorgeous neutral coat (Available to buy on Posh-swaps.com) is great for weathering the April showers in style, very SS10!

As the women’s fashion trends for summer 2010  start to emerge in the shops, magazines and fashion websites, you might well be getting something of a feeleing of deja vu. This is not unusual as in the case of so many of this seasons (and every seasons) trends, we quite simply have been there before. The looks are usually inspired by fashion from a previous decade or just another take on a trend that comes around every few years. Take for example polka dots, we have most definitely visited this one before on numerous occassions, I should know, I have enough of it in my wardrobe. So what is so different about it this time - not that much really. Mix with a pop of colour or clash with a floral pattern and voila you have an up to date and trendy look for Spring Summer 2010. So here are a few trends for 2010 that you may well find on the rail of a second hand clothes shop (or this website) which can easily be updated for SS10.

Neutrals - this is a really easy one. Anything in beige, cream, nude or neutral will be big news this year. Chiffon dresses, jackets, shorts, trousers take your pick then wear with tan colour or neutral shoes a simple hairstyle and natural looking make up.

Trench Coats- these classics just keep coming back season after season. Try wearing with a contrasting brown belt as seen at Burberry Prorsum for for an updated look. Winter duffle coats are also a great choice for the winter.

Florals- another key look that doesn’t really ever go out of fashion. Florals for SS10 fall into 2 categories. The dark ditsy print florals which can be worn with black opaques and Doctor Martin boots for the Nineties revival grunge look and the really bold and bright florals which are great for layering and clashing with bright colours and prints.

Minimalist -clean cut simple tailored pieces worn with minimal jewellery, pattern or fuss were another big nineties trend that is on its way back in this spring. This is a great trend to do second hand as you will be able to afford slightly better tailored pieces than you would new. For an updated look try wearing a minimalist tailored jacket with rolled up jeans and some strappy heels.

Safari / tribal prints- this season both safari and tribal prints were mixed for a eyecatching effect. Try layering different bold prints with the neutral sandy coloured safari pieces to work this trend. Also look for scarves with bright graphic prints to accessorise the look.

Denim - this never really goes out of fashion but for SS10, try all over denim (easy jeans plus denim jacket) or mix light colours with light blue denim. Another great look is the classic white shirt and denim skirt seen at Stella McCartney.

So there you have it. It is really not difficult to create this seasons looks from second hand clothes. Just mix it up a bit, layer pieces, roll the sleeves or trousers up and combine with up to date shoes or accessories. Not only will you save money but you will be investing in some great quality pieces that are sure to come back into fashion again in the future. The best thing is that no one will even know that you are wearing second hand clothes.