Second Hand Clothes

Secondhand Chic - Finding fabulous fashion at consignment, vintage and thrift stores is a book that has been sitting on my bookshelf for at least five years now. I regularly dip into it and use it as a reference for just about everything that I need to know about buying second hand clothes. In fact I think it could well be credited for getting me started on this whole second hand clothing lark.

It is a bit like a bible for thrifters giving all sorts of useful tip bits of information such as how to spot quality second hand clothes usinf clues like the buttons, pockets seams and fabric, finding your size in clothes that have no labels, fixing problems or damage in second hand clothes and buying the styles to really make you look and feel your best.

The book is written by expert shopper Christa Weil who gives you all the insiders secrets to help you shop like a pro.

I will try not to bore you too much with another rant on great swapping second hand clothes is. Well it really is. There is no better way to clear out and refresh your wardrobe, get rid of those clothes that have never looked quite right and replace them with gorgeous clothes that fit really well and look amazing. The best thing about clothes swapping is that it is free, you don't have to spend any money (except perhaps on postage) and you end up with lots of lovely stuff.

And if that wasn't enough to tempt you, there are also some very good environmental reasons for swapping your old clothes. First there is the reduction in waste and landfill. Then there is the reduction in pollution caused by clothing and textile manufacture and last but not least there is the reductiion in carbon footprint.

Whilst swishing or swapping parties are a great way to swap clothes with friends, there are some people who are a different size to their friends or don't have the time to go to a swishing party. Swapping through a website like www.posh-swaps.com is the perfect alternative for these people.

If I haven't yet convinced you, read some more of our posts, I hope to convince you soon.

Susie of Style Bubble with her unique style (the dress is vintage)

At London Fashion Week, Lord Philip Hunt, Minister for Sustainability announced the governments new sustainable clothing action plan. This sets out agreed stakeholder actions from over 30 clothing and fashion stakeholder organisations to improve the sustainability performance of clothing. It includes designers, manufacturers and retailers. The action plan cover social, environmental and ethical issues involved in the production of clothing. The manufacture of clothing has been shown to have a high environmental impact which is made worse by the consumption of clothing as a result of fast fashion.

Many well known names such as Marks and Spencers, Sainsbury's, Oxfam and Tesco have signed up for a variety of actions including increasing fair trade and organic ranges and increasing the awareness of the environmental benefits of clothing reuse.

Swapping, buying and selling women styles of second hand clothes is a great way to help the move towards sustainable clothing. There are also now a number of designer recycling second hand clothing in to new garments.

Further information can be found on the Defra website http://www.defra.gov.uk/news/2009/090220a.htm