TURN YOUR WARDROBE
INTO A SHOP
Be honest. How many of us
actually think about how much
are clothes are worth once
we’ve parted with the cash
upon purchase? You
might have loved that
£50 dress a couple of
years ago, but now
you’re willing to part
with it for free. Tamsin
says: “List your unwanted
clothes on resale sites such
as Depop, eBay or Vestiaire
Collective. Once you start
putting a price tag on everything
you own you will gain a new-found
respect for what you wear on a
day-to-day basis. Just be careful
to match your garment to the right
platform: for sportswear and high
street, opt for Depop; more upmarket
designer pieces are better sold
through Vestiaire Collective or eBay.
A good lesson to take from this is: the
better quality the garment, the longer
it will last, the better it will wash and
the higher the resale value. The
mantra ‘buy better, buy less’ has
never been more relevant.”
ORGANISE A SWAP SHOP
Love a monthly shopping trip out
with your pals? Why not ditch the
high street in favour of your living
room and invite your friends over
for a swapping trip instead? “While
shopping binges can make you feel
a little empty after the initial high,
a clothes swap gives you the opposite
efect,” Tamsin tells us. “The secret
is to carefully curate your swapping
and to ensure that your clothes look
desirable, rather than in a pile on the
loor. Hang your swaps on a rail;
provide a mirror, friends and wine.
Shopping has always been a sociable
afair but now you can bring the
experience into your home.”
And, it’s not just sharing clothes
and experiences with friends that
will make you feel good after a swap
shop – you can also leave with your
‘I’ve-helped-the-environment’ smugface, too. “Sharing is one of the best
ways to extend the life-cycle of clothes
and reduce the number of new items
an individual will buy,” Aisling
Byrne, founder of the Nu
Wardrobe (thenuwardrobe.
com) explains. “Every time
an item is borrowed, 25%
of the resources used to
make a new item is ofset.
We have the power to
change fashion with the
wardrobes we already have.
The next time you’re heading to
an event, borrow rather than buy!”DO RECYCLE
So, you’re proicient at sorting your
plastics from your glass bottles, and
your food scraps go straight into
your compost bin – bravo! But
believe it or not, recycling can be
extended to what’s in your wardrobe,
as well as the packaging it arrives in.
“One-third of clothes in the UK end
up in the bin,” Tamsin tells us. “If
you have worn something until it
has literally frayed at the seams (not
in a good way), or if it’s stained and
ripped and you are embarrassed to
give it to a charity shop, don’t throw
it away. Even old underwear, tights
and stained T-shirts can be shredded
and recycled for industrial use.
Visit Recycle Now or ask your local
authority about adding textiles to
their recycling collections, if they
don’t already.”Still not sure what to do with your old garb?
Download the app ReGain to divert clothes
going to landill – plus it’ll free up some space
in your house. Instead of throwing old clothes
away, ReGain encourages you to bundle your
unwanted clothes up and send them for
recycling. All you have to do is donate a
minimum of 10 items, drop it of at your
nearest collection point, and ReGain
will give you a choice of discount
vouchers in return – result!ReGainYour SpaceSHOP WELLREBOOT YOUR WARDROBEEditor, Holly, recently headed down to her local
Fashion Re:Boot event and bagged a few second-
hand bargains, instead of buying new: “I’ve never had
much luck at charity shops or vintage stores,
so I didn’t arrive at my first Fashion Re:Boot event
with high expectations. ‘I’m just going for the
experience’, I said to my friend, and she nodded in
agreement. But, once through the doors of the wine
bar where it was held, I’d got as far as the second
stall of clothing before spending all the money I’d
taken out with me! I’d managed to bag myself anew coat, two jumpers and a dress for under £30,
and they all looked next to new! On a retail therapy
high, I quit while I was ahead and avoided purchasing
anything I didn’t need. However, since the event, I’ve
worn each item several times already – my new coat,
almost every day - and even though I haven’t bought
brand-new clothes, I still have that new-clothes
feeling when I wear them. I’ll definitely be shopping
like this in the future! For more information on your
nearest Fashion Re:Boot event, follow them on
Instagram @fash_reboot