Where It All Began
Sustainable Style Swap returned for its 6th event York at Pitcher & Piano with stunning riverside views and was hosted by myself Laura Fawcett & Sara Anson.
We have both always been lovers of vintage and second hand shopping. As Personal Stylist’s we obviously love clothes, but due to the increasingly detrimental impact that the fashion industry is having on the environment, we are also extremely passionate about prolonging the life of clothing and promoting circular fashion through our platforms. As a result the first Sustainable Style Swap event was held back in 2019 and since then we have prolonged the life of close to 1750 items of clothing from our events.
The idea of the events was to provide a fun and relaxed space where likeminded people can connect, give their unwanted clothes a new lease of life and enjoy updating their wardrobes in a sustainable way.
If you haven’t attended one before the concept is very simple…
- Cleanse your wardrobe.
- Bring along 5 good quality, clean items of clothing, shoes or accessories that you wish to swap.
- Enjoy coffee & cake provided by White Rose Bakes as the team of wonderful volunteers merchandise the rails with Laura & Sara into size order to make it easier to find what you are looking for.
- Shop the rails and take home up to 5 items of your choice with Laura & Sara on hand to offer style advice.
Top Tips For More Mindful Shopping
We are not trying to send a message to tell you to stop buying any new clothes at all, but the aim is to encourage us to think through what we are buying before hand, use what you already have first and then consider any future purchases by following these simple steps to help you to start shopping more mindfully;
- Identify your own style and avoid being sucked into buying everything that you see on instagram & following trends, unless you are certain that what you are buying really reflects your unique style and will be a wise addition to your wardrobe. A Wardrobe Edit & Restyle can really help you to understand your style foundations if you are feeling a little lost and is a great entry into personal styling
- Edit your wardrobe twice a year. Less really can be more and keep what suits your lifestyle, body shape, colours & style personality
- Make friends with a tailor to get that perfect fit, there may be some amazing pieces of clothing in your wardrobe that need a simple tweak such as the straps being lifted, leg lengths shortened or taking in at the waist
- Buy what you need as a priority, not what you want. Keep a list on your phone for more mindful shopping and for those impulse purchases try to hold back by waiting for two weeks before you buy it, if you still think it will be a good investment after this time then it is probably a wise choice
- Invest in good basics – blazer, jeans, t-shirts etc. These items are the glue that hold your wardrobe together & the foundation of your outfits
- Don’t underestimate accessories & their power to change an outfit
- When buying new – can you think of at least 3 different ways to wear it and think about if it makes you feel great or not ie confident, comfortable, classy or uncomfortable, fidgety, frumpy for example
- Shop preloved first (eBay, Vinted, vintage sellers, swap events & parties) and remember to support local and small businesses who are likely to have much more sustainable practices
- Fashion is circular – you will always find similar preloved so if you do enjoy following trends be sure to look for a second hand options first
- Know your measurements when buying preloved, ask for pictures and read reviews to ensure you are spending your money with a trusted seller and the item is likely to fit you well
- Look after your clothes and don’t over wash them to prolong the life of the fabrics – wipe down, air out and steam to refresh rather than washing repeatedly, de bobble wool knitwear, repair and store properly.
Sustainable Pop Up Shops
We are passionate about supporting local female business owners and for the first time we were joined by some fabulous pop up shops which filled the space with joy and complimented our sustainable shopping event perfectly;
Moon Cloud Vintage (60’s & 70’s vintage clothing)
Milliner Hannah Lauren (Gorgeous headbands)
Hannah Weston Handcrafted Jewellery
Shoe Porium (Vintage footwear & bags)
Save The Dates!
If you would like to join us at the next Sustainable Style Swap in this format we are delighted to announce the following details (ticket link will be released soon for early bird reduced price);
Date: Sunday 8th October
Time: 10.30am – 12.30pm
Location: Pitcher & Piano York
We are also so excited to be in the process of organising a long awaited and by popular demand a Sustainable Style Swap Kids! It is all in aid of Martin House Children’s Hospice and all of the proceeds from the event will go directly to this charity.
Date: Sunday 9th July
Time: 11am – 2pm
Location: Bishopthorpe Village Hall (parking available, hoorah!)
We are expecting this to be rather busy so will are kindly asking for as many helpers as possible! If you are able to bake any cakes to donate for the event or are available to come along to help us with the clothing we would be most grateful, so please get in touch.
Tickets will be released soon
Thank you so much for reading and I hope to see you at the next event.
Love Laura
xxx