Fabulous New Fashion chat - Dressed up or Down - Everyone Welcome!!

MarzipanFish

I tend to wear clothes out more often than i get rid of them (does mean the wardrobe's getting full though!) Boyfriend's sister is really bad for getting stuff she doesnt wear though. I got a whole bin bag full last year and lots had tags on. Clothed 3 of my friends too :P

goanmad

daisybella wrote: »

I think that sometimes as a society we can get carried away with doing what is deemed right, without stopping to thinking about what our personal circumstances require.

Does that make sense? I know I am guilty of this, and will read an article on how we shouldn't buy cheap clothes etc, berate myself and not stop to think about what I've written above until quite a bit later.

I'm in complete agreement, Daisy.

I get very annoyed how people bang on about the cheap labour used in the production of high street clothing. Many luxury label clothing is also manufactured in the Far East (often in the same factories, paying the workers the same wage as the cheaper brands) and therefore profit even more from the West's perceived misery of the said-sweat shop labourers.

Perhaps you could do a post on your blog about only buying if you need it and giving ideas of what to do with something when it's long outlived it's use (revamping, charity shops, eBay).

Marzipan Fish - You're cute!

retro_bluebell

goanmad wrote: »

Absolutely nothing wrong in buying loads of cheap clothes as long as you do wear them.
It's just the constant buying and chucking out that's all so wrong with our consumerist society.
It's fine if the stuff is passed on to charity shops who can resell it and benefit those in genuine need but the trouble is that lots of younger people bin their cheap cast-offs and it ends up in landfill :eek:.
Although I don't shop at Primark I've picked up a few second hand dresses which I've revamped into tops or playsuits. Thats what Vivienne Westwood's trying to promote, getting creative with your old stuff and making it into an updated fashionable piece rather than the constant buying cycle.

Yes I agree with you there, I have been guilty in the past when I had too much money to buy stuff that would either be worn once or not at all just cos it looked good on the hanger.....hence why I have sold tons on ebay.

Im more aware now of what suits me and what doesnt too so will only buy stuff that does...apart from that one blip with that top (see thats the way i used to be) I have seen the light!

Im thinking of getting my old bigger summer clothes taken in rather than donating/ selling them only to buy the same things in a smaller size...not too sure how to go about that though....

daisybella

goanmad wrote: »

I'm in complete agreement, Daisy.

I get very annoyed how people bang on about the cheap labour used in the production of high street clothing. Many luxury label clothing is also manufactured in the Far East (often in the same factories, paying the workers the same wage as the cheaper brands) and therefore profit even more from the West's perceived misery of the said-sweat shop labourers.

Perhaps you could do a post on your blog about only buying if you need it and giving ideas of what to do with something when it's long outlived it's use (revamping, charity shops, eBay).

Marzipan Fish - You're cute!

Yes, the cheap labour thing. I wrote an article on this for the college magazine after overhearing some awful girls having a totally ill informed conversation about it lol.

I'm not sure I still have the article (it was on my old laptop which imploded on itself last year) but a blog post is a great idea thanks

Ohhh and thank you for recommending searching the ethnic/tribal jewellery section on ebay, I won a gorgeous silver and amber ring that has just arrived :T

goanmad

retro_bluebell wrote: »

Yes I agree with you there, I have been guilty in the past when I had too much money to buy stuff that would either be worn once or not at all just cos it looked good on the hanger.....hence why I have sold tons on ebay.

Im more aware now of what suits me and what doesnt too so will only buy stuff that does...apart from that one blip with that top (see thats the way i used to be) I have seen the light!

Im thinking of getting my old bigger summer clothes taken in rather than donating/ selling them only to buy the same things in a smaller size...not too sure how to go about that though....

That's a great idea, Retro. It's certainly worth having a go at taking things in yourself or even chopping the length and sleeves off and making a funky tunic to wear over leggings and jeans.

Alexnikov

goanmad wrote: »

Alex - I'll pop in Dottie P's tomorrow and see if there's any navy blue left. If not I can have a look on the tights stall on the market and see if they've got any cheapies, too.
Pirate- I haven't fogotten the duckling mission.

Thanks hun, that would be great

retro_bluebell wrote: »

Oooh Ive just read all the comments on Primani I will wear all of my things! I have scaled down my wardrobe so much now and I needed some basics and it was a case of getting £30 worth of stuff from Primark or one top from a designer well Id have to go to Primark lol

Exactly the same with me - lots of new clothes needed and not an enormous budget. Where's the sense in getting one pair of nice Levis when I got about 20 things from Primark for the same price?


For all the creative types on here, I've just come across this, thought you might find it interesting

jtb2412

I completely agree with everyone's thoughts on buying clothes. I try to buy CS whenever I can but when I do buy new, it's worn to the last thread !

Hardly any of my size 18 things were even good enough for the CS as I'd worn them all out. I'm hoping that the new things I've bought will be good enough to wear even when I've dropped a dress size. If not then they'll go to CS or ebay.

DD1 is the worst culprit for buying and not wearing something - a habit I'm determined to get our out of ! I think a lot of that though is down to her teenage insecurities and I'm hoping she'll grow out of it.

daisybella

Oh, there is also a fabulous shop in Bristol called Rag Trade that will take your unwanted designer or vintage clothes, sell them and either give you store credit so you can "trade" for new stuff, or money. A bit like ebay but person to person.

*edit with shop website* http://www.ragtradeboutique.co.uk/what.html

I'm not selling the idea very well here but I interviewed the owner when she opened the shop for my fashion mini magazine I put together for my final project. Another article I really ought to dig out I suppose!

MarzipanFish

daisybella wrote: »

Marzipan- the pale colour of the cardigan really suits you. And I love the shirt in the second photo.

aw, thankyou
I don't even know why i don't wear pale stuff, just habit i spose. I'm normally in dark grey but i'm trying to be more adventurous (if you can call beige adventurous :rotfl:)

The shirt's from primark. The materials really nice & soft like flanell PJs but 2 of the poppers dropped off in the wash which is a shame.

thanks goan

I agree with you about the cheap labour & expensive vs cheap high street shops. People do attatch a false expectation that the clothes are more ethically made just because of the price difference.

lostinrates

really great converstaion here. We have quite a few fashion/clothing industry related things come up on the debate economy etc board...for various reasons.

IMO I have more guilt about un worn stuff of any sort. I have a lot of lovely clothes, now all to small, I don't feel bad paying a lot for an item if I can afford it. I feel worse about supporting monopolies than I do about employment situation personally, though I accept thats an opion made from a very lucky position and an unpopular stance.


There are clothes made in UK in good conditions that don't cost the earth: these designers boost out economy.

I think overthinking is a danger, but its not worse, its better, than unthinking buy, buy, buy consumerism which infects us in this country.

Its one of the reasons I adore Goan's b;og so much.