Anyone for a slow fashion thread???

[CorianderSnell]

I’m watching Stacey Dooley’s ‘Fashion’s Dirty Secret’ thing and feeling pretty horrified ... making me feel more determined about buying responsibly.

I’ve seen no new stuff threads on here, but I will genuinely need to buy some things - eg got nothing I can wear on my feet in the rain at the moment - so want to concentrate on buying well.

I’m a terrible clothes buyer - indecisive and never really loving what I buy. I could really do with some help. I do want to have nice enough clothes, but don’t want to just mindlessly buy heaps of stuff...

So, please, join me and give me tips about good places to find more responsibly made stuff, second hand, stuff that really lasts etc.

My first mission - as I said - is winter footwear and a jumper that doesn’t stop halfway between my elbows and wrists...

Just popping in v quickly - all this talk of sewing is reminding me I should take my lovely old Elna machine to get fixed - I’m not a great sewer but have made a few pieces I’ve worn and can imagine I could get good enough for basic alterations and eg simple tops.

Anyway, going to come back and read through properly later - for now am posting pic of my 5yr old Hobbs NW5 boots which I got fixed at cobblers yesterday (£3 to replace broken rivets on straps) and have shined up the scuffs with shoe cream. They are great boots, so pleased this thread has pushed me into getting them fixed up and putting a bit more life into them

I like a Weigh n Pay too IJustLost - 90% shit but I don’t think I’ve ever come away empty handed. I find them good for tweed, which is fashionable again, and also silk shirts which cost next to nothing as you pay by weight. The last couple I’ve been to we’re rammed with students but we were after different things so it was fine.

I always go in a skirt, leggings and layered tops so I can try on without queuing for the changing room.

I'm long past "fashion" and moved firmly into "style" years back - what I mean by that is an outfit with today would not look untoward or dated a decade from now.

I buy a lot of secondhand on eBay to - as a previous poster said - to get the labels I want at the price I want to pay.

Stumbled across someone on eBay last winter who proclaimed she was now vegan and no longer using animal products... So was getting rid of all her vile cashmere! so I filled my boots!

For shoes I like toast, especially in the winter. A lot of the leather shoes are made in the UK (They get a fairly hefty discount in the January sales too if that helps). Solovair and Cheaney are both UK based. Veja is another good footwear brand.

There’s also a website called plumo that I like.

Arket is all about the fabric and they are traceable.

I’m also teetering on the edge of trying to buy more long term, sustainable clothing but my purse needs to catch up. It’s much more expensive (understandably) to buy sustainable and ethical clothing.

I organised a 'Clothes Swap' event earlier this year. I did it to raise money for charity but it was very successful and all those who came fed back that they would be really interested to do it again in the future.
It's a fantastic way to get new clothes without buying new. Everyone brings a minimum number of items and you can take away the same number that you brought.
I will be doing it again in the new year, I came away with some fantastic new summer clothes, I really recommend it to those of you interested in recycling clothes.

ella I went to a clothes swap but it didn't really work for me as I am short and everything was massive on me. I think it works best if you're a more average size (12-16 and 5ft6 or something).

shiv thanks for the recommendations, shoe buying is something I simply can't stand these days, when did all the 'leather' shoes get so cheap and nasty looking.

@Ellapaella I love the idea of organising a clothes swap. Did you end up with people bringing poor quality items though (like Primark etc) or was there a rule to stop that.

@Lost5stone we had a bit of a mixed bag but because it was mostly friends and friends of friends who came it was mostly excellent quality.
The majority of stuff was top high street, we had a lot of Boden, Monsoon, Reiss, Phase eight etc but there was also a fair bit of M & S, H & M etc.
I took all the left over items that people didn't want to a local charity shop.
If you start small and just do it with a group of friends I think you'll find you'll get decent quality stuff. If you decide you want to give it a go and want any tips feel free to PM me.
We didn't just do clothes, shoes, bags and accessories were swapped too.

I did specify that items needed to be in good condition.

Thanks @Ellapaella I might organise one at home with friends and family and see how it goes.

Might also work with kids clothes as we all have children in a range of sizes

Yes definitely kids clothes. That would be really popular, especially if you all have children similar ages.
Good luck!

Following with interest! I have not yet watched the Stacey Dooley thing but I have avoided 'fast fashion' for years - partly because I hate high street clothes shopping and partly because I love browsing charity shops. My big problem is actually getting outfits that work together, sorting my wardrobe, and filling the 'gaps' with thing I actually need to buy deliberately (jeans and bras!). I have some gorgeous items that I have no occasion to wear, and very little day-to-day stuff...

eBay is great for known brands - there are some real bargains to be had! I'll be browsing the other suggestion here :)

Aaargh - sorry for so many typos! You get my drift...

Celtic & Co sell high-quality UK-made products: www.celticandco.com/
I'm not normally much of a jumper person (they're often bulky and unflattering on me) but I'm addicted to theirs. The sheepskin boots are hardwearing and they offer a repair service.

Ooh ok so I am very into slow fashion/buying ethically. So, Etsy is great for handmade accessories and homeware. Mi Apparel is great for discovering sustainable clothing brands..Ninety Percent is a cool sustainable brand and I particularly love their maxi dresses. Beyond London Shop has a gorgeous mix of handmade jewellery and homeware - quite 'boho' in style which is cute and fun. Also H&M's 'conscious' line is good too...hope the above are of some help! x

Please, H&M's conscious is such a scam, kinda like McDonald's salads with bacon. Look up honest brands that care - there are plenty of them now, like People's Tree (www.peopletree.com), New Dress Code (www.newdresscode.com), Avocado, Patagonia, etc. just to name a few. Brands that do not paddle limited eco product lines just to make the rest of their made-in-china crap look better. Also, best deals are to be found in thrift stores and clothes swaps.

Am joining (and bumping) this thread. Wear a lot of mid century vintage clothing and am a big fan of make do and mend. It helps that I have a wonderful and very brave seamstress for whom no repair or alteration task is ever too big or delicate to tackle!

Watching with interest. Lurking at the moment.

I'm having a wardrobe clear out as a lot of my clothes are cheap, over 10-15 years old and barely worn.
I've started buying almost exclusively on ebay now as I can buy really nice labels for the same price as new on the high street.
I try and avoid plastic fabrics (polyester etc). Shops like Zara are really off putting now.
I've realised my style hasn't really changed over 20 years, so I should just buy an expensive/natural fabrics of the clothes I like and will always wear.
I'm not remotely of the insta generation who can't be seen/photographed in the same thing on a different occasion!
I have a massive wardrobe that I am slowly emptying, I tend to put things in clothes banks in car parks as there's no parking near any of my towns charity shops.
The only things I buy new and in the shops are gym stuff & underwear.
Even boots/trainers are bought on eBay, I don't get great bargains as I look for brands that a lot of people are looking for too, but still over 1/2 price.
I avoid sales & charity as I don't want to get sucked into buying stuff that's an almost/lovely but I won't wear former charity shop addict when I was a student.