Things I'm looking forward to in #June!

Dial up your workwear game with a Cecily dress

So we are nearly half way through 2016!! Crikey - how time flies. This month sees the manifestation of a couple of long held dreams when it comes to my business, The Wardrobe Angel.

1. First up we have me landing a radio show! I did student radio when I was a first year at Nottingham University and loved it. Since then I've been invited to talk about all things wardrobes on BBC Radio Leeds, Manchester and Humberside. Now I have my own show on a Tuesday morning from 9-12 noon on Phoenix FM, talking to awesome people who are doing awesome things in awesome businesses. You can listen online, text in for shout outs and request songs. See you there - I'll be live every Tuesday from 7th June!
2. Secondly I've been asked to contribute to a book about wardrobes. Erm, hello? How perfect is that?! The book's purpose is to investigate the space of the wardrobe:  

Truly Gifting and The Wardrobe Angel

Before Rich and I headed off on our honeymoon I found Truly Gifting on Twitter. Now I love a sustainable gift every now and again, a piece of vintage clothing always has the ability to catch my eye and I'm not averse to some pre-loved clothing coming my way via eBay but I've never seen anything like Truly Gifting before. They provide packaging and gifting cards, designed to encourage consumers into giving pre-owned items as gifts. Now, I'm sure we've all done a cheeky re-gift before, I know I have (usually with scarves) but the sense I get from Truly Gifting is that they want the pre-owned gifts to be given more gravitas in the gift giving arena. And rightly so - according to a survey carried out by Truly Gifting, over 50% of respondents were interested in second hand gifting. I guess it's just dusting off those preconceived ideas that only a "box fresh" gift is a real gift. 

Here's one scary ass fact from the Truly Gifting website: if everyone in the UK were to give just one second hand present per year, 60 million new items would never have to be produced. WOW.  Even the Ikea's Chief Sustainabilility Officer, Steve Howard, said earlier this year that we've hit "peak stuff."

“If we look on a global basis, in the west we have probably hit peak stuff. We talk about peak oil. I’d say we’ve hit peak red meat, peak sugar, peak stuff … peak home furnishings,” Steve Howard said at a Guardian Sustainable Business debate. 

One of the gorgeous cards to go with your pre-loved gift

As I unpacked the box of Truly Gifting goodies I had a stroke of genius thought. When I'm working with clients we sometimes create a space in the wardrobe for 'heirloom' pieces: pieces that the client won't wear again but may leave to a family member or friend further down the line: a silk dress, a designer handbag, a piece of vintage clothing. These items would be perfect for the Truly Gifting packaging, especially when paired with one of the awesome cards (the LOVE one is my favourite - see above - and blank for your own message) that come as part of the set. I am more than happy to recommend this packaging to clients in the future, especially as the ethos is just so delicious:

Now to play devils advocate you could just buy a box yourself to do the re-gift, use a shoe box maybe. But then there's the wrapping of the box, finding your own card and ultimately it looking like a bodged Blue Peter job if you aren't craftily inclined. I'm much rather use this packaging which is created from sustainable sources and looks AWESOME than have a go myself. Plus I think the wording on the package really explains WHY you are giving a second hand gift. For those who don't re-gift or trade in pre-loved items with friends and family, Truly Gifting packaging will hopefully spur them into action. 

The Silence & Noise jacket that no longer cuts the mustard in my 'joy filled' wardrobe

Luxury tissue paper is provided which makes your gift look AMAZING. Bye Bye jacket!

All wrapped up with the sleeve explaining what's inside.

I regularly send Wardrobe Angel clients clothes which I have found on my travels - be that clothes from charity shops I think they'll like, or clothes from my own wardrobe after I've had a clear out. I am so bad at wrapping up said clothes that I inwardly cringe from the thought of these wonderful, successful, awesome women opening the gift I have sent. And that's where I see the boxes and packaging options that Truly Gifting sell coming in handy. 

Instead of just handing over a piece of pre-loved clothing, give it the honour it deserves! It served you, and your wardrobe now say 'thank you' by gifting it on. 

A couple of weeks ago I re-Marie Kondo-ed my wardrobe (read my 1st post here) and came across an orange jacket that had survived the 1st joy sparking cull. I've used it to style many-a-dress in the past as due to the jazzy open back feature it looks nigh on awesome with a back splash of pattern poking through the material. BUT. This time as I held it in my arms I realised that it wasn't structured enough for my liking. So, a client that looks AWESOME in orange is the lucky recipient of said jacket, all packaged up mightily smart thanks to Truly Gifting. I hope she likes the jacket as much as I loved the packaging. 




Please click here to visit the Truly Gifting website.

Things I'm looking forward to in #May...

Picture reference Mandy Barrow

We are deep in 2016 now people. Rich and I are the proud owners of a blue velvet beauty from Sofa.com, we've found a light for the dining room which means we can actually see when we eat in that room (!) and after some joinery skills (not ours, I hasten to add) we have a cabinet on which to sit the TV and in which to hide all the wires that come with a DVD player and Freeview box.

So what's does May look like for me?

1. No Maypole dancing on the cards unfortunately but it is time to UNLEASH my summer dresses. That Banana Republic full skirted beauty bought in the January sales is coming OUT!
2. Meeting Old Fashioned Susie for some blogger chats.
3. Handing over my books for the past financial year. This is always a task accompanied with a sense of relief that A) I don't have to do my own books and B) you get to see how much your business has grown over the year and give yourself a pat on the back.
4. My healthy hair story continues - what's next after I've switched to sulphate free shampoo?
5. Rich and I have been planning lots of city mini-breaks this year and this month we are getting some dates in the diary. Watch out Sheffield, Bristol, Edinburgh. Oxford and Cambridge Team Brown are coming to get ya!

Til next time....Stay Wardrobe Happy!

The Wardrobe Angel