#Oxclusive Oxfam Sustainable Fashion Event

Ever wondered what happens to your clothes after you've dropped them off at Oxfam? Last week I had the chance to find out. Situated in Batley, Oxfam have a HUGE warehouse where clothing magic happens. On a huge conveyor belt, 25 grades of stock are sorted on a daily basis. Items which have been donated in clothing bins and unsold items from charity shops are separated. Between 9 - 12 tonnes of handbags and shoes are sorted each week alongside separating out vintage and on-trend clothing for the Oxfam shop and creating bales of clothing to sell to ethical clothing traders in Africa. It's fair to say no other charity sorts your second-hand clothing like Oxfam does.

Oxfam is all about sustainable living and squeezes every penny out of each donation; nothing goes into landfill. 

I can't even begin to describe the sheer scale of the operation.

After a tour of the warehouse we were treated to a fashion show showcasing all the awesome stock which the online shop sells. The fashion show ratcheted up an impressive trend round-up including denim and 1970's glamour which are all hanging out on a high street near you as we speak.

Suede? TICK. Fringing? TICK. That's 2 key new season trends right there!

Place your pre-conceptions at the door - just because it is a second-hand shop doesn't mean the stock isn't bang-on-trend. 

I spotted Whistles shoes and clothing amongst the stock plus we all recognise these red soles don't we....

One thing that really impressed me was the grass roots customer segregation which Oxfam has completely nailed. They have a dedicated festival shop which tours the country visiting Glastonbury, Reading and Leeds and Bestival to name a few. They also have a stall at the Clothes Show. The stock is rotated and customised for the specific festival they are at - talk about customer segmentation! Savvy!

Follow the team from the online shop over on twitter @OxfamOnlineBTLY and check out the Oxfam Online Shop by clicking here.

The Big Blog Clothes Swap

So, you all know how I LOVE a Clothes Swap and chatting to my soon-to-be-sister-in-law, Janet, on Twitter recently we thought: what would happen if we tried to organise an internet clothes swap? I think most of us have those clothes in our wardrobe: the dress we can't quite work out how to style; the trousers that were a sale bargain... if only they fit properly; the shoes that don't go with anything. Stuff you can't bring yourself to donate or eBay, but haven't actually worn in months or even years. Clothes swaps are the perfect home for those clothes. We are going to gather together as many bloggers, and blog readers as possible, pairing them up according to clothes or shoe size, and let the swapping commence.

And so here it is: the big blog clothes swap!

Want to take part? To sign up, all we need is the following information emailed to 

info@wardrobeangel.co.uk by the 9th February:

Name:
Address:
Blog address and/or social media:
Clothes size (if you need to split this for tops/bottoms, do):
Shoe size:
Swapping preferences (for example, Do you want to swap one item only or more? Do you have specific clothing preferences, e.g. dresses only? Would you be willing, or prefer, to swap shoes, bags, accessories, etc?):

We are especially keen to ensure this swap is inclusive for all sizes, so please do sign up whatever size you wear. Once we have all your responses, Janet and I will wade through them and pair you with someone of the same size. You can, if you wish, then use social media to get to know your partner and their style, or you may already have planned ahead about what you want to swap. Either way, you'll be responsible for parcelling up your swap items - be it one top or a whole horde of goodies - and posting them to your partner by the deadline of March 10th.

So what are you waiting for? Off you swap!

Fill your cup

Staffed by writers, musicians, graphic designers, Teacup has been rocking the Northern Quarter with its home brewed creative juice for the past 7 years. I meet clients there to chat wardrobes, have munched on poached eggs surrounded by  friends, and even treated a  family member to some cake and I have been known to hang out there Hans Solo and read a magazine whilst enjoying the tasty tea shaped treats.

Cake. CAKE!!!!

Scrolling back through my twitter feed, I tweet about tea a lot, especially where Teacup is concerned. What I love is their rock solid branding; their online identity matches your experience inside. Tweet them up and you get back such response as “Holla!” and “bloggy blog blog blog” – the marketing and SM lady Bex has distilled the Teacup atmosphere with her online wordsmithery and tweets it out loud and proud. In a quarter of the city where every street contains at least 2 tea/coffee drinking establishments, Teacup has carved out its niche, put down roots and turned on the oven,

“In this area everyone has something to offer but we try do what we do consistently well. We are polite and welcoming.”

Never a truer word spoken, Zoe, General Manager. Not to mention the CAKE. And the roots are spreading – with pop-up shops springing up in the Market Restaurant there are lots of plans afoot. Is Teacup expanding I hear you cry? Whisper it – yes. But where? Couldn't tell ya but at least you know what you are going to get when Teacup opens its doors in other locations around Manchester: tea, cake and awesomeness. They use the best quality ingredients, Fairtrade and locally sourced where possible and all the food is prepared in house. So high is the demand to wear the brown t-shirt of Teacup that people drop in homemade cakes instead of a written CV. 

When the Pussy Riot ladies were arrested in Russia, Teacup was the location for a fundraiser for them, “it was a fantastic night, really interesting,” with debating and a live band. This kind of behaviour typifies the brand, reflecting the times. And I couldn’t complete the blog post without a ‘holla!’ to the inventive 50 Shades of Earl grey menu that Teacup got going on!

Teacup, I salute you. 

It’s all in the name: The Editeur

I did an English (and American Studies) degree so I know my italicised words from my non-italicised words. When I received an email from Fashion Dotty about a blogger event at The Editeur in Chester I was confused:  Chester isn’t known as a hot bed of fashion and for all intents and purposes, this boutique was saying they were the hot bed of Chester fashion. Intrigued, I fired up the wardrobe mobile and made my way down the M56, through Chester’s town centre and spied The Editeur nestled on the top of one of Chester’s quaint two-storey streets. 

Reminiscent of Diana Vreeland’s sumptuously decorated Manhattan salon, this hotly tipped fashion emporium is also is super conducive to successful shopping. Accessories from the likes of Sam Edelman and Michael Kors are all within a hands grasp and there are plenty of thoughtfully styled mannequins should you need inspiration. With a well edited collection ranging from Red Valentino to MW Matthew Williamson via Acne and Equipment, the rails are dripping with taste which makes shopping between the brands delightfully effortless. And the delights continue.  At the rear of the shop lays the scaffolding behind (or should I say underneath) each successful outfit: lingerie. They have Stella, Elle and Spanks all lining up to smooth, mould and shape your birthday suit beneath the designer treats you have selected.

If you can’t make it to Chester, their online shop is a treasure trove: swimwear and sale saddle up alongside carefully crafted trends and a monthly New In section which reads like a “Who’s Who” of fashion must haves and seasonal essentials. And if you really can’t make it to Chester (i.e. you are abroad) not only am I insanely jealous but The Editeur can send you your goodies VAT free for countries outside the EU.

The blogger event was a screaming success:  the atmosphere, a heady mix of fashion lust fuelled by champagne and cupcakes, had some bloggers seriously thinking of selling an organ or two to fund their wish-list purchases.

Thanks to Sarah of Fashion Dotty Fame (who should consider DJ-ing as a second career FYI) and Clare of I Like Tweet and the wondrous Annabel, Adam, Jess and Emily from The Editeur. It was awesome! I had to nip off prior to the outfit fest but check out these stylish peeps:  Science Geek Chic, Frances Cassandra and Gemma Satire. 

And when I did nip off I was rewarded with the best goodie bag ever. Lord knows we all love a freebie but Wolford tights, a Chlo-bo bracelet and a divine head piece by in-house designer Laura Apsit Livens? Goodie bag nirvana. What else do you expect from the #EditeurAtLarge Chester boutique staking their claim for fashion in the North?