Something for The Weekend... The Big Swish, Gimme Shelter Vintage Fair

This weekend is all about recycling, regeneration and pre-loved clothes as the Oxfam Big Swish clothes swap descends on the city. This Saturday you can get rid of your wardrobe hermits - you know, the kind of clothes that cling on for dear life to the sides of your closet, not wanting to be worn but not wanting to leave the comfort of those four walls - and get some new threads in the process.

Clothes swapping, or swishing as it is also known, has become big in recent years and given the economic downturn this country has faced it isn't hard to see why. The Oxfam Big Swish is just one of the many events going on at the CREATE Centre, as part of their sustainable fashion programme.

If you want to take part simply drop off any unwanted clothes between 11-12, peruse the rails and be ready for a 1pm kick off. I'd love to go but have actually double booked with another clothes swap - my own! I've been inspired by all the clothes swaps that have been happening recently so a few friends and I are getting together on Saturday to exchange our unwanted goods - I'll let you know how I get on : )

The Gimme Shelter vintage fair is back at the Lanes this Sunday with all the usual suspects including Motel, Cox & Baloney and Nylon Sky in attendance. Entry is free and there will be vintage clothes, shoes, jewellery and bags up for grabs, as well as plenty of vintage bric-a-brac and homewares.

If I have recovered from the excitement of my own clothes swapping sesh I'll be heading down to find some bargains, though I'm not sure anything can compare to the cream dress I found a couple of weeks ago.

Have a great weekend and let me know if you're planning your own fashion events by commenting here or emailing shipshape.bristolfashion@gmail.com.

Clothes Swap treasures

Apologies for the slacking that has occurred recently - a freelance project has been taking up a lot of my time and when I'm not working the weather has just been too damn lovely to stay inside and blog!

I thought it was about time that I showed off the treasures I found at last weekend's Freakin' Fashion Fair Yeah, using the gorgeous afternoon sunlight as a backdrop. First up is the fantastically kitsch print dress which I think, if the polyester count is anything to go by, is from the 70s. It has a couple of stains and a funky smell to it but is looking much better after a gentle wash.

At present the length is down to my calves, making me look like a midget so I'm planning on chopping off a few inches and using the cut-off as a headband.

Next up is this green woolen shrug from Topshop. This kind of shape isn't normally my thing but I was drawn to the colour and the random lace patterns, which look rather similar to my own haphazard knitting samples from my time at university.



The jury is still out on this grey wool round neck jumper from French Connection. There is beading around the neckline and seams which I don't particularly like but it does fit well and is the perfect shade of grey.

I will take some more photos once I've styled each piece up and done a little tweaking...

All the fun of The Fair

What a weekend - yesterday I not only scored some bargains at the Freakin' Fashion Fair Yeah, but also found a wedding dress the same day (though not at the same event). More on the dress later but here are a few snaps taken from the fair.

Bunting makes everything better. Fact.

A beautiful selection of vintage beaded bags and a vanity set

Raiding the rails - the clothes swap was a little slow to start with but picked up by the afternoon

The sun was shining at Hamilton House, where the fashionable fair was held

My friend Amy B found a lovely cream dress, originally from Urban Outfitters, for £6 and an awesome vintage white bag for a fiver. A little rough a round the edges, the bag redeemed itself by having lots of little compartments and pockets, perfect for all the highly necessary items us girls carry around with us on a daily basis.

I found some fantastic pieces in the Clothes Swap upstairs, exchanging a vintage blouse, Primark dress and handkerchief skirt for a grey French Connection round neck jumper, a dusty green knit cardie from Topshop and a fantastic vintage polyester floral dress.

The floral pattern is a tiny cluster of purple and blue cornflowers repeated all over the dress. There are pleats running from an empire line. At present it is too long and in need of a wash but after I've taken some Persil and a pair of scissors to it I'll post some pictures.

The Hamilton House Fashion Bazaar

Ah, I wish I were in the country for this one! If you're making a start on your Christmas shopping and are looking for fun, creative gifts, or just a place to avoid weekend shoppers while indulging in a little fashion voyeurism for yourself, then head down to Hamilton House in Stokes Croft for the first ever Fashion Bazaar.

Presented by the Bristol Fash Pack, this free one day event promises stalls, customising workshops, a fashion parade, a clothes swap and a clothing auction, the proceeds of which will be donated to the collectives' two chosen charities; the Bristol-based Malawi Education Project and Cancer Research.

Fash Pack is an all female line-up of local fashion designers and shop owners including Shop Dutty and Madidas Harissa, both of whom featured in the Stokes Croft Fashion Show back in October. The group are looking for volunteers to help out with the event so if you're interested then please get in touch via their Facebook event page.

The Bazaar kicks off at 1pm and carries on till 6pm, with the fashion parade and auction happening at 5pm. All the action happens in the event space above the Coexist Canteen - see the Facebook page, link above, for more info.

A fashionable event that supports charity, local designers AND has t-shirt customising workshops sounds like a winner to me so make sure you go and check it out this Sunday!

WIN! Tickets to Bath Swap Event!

Last week I posted about a clothing swapping event in Bath, hosted by the lovely Posh Swaps.

Ship-Shape has a pair of tickets to give away to this exciting event so if you would like a serious session of guilt free shopping then simply email shipshape.bristolfashion@gmail.com with your contact details by 12th November. The winner will be picked at random and sent a pair of tickets in the post.

Details of the event are below...

When? 24th November 2009 7.00 -9.30pm
Where? Brunswick Room, Guild Hall, Bath
How? Just bring along 3 items of clothing that someone else would be delighted to own
Why? It’s fun, it’s frugal and it’s eco friendly, plus a great chance to refresh your wardrobe!
Cost? £10 in advance, £12 on the night including…
entrance to the swap party and our fashion and beauty market, a glass of wine and nibbles, the chance for one lucky person to be styled by Personal Stylist, plus a reusable goody bag with fashion and beauty goodies

Posh Swaps Hit Bath

If you're looking to find some new treats to fill your wardrobe but are strapped for cash or concerned about your carbon footprint, you might be interested to know that a Posh Swap event will be taking place in Bath at the end of November. I love swaps such as this as you never know quite what you're going to find and the hunt for something new is far more exciting than just picking something off a rack.

This event will be the first swap that the West Country based company is putting on and founder and fellow fashion blogger Ceri Heathcote is looking forward to the event; “We wanted to create a place where people could find affordable and sustainable clothing. Looking stylish is not about following the latest fashions; it is about wearing quality clothes to suit the wearer’s lifestyle, personality, colouring and body shape. These clothes make people look and feel great without the guilt of causing unnecessary environmental damage."

Above: A shopping frenzy at a recent Posh Swaps event.

I couldn't agree more, which is why, as I'm all the way over in sunny Florida at the moment, I'm giving away a pair of tickets to the event - that really is guilt free shopping! To enter this giveaway simply email shipshape.bristolfashion@gmail.com with your contact details by 12th November. The winner will be picked at random and sent a pair of tickets in the post.

Below is the who, what when where...

When? 24th November 2009 7.00 -9.30pm
Where? Brunswick Room, Guild Hall, Bath
How? Just bring along 3 items of clothing that someone else would be delighted to own
Why? It’s fun, it’s frugal and it’s eco friendly, plus a great chance to refresh your wardrobe!
Cost? £10 in advance, £12 on the night including…
entrance to the swap party and our fashion and beauty market, a glass of wine and nibbles
the chance for one lucky person to be styled by Personal Stylist, plus a reusable goody bag with fashion and beauty goodies

Further information and tickets can be found at here.

Images courtesy of Ceri Heathcote