It's a truth universally acknowledged that vintage and second-hand fashion is *so* much better for the planet. Of course, it's not exactly going to singlehandedly reverse climate change or have as much of a positive impact as, say, not buying any clothes at all... But shopping second-hand is one sure-fire way of reducing our footprint, building a more sustainable future and helping combat the issue of excessive landfill waste (to which fast fashion is a HUGE contributor).
The only problem is that shopping second-hand is not always the most glamorous experience, to say the least. Trawling through piles of (sometimes smelly) clothes in charity shops, spending hours negotiating with questionable sellers on Depop, risking bad quality fakes on eBay doesn't quite compare a day of hitting up the high street IRL with friends.
Which is why we couldn't be more excited that the iconic department store Selfridges has partnered with circular fashion community LOANHOOD to host its first-ever Swap Shop this summer.
Bringing the fun and fabulousness back to second-hand shopping, Selfridges will transform its chic fourth floor lounge into a space where customers can bring in their own once-treasured items to exchange for something that they love even more. It's a genius way of prolonging the lifespan of unworn clothes and keeping fashion circulating, while also refreshing your wardrobe for the season ahead without buying anything new.
And the cherry on top? It's totally free. Simply book your time slot online, bring along up to five items of clothing that have been unloved in the back of your wardrobe for far too long, and the team will be on-hand to value them and exchange them for stamps – which you can then use to select pieces from the Swap Shop edit.
Or if you want to make an occasion of it, get your gals together and join in the fun of Thursday Lates, where you can take part in the Swap Shop while sipping on cocktails, enjoying live music and learning useful tricks of the trade from the Upcycler in Residence. See you there!
At Selfridges London from 10-30 July 2023. Find our more and book tickets here.
Clementina Jackson is Acting Site Fashion Editor at ELLE UK, working across news and features, trends, e-commerce and SEO. She was previously Fashion Editor at Cosmopolitan and Women’s Health, and Acting Digital Fashion Editor at ELLE UK, where she was named as a PPA 30 Under 30 award winner for her work on size inclusivity. An experienced fashion, travel and luxury lifestyle journalist, Clementina has also written for Harper’s Bazaar, Vanity Fair, Condé Nast Traveller, Tatler, Red and Italy Segreta.
