My Swap & Shop - How to create your own virtual & sustainable shop for free!

Put down your shopping bags and support slow fashion with an alternative to high street shopping, that you can get involved in using your own social media platforms.

My Swap & Shop is a lil' online shop idea I thought I would share with you, that you can simply recreate using your own Stories and Highlights on Instagram.

The concept behind My Swap & Shop is to create a free online shop where you can sell and swap your pre-loved garms with other fashion lovers, in support of sustainable and slow fashion.

There is already a big movement for clothes swapping parties like Becky Barnes Clothes Swap Til you drop events here in Bristol, who joins an army of pre-loved sellers and supporters on social media.

Since lockdown we have seen a massive change to the way we collaborate and shop through online events, makers markets and pre-loved seller group events like Bristol Markets and Bzzaar Jumble, both of which I have contributed to as a maker and a pre-loved jumbler during lockdown. 

These groups have selflessly arranged online events that are free to get involved with, supporting both independent makers and sustainable fashion.

Inspired by these concepts, The My Swap & Shop idea is a more permanent opportunity to create your own sustainable fashion online shop, that is simple to manage, creating a community of fashion lovers with the option to sell or swap your pre-loved clothes with others.

I am going to be sharing, swapping and buying pre-loved, upcycled, handmade and vintage gems and would love like minded sustainable fashionistas to get involved too. I will then share your shops on my platforms too!

All you need to do is tag @nodebutante & #myswap&shop in your stories & I will add you to my list of swap shoppers & promote you when I can, introducing you to our slow fashion, My Swap & Shop community! With an aim to create My Swap & Shop community events in the future! 

If we can get enough of us involved there could be new sustainable fashion drops happening every day, with the opportunity to update and refresh your wardrobe whilst supporting sustainable fashion.

Watching those videos of people queuing and cheering at the re-opening of Primark after lockdown honestly made me feel sick! Let's be the change! 

By changing our mindset and starting a fashion revolution, we can reduce the amount of new clothes being made by the fast fashion high street AND create a new circular economy using the millions of garments that are already in circulation.

What's not to like here?

Go set up your shop, take a look at my insta profile page for ideas and lets start swap shopping the sustainable way.

Happy Sustainable Swap Shopping!

How to create upcycled face masks from pre-loved t-shirts.

A face mask upcycled from a pre-loved t-shirt

I have been meaning to make some face masks for a while and when I finally got a moment - it's certainly been business as usual in No Debutante world - I gathered together some fabrics that I've been hoarding and got to work.

After finding a fairly easy pattern online, I knocked up a sample and managed to perfect the face mask (on my second attempt, although I still managed to rework the practice attempt into a usable face mask) and the construction just fell into place.

The fabric

I upcycled cotton fabrics and t-shirts to create my face masks, it's a great way to reuse rather than buying new. Your chosen fabrics will need to be breathable so cottons and cotton jerseys are perfect for the job.

You can use elastic to make simple loop fasteners or make self tying straps using both cottons and t-shirts fabrics. (Read below for construction ideas).

I had to make a few masks as every member of my family of five requested one after I made my trial mask! The checkerboard fabric was very popular with the boys and Sylvie's tiny little floral face mask was made from an old top of mine. The rigid cotton fabrics look great with the pleats in and concertina out great when you put them over you face.

Sylvie in her super sweet child's face mask

My second face mask (see top image) was upcycled from a cotton jersey t-shirt. I had already cut a large section off the bottom of this t-shirt to make a crop top, so the left over large hem (that I have been hoarding) was reused to create the mask. 

Although I would say the cotton jersey is a little harder to work with as it is a stretch fabric, the finished product feels super soft and contours to your face quite nicely when wearing it. 

Get inspired and create face masks that suit your style. What better way to do that then using your own clothes and fabrics? I have chosen fun printed fabrics for my masks, I needed a mask that matches my style and cheers me up, even if my smile is hidden away under the mask!

When upcycling t-shirts I would recommend using either a plain coloured t-shirt or an all over print, placement prints may look a little odd when pleated up. I will always encourage experimenting though, maybe you can make a placement print work? If you do I wanna see it!

The ever popular checkerboard face mask!

Disclaimer alert!

These face masks are NOT PPE certified face masks, although the pattern does allow you to add a filter to your mask, if you wanted to (on this occasion, I did not).

These masks are simple, wear once and wash items, they are to be used for a short time only and replaced with another mask when needed. Which is why you may need a few masks to see you through your time when you are out in public - social distance abiding!

There is also contrasting evidence on whether we should be wearing them or not at all, with the UK not really embracing the face mask as much as other countries, it's been difficult to judge. A friend living in China warned that we would all be wearing them in the UK soon but alas, over a month in, this still does not seem to be the case.
I guess it really is up to the individual unless the current guidelines change. 

In my opinion, the masks are a useful thing to stop you spreading infection when you are out and about and they also act as a deterrent from touching your face! Plus you can use them when cycling too as a pollution blocker!

Different size face masks for adults, teens and children

Create your own face mask

The pattern I used for my face masks came from the Sarah Maker blog. Which you can find here this blog post has some very useful hints and tips, where Sarah also confirms that the masks are not a substitute for PPE.

This pattern is fairly easy to construct as long as you have basic sewing machine experience and knowledge on creating pleats in fabric.

The most fiddly bit for me was adding the elastics as this can pull the fabric in, so my only tip would be to pin in your elastics to the sides and pin the bit that goes around your ears away from the edge, so you don't sew the elastic into the side seam - lesson learnt! Ha! 

The best thing about these face masks is that they are completely washable so you will be able to wear them over and over again. Having a small selection - a capsule wardrobe of upcycled masks if you like -  is advised so you always have a clean mask available.

Give this pattern a go, I actually got a bit addicted to making the masks!

Perhaps you will have a bit of spare time to get involved with making them for the NHS / your local hospitals too, find out how about sewing groups in your area by checking local Facebook groups. 

If you are not that confident in using a sewing machine, why not ask local makers or family members to help you create your own face masks? Get in touch and I can help you upcycle your old t-shirts into several face masks or hook you up with other makers. 

As you know, news on social distancing and covid-19 can change on a daily bases, always keep up to date to follow current guidelines. 

Remember, there is also the option to wear a face mask whilst riding your bike too (for protection against traffic pollution) just because lockdown (as we know it) is coming to an end it doesn't mean you need to stop protecting yourself and others. 

Right, I'm off to find more hoarded fabric and old t-shirts to upcycle!

Stay safe x

How to support sustainable and slow fashion NOW - A new vlog for the Sustainable Fashion Chats series

Supporting slow & sustainable fashion is still just as important & relevant in a pandemic, find out why and how you can get involved with the new No Debutante Youtube & IGTV series - Sustainable Fashion Chats video below.

Featuring tips on reworking your wardrobe & slowing down your fashion consumption, alongside information about garment worker supporters Fashion Revolution and Labour Behind the Label

Follow No Debutante on IGTV and YouTube for more...

A New Start - Bristol 24/7

Hey Fashionistas! Check out No Debutante's first Fashion article as the Fashion Editor of Bristol 24/7 Magazine. I'm so excited!!! The article features info on sustainable fashion, upcycling, reducing waste and the Bristol fashionistas who are spreading awareness & creating amazing upcycled garments from your waste! Article includes No Debutante favourites Bristol Textiles Recycling (BTR), Fix Up Look Sharp, Keck's Clothing and Antiform. 

A New Start

Have you ever considered what happens to all those clothes you bought cheap from Primark and got rid of without wearing? Read more here.....

 

Clic Sargents 'Fix Up Look Sharp' Upcycle old clothing & fabrics into fun fashion items.

 

Photo by Alistair Campbell Photography

Antiform upcycle old rolls of fabric from the fashion industry

 

Helen Brown from Kecks Clothing & No Debutante in Fashion Salvaged items from BTR

Top image sourced from Bristol Textiles Recyclers

If you are having a fashion event or a have a new collection you would like
No Debutante to promote please get in touch!

Check out my work with Bristol 24/7 magazine here under my name Emma Gorton-Ellicott

If you are interested in collaborating with No Debutante or getting featured on the No Debutante blog please contact me on nodebutanteblog.gmail.com


Keep up with No Debutantes OOTD posts, collabs and current fashion obsessions posted daily on all of the following. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Tumblr,  Pinterest. all under the #nodebutante name.

Thanks for checking in Fashionistas xx

Fashion Salvage Returns

I really hate it when I have no time for blogging but sometimes life gets in the way. Things have now changed here in the UK since the EU referendum with the shock vote to leave still leaving me flabbergasted! We are now living in confusion as to what will happen but the truth of the matter is we soldier on and continue living our lives the best we can. That's all I have to say on the matter at this time.

Another big landmark for me was that I turned 40 years old this month. I'm not sure how I feel about it, I knew it was coming and I wasn't bothered, other people seem more shocked about it than I was. I'm just thinking 'yeah I am forty but that changes nothing, I still feel the same as I did a month, a year a decade ago, life just continues and hopefully gets even better!

On my 40th Birthday I thought about things I love doing and low and behold a BTR Fashion Salvage event was being held on my birthday! I dragged my friend Anne out at 9.30am on a Saturday morning and dived into the salvage bins at Bristol Textiles Recyclers. It's like rummaging through an old jumble sale, I love it, you never know what you will find.

I left with dresses, Levis, jumpsuits, retro sports items & a few crocheted blankets, all for 20 pounds!!! My friend & Fashion Salvage virgin Anne had claimed she was 'only coming to have a look, I wont buy anything' left with twice as much as me. Another happy Fashion Salvager I think!!

I promise to do a full on fashion salvage shoot and maybe I'll convince Anne to join me over the next few weeks. I am hoping to upcycle a few items before the shoot so a bit of time is needed! 
Here are a few photographs from the day and a couple of styled up fashion salvage items that I have already worn. 
Fashion Salvaging is the best!
 

 Festival inspired outfits all sourced and fashion salvaged from  Bristol Textiles Recyclers

 The BTR Bins full of wasted clothing & fabrics

 A glam 1970s original Berketex Batwing Dress

 Fashion salvaged floral shirt styled up by No Debutante

 Fashion salvaged Adidas Original vintage shorts styled up by No Debutante

If you are interested in collaborating with No Debutante or getting featured on the No Debutante blog please contact me / send me a message on any of the following social networking platforms all under the No Debutante name #nodebutante
Keep up with No Debutantes OOTD posts, collabs and current fashion obsessions posted daily on all of the following. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Tumblr, Google+, Pinterest.

Thanks for checking in Fashionistas xx

No Debutante Vs Kecks Clothing - A Contradiction

My Bristol buddy and fellow fashionista mum Helen from Kecks Clothing has been taking part in a challenge set by Labour Behind The Label to wear only six items of clothing for six weeks, a challenge that I know I could never consider (as shallow as it sounds, I just love all of my clothes too much!!) so it's a challenge that I am very intrigued by and definitely wanted to find out more about as well as helping Helen promote her challenge.

Helen, loves fashion and clothes and works in an environment where she is surrounded by clothing everyday, new ones, coming in all of the time, can you imagine any fashionista resisting all the lovely new (or rather salvaged) clothes??? I know this is a personal challenge for fashion lover Helen who took on the fundraising challenge for Labour Behind The Label - a campaign that works to improve conditions and empower workers in the global garment industry. 

The challenge itself is an anti Fast Fashion campaign, or a Fashion Fast as it's been named, against the fast fashion turnovers which now take place within the fashion industry. Fast fashion gets products onto the high street quicker, to meet the desire for new fashion trends, which can change on a 4 weekly basis now that social media spreads the word quicker than the monthly fashion mags used to. With the desire to sell more, consume more, make more, waste more causing a devastating effect on the people who make our clothes. 
This anti fast fashion challenge makes you look at how many clothes you are buying, wasting and hopefully will make you see that you can live with fewer items in your wardrobe and that you do not need to buy extra items just because they are cheap. Plus if the items are cheap, how low is the wage of the person making your cheap fast fashion?? Consider upcycling and fashion salvages to save items from landfill and get creative with upcycling your own clothes.

The Challenge

Helen's challenge is now completed. WELL DONE HELEN!! However you can still donate or help fundraise for  Labour Behind the Label, So dig deep people.

Helen chose her six items, which can be worn with any coats, shoes, accessories (and of course underwear) and then covered up her (already filled to the brim) wardrobe with a big sheet to stop her lusting after extra fashion items. Please check out how Helen is did on the Kecks Clothing blog.

Four weeks in  Helen had reported to No Debutante that having only six items of clothing to choose from each morning had made getting ready in the mornings simpler but she wishes she had chosen warmer items as the weather here in Bristol has been pretty cold the last few months.

 'But all in all, it's been good, despite a few moments of getting bored with the six items the challenge is going well and accessorising has really helped.' 

Check out Helens blog Kecks Online to find out how the challenge went for Helen.

Helen's Six Items for Six Weeks

1. An extra large Pink Floyd t-shirt,
2. Faded denim shirt,
3. Black three-quarter length sleeve jumper,
4. Black and white striped vest dress,
5. Red wrap around dress
6. Helen's favourite ripped skinny jeans  

 A few of Helen's six items in six weeks outfits - The perfect capsule wardrobe

I am almost intrigued enough by the challenge to have a go, how hard can it be? In contradiction, let's have a look how many items of clothing No Debutante has worn over the past six weeks........You may think I am not up to the challenge...I am honestly embarrased by what is coming!

No Debutante's items for 6 weeks
(this list has been shortened into basic terms otherwise we'd be here all year)

9 x Jeans / Trouser/ leggings 

12 x Tops including t-shirts, long sleeves and shirts

5 x jumpers and sweatshirts

3 x jackets

14 x dresses (yes, 14 dresses!)

3 x skirts

(Thank goodness I didn't have to declare all of the shoes and coats that I wore too!)

A small selection of the 45 items that No Debutante wore over six weeks! 

In conclusion, I would firstly like to justify that I am a total hoarder and I have owned a lot of my clothes for years, basically I become very attached to nearly every piece of clothing I own, I really do love my clothes, perhaps I don't need to own and keep this many clothes but I am not wasting clothes and sending them to landfill, I just want to save all the clothes from landfill.....and put them in my wardrobe.....ahem! I love fashion and changing my look so much that i don't think the Six Items challenge will make me stop wearing so many clothes but it does make me stop and think about how often I am buying items just because I think I need them or because they are cheap. Do I really need them??

Don't forget to  check out Labour Behind The Label to find out more about the workers who make all your fast fashion items and fundraising and Kecks Online  for ideas on upcycling and sustainable fashion. 

Perhaps in the very near future you may get to see a 6 items challenge from No Debutante.......Watch This Space...Why not try it youself or let me know how many items you have worn in six weeks, I bet you'll be surprised!

All photos, except for the No Debutante images, courtesy of Helen Brown at Kecks Clothing.
 
If you are interested in collaborating with No Debutante or getting featured on the No Debutante blog please contact me / send me a message on any of the following social networking platforms all under the No Debutante name #nodebutante

Keep up with No Debutantes OOTD posts, collabs and current fashion obsessions posted daily on all of the following. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Tumblr, Google +, Pinterest.

Thanks for checking in Fashionistas xx

ND xx

The Bigger The Better

More oversized T-shirt fun from No Debutante, buy yours three sizes bigger or from the mens departments, layered over jeans and leggings in the winter or shorts in the summer, from a boxy oversized t-shirt worn as a dress to a full on maxi tshirt dress (make sure its baggy not fitted). 

Why not try to upcycle two old oversized t-shirts (cutting the second t-shirt below the armholes and sewing it to the bottom of the first t-shirt to make your own upcycled long t-shirt dress, it doesn't have to be perfect) and get inspired!

Try oversized tshirts made from fabrics other than jersey like rigid cottons, sheers or mesh fabrics, anything goes as long as it's oversized!

Here's a few ways I've worn mine including the upcycled long t-shirt made from two upcycled t-shirts found at the Bristol Textiles Recycling Mini Fashion Salvage event. 

  SPORTSLUXE

 MESH LAYERING

 DOLLY SPORTSLUXE

 TEE & LEGGINGS

 

Upcycled Long tshirt dress by No Debutante

 

All clothing from Primark, Topshop, Lazy Oaf X Somewhere Nowhere, The White Pepper, Tezla Designs, BTR and Converse.

If you are interested in collaborating with No Debutante or getting featured on the No Debutante blog please contact me / send me a message on any of the following social networking platforms all under the No Debutante name #nodebutante

Keep up with No Debutantes OOTD posts, collabs and current fashion obsessions posted daily on all of the following. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Tumblr, Google +, Pinterest.

Thanks for checking in Fashionistas xx

ND xx

Mini Fashion Salvage

Back In October, I attended the BTR Mini Fashion Salvage event at Bristol lab Space with the queen of upcycling, Helen from Kecks Clothing. As you may have seen I attended BTR (Bristol Textiles Recyclers) Fashion Salvage event back in the summer and loved it! To see what happened last time click here and for those who missed the brilliant fun Helen from kecks and I had styling up these Fashion Salvaged items back in Sept click here

The event was BTR's second fashion salvage event held at Bristol lab Space ( the first fashion salvage event was at the BTR factory with more clothing than I have ever seen and all set for landfill unless we saved it, I made it my personal mission to save as much as I could at that event! The Mini Fashion Salvage was a much smaller affair but was still bursting with wasted clothing all waiting to be fashion salvaged by the twenty odd salvagers keen to get stuck in! All salvagers had bought tickets with 100% of the proceeds going to the charity for garment workers right abroad, Labour Behind the Label. With more money being spent on the extra garments bought at the event at very reasonable prices, in this case all clothing was only £6 a kilo which averages out at approx 4-5 garments per kilo, depending on the weight. I think it is a great idea to encourage people to buy at these event but at low prices, people will be less intimidated to attend and will buy more, raising money for the charity and saving the garments from being wasted. Spreading the word about these events and the brilliant items you could find can only be a good thing. With creatives on hand to teach you how to upcycle and style up garments and to make you see items in a new way, whatever your style.

This charity fund raiser for Labour Behind the Labour encourages you to upcycle and reuse, it will astonish you to know that 20 tons of garments a day are sent to landfill, this waste is crazy and senseless. I am not saying that I am not guilty of over buying, we all are and slowly we will prevent this from happening, through these events and also through learning what you can do to help and consider how much your household is wasting. These events inspire you, to show you what you can do, if you love fashion, Love a bargain or are just interested to find out more then please come along!

I love rummaging through the piles and rails of clothing, to see what I can find. Towards the back of the event i found shelves full of oversize t-shirts which I had trouble finding at the last fashion Salvage event so i made a beeline for them and collected and handful and took them over to the haberdashery area where Lady Gonzalez and her team were ready to help you customise your found items into new ones! I had an oversized maxi dress and  tassels in mind and when I started it, I wish I had the whole day to make more and more! I could have had a whole customised t-shirts range by the end of the night given more time! I really got stuck in an enjoyed. Making customised t-shirts reminded me of my upcycling fashion label I ran over 12 years ago, I knew nobody else doing it at the time and would have loved the Bristol Fashion Salvage scene that is thriving in Bristol now. I am happy that I did it however and to have been involved in the scene for so long.

Following the salvaging, upcycling and outfit creating, it was time for the final photoshoot for the competition and a quick chat with the team filming the event, I talked about how I find charity shops a let down since they seem to be cleared of any personality and oddities which used to be the interesting thing about the charity shop didn't it? Why would I want to buy a plain second hand H&M top for possibly more than H&M sold it for? The prices have gone up and the standard of the stock has gone down. I buy more furniture than clothing from charity shops these days! With the help of fashion lead events like BTR's Fashion Salvages and charity run spaces like The Shop on Gloucester Road Bristol, where you can find vintage charity bargains and upcycled gems from Fix Up Look Sharp. Hopefully things are starting to change for the better. I attend these events one because I love fashion and two because you find the most amazing and alternative gems, I love one offs and being inspired by a found item that I hadn't considered before, I love mixing colours and prints and wearing things in a different way, I am never short of inspiration at these events! I Love Fashion Salvage!!!

My favourite outfit from the Mini Fashion Salvage winners was the clashing prints crop top and hareem trousers ensemble. The Crop top was made from a dress, literally chopped in half, I am so giving the chopping up dresses a go next time! I'm inspired. I had created my oversize maxi dress which I wish i had had the time to make even longer ( I forget how long I am sometimes) another panel could have been added to the bottom of the dress in my opinion! Always the critic! I also made a tasselled crop top which I love! Amongst the customised t-shirts I also found two crochet jumpers, a gold bodycon maxi and a 1980s Puma vest. Not bad for one night! Although I didn't win on this occasion, (Helen from Keck's was one of the judges too, that wouldn't have gone down well!) I did win a bottle of wine for being creative and inspired at every event and for really understanding what the fashion salvage events are about. I honestly love these events so much and was gutted to miss the Christmas event but unfortunately it clashed with my daughter Sylvie Belles 4th birthday party! I will definitely be attending the next event and I will be on hand to inspire and help people look at their found items in a different way and help style them up for their photoshoots. I'm already excited about being involved! Watch this space for details. Thanks BTR I had the best time!

What I wore inc dress (worn as a jacket) and Midi skirt both from the Summer BTR Fashion Salvage Event

My Upcycled T-shirts outfit

My Favourite winning Outfit

Fashion Salvagers

Helen From Kecks Clothing

Lady Gonzalez Team

 If you are interested in collaborating with No Debutante please contact me / send me a message on any of the following social networking platforms all under the No Debutante name #nodebutante

Keep up with No Debutantes OOTD posts, collabs and current fashion obsessions posted daily on all of the following. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Tumblr, Google +, Pinterest.

Thanks for checking in Fashionistas xx

ND xx