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!

Double whammy fashion extravaganza

I've been saying it all week but Bristol's has really gone to town with fashion events this spring. I seem to be attending events every week these days, which is great but two in one evening? I saw it as challenge and took it on!

Dressed up in striped pirate trousers, Adidas gazelles, retro Adidas kids jacket, Tezla earrings and my Lazy Oaf Mermaid top with shell boob appliques, I was ready to tackle this night, one fashion event at a time...

Yeah, fashion ready!

The first event took place at Rhubarb Jumble which is situated on the super-cool North Street in Bristol. This vintage boutique is full of retro gems and vintage garms from the 40s to the 90s that are all sourced by the owner Amy Hamilton, who has managed to turn a clothes hoarding obsession into a successful fashion business.

Amy Hamilton wearing the most fantastic red vintage jumpsuit from Rhubard Jumble! Want! 

This particular event was to exclusively show off their new selection of Spring garments that featured kitsch dresses, abstract floral shirts and 90s denims, plus lots of quirky pieces and vintage oddities from homewares to furniture that Amy had upcycled herself.

Rhubarb Jumble staff picks and an amazing vintage print shirt that was sadly too small for me! 

To keep things fresh, the stock is rotated and updated regularly with new vintage pieces and gems meaning each time you visit the stock will have completely changed so each time you visit Rhubarb Jumble you get to start the search for hidden goodies all over again! The fun never ends!
 If you are a vintage fan get yourself down to Rhubarb Jumble and find your dream vintage item for this spring!

You will get to hear more about my visit to the Rhubarb Jumble Spring Launch up on Bristol 24/7 online shortly.

Local Independent designer garms at That Thing Festival Edition 2018

Second event of the night on Thursday 3 May was the That Thing Festival Edition 2018 as part of their Independent Designer Showcase event. That Thing always has a buzz, the crowd was completely different to the Rhubarb Jumble fashion event and that's what I love about Bristol, there is always so much going on! In under 30 minutes I had moved from a sweet, vintage space to a bangin party of festival lovers, fashionistas and independent designers, there were DJs and rails of festival and streetwear garms!

Although I do love vintage, especially oddities and homewares, my style is definitely more at home in That Thing, I have to admit I am also more involved with this scene, this is my area of Bristol, I love Joh Rindom and the That Thing girls and know so many of the amazing Bristol designers who create garms for the shop, that I felt right at home at this event.

Independent festival fashion from designers including Manners, Neat Frontage and Kuccia

Joh, the owner and a fashion designer at That Thing, supports so many independent fashion and accessory designers including Zedhead Headwear, Neat Frontage, Tezla Designs, Dulcie's Feathers and Duvet Days who are all Bristol creatives, That Thing also stock another No Debutante fave Kuccia.

I had been on a buying cull, refusing to buy from the high street just because, so I have been saving myself for these types of events to get me some super-cool threads, handmade by local designers.
I instantly fell in love with some stripy trousers by Duvet Days (yep, they are made out of retro duvet covers - sustainable and sassy) when their creator Emma White said she could knock me a matching top, I was sold. I will reveal the whole co-ord in a future post!

The adorable That Thing shop manager Katie wearing a Neat Frontage sweatshirt

The second item purchased on the night, was an amazing jumpsuit by London bodywear designers Manners, I loved the monochrome print straight away and then I noticed Joh, was wearing the amazing item. It looked amaze on her and since we are similar sizes, I just had to try it on!
Manners do say that there is magic in the fabric and I believe them, this catsuit was the most comfortable and durable jersey ever, it was soft and nipped you in, in all the right places! Sold to the woman with the pink hair!

Twinning with That Thing's Joh rindom in Manners jumpsuits - Photograph courtesy of Dulcie Horn

The gorgeous, blogger and Dulcie's Feathers designer Dulcie Horn managed to catch Joh and I twinning in our fabulous Manners jumpsuits!! Dulcie is always such fun at any event she attends, she wrote a little blog about the night too. Check out Dulcie's blog The Festival Life

The fabulous Dulcie Horn (left) and an amazing festival headdress.

It was a night of meeting old friends, making new friends, talking fashion, showering myself with amazing garms made by brilliant independent designers. I love Bristol!

Read more about That thing in my Bristol 24/7 article Do the right thing

All photography by No Debutante except Twinning photographs courtesy of Dulcie Horn

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

No Debutante promotes fashion independents, new designers & sustainable fashion. 

Check out my work with Bristol 24/7 magazine 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 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, Pinterest all under the #nodebutante name. 

Thanks for checking in Fashionistas

ND xx

Saturated Seventies

Inspired by the photo shoot 'Like dreamers do' by photographer Tim Walker for Vogue Magazine back in 2012, here are a collection of over saturated, soft focus but vibrant photographs that give off a boho glam, 1970s feel. 

Many of my family photos from the 1970s have faded with a red saturation which adds to the way I see the 1970s in my mind, there is a look of nostalgia and a glamorous time, even though the 1970s was far from it, I just love the vibrant colours and the hazy style, even if it is seen through rose tinted sunglasses.

The style itself is a great inspiration and continuation into the winter months for all those among us longing to get back into their festival glitters and sparkles or for those seventies style vintage lovers wearing bespoke,original fashion pieces.

The colours are warm, dark and much more suited to the winter, in rich burgundies, burnt oranges, crimson reds and dark purples with some electric blue thrown in.

By adding faux fur coats, psychedelic tights, tasselled scarves, flared sleeves, baby doll dresses, sequins and velvets to your winter wardrobe you can keep the bohemian festival style and a love of vintage going through the winter. Perhaps a perfect alternative to that sparkling Christmas outfit? The weather my be cold but you are looking hot!

'Like dreamers do' by photographer Tim Walker for Vogue Magazine

Rookie Magazine

1970s Vogue fashion shoot

This image of fashion icon Twiggy is actually from the 1960s but I just love the colours!

(Above) Loving the hair & make-up from this 1970s Vogue Beauty shoot
(Below)  Orangey Red hues in the Twiggy & Ziggy Stardust shoot for 1970s Vogue

All images courtesy of vogue.com & Rookie Mag

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 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.   

ND xx

Modern Life is Rubbish

I'm a very fickle person, I admit it, a typical Gemini some might say, a split personality perhaps?? Well, this is mostly the truth when it comes to fashion and how I choose to wear certain looks.....all at once mostly. Today we are looking at one of my fashion persona's and, to be honest, it's the most common of my looks these days. Oh my Gosh! Have a finally found my very own look and I am sticking to it???.......I wouldn't hold your breath......

Today's look (Fashion persona....ahem) is vintage, it's late 1940s / early 1950s, it's rockabilly. Here a few examples.....

Let's start with the rock'n'roll circle dress that I bought from H&M years ago and have been wearing ever since! This skirt looks great with an elasticated belt and worn up or down with either a big petticoat and wedges or with a head scarf and Converse for a more dressed down look. I've been pairing it with jeans lately too for a more rockabilly, tomboy look which frankly confuses most people! But I like it!

The second look is a bit more forties vintage and I have styled up several victory rolls in my hair and have worn a Breton tee and my Freddies of Pinewood wide leg jeans. It's a classic daytime outfit.

The third outfit is more of a modern day take on vintage style, I have dressed up a H&M skater dress, nipped in my waist, worn a monochrome cardigan and put my hair up in a victory roll wrapped up with a leopard print head scarf.......But, what's this? I knew I couldn't stay in my vintage persona for too long.........Look, I'm wearing my rainbow wedges!! Love it!! Now all I need are those flashing Buffalo boots from Ashish X Topshop and I am happy!

Have fun with your fashion!!

All clothing from H&M, Freddies of Pinewood, Topshop, New Look and Office Shoes. 

Thanks for following and enjoy creating fashion mash ups!

ND xx