The North(ish) Lass

Explore the North.

Tag: sustainable fashion

  • The Perfect Outfit for every Event

    The Perfect Outfit for every Event

    After my article about The Exchange, Lancaster I wanted to have a chance to really rummage around among some of the amazing clothes and accessories that they have available. So I decided it would be interesting to see what outfits I might be able to put together for upcoming events in North. So, if you’re looking for ideas for events and festivals look no further!

    Festivals and one-off events are one of the biggest sources of throwaway fashion. Every year about 7.5 Million Festival outfits are single use. With that amount, you could give everyone living in Jamaica, Lithuania, and Cyprus a new outfit… and still have 500,000 outfits left over! The problem with these outfits is that they’re often not made to last more than one festival, and can break easily… and because they’re so cheap, it’s not “worth” repairing them, so they end up in the bin. This accelerated production of garments puts massive stress on raw materials, water, and energy. So, instead, why not go and get a piece that’s going to last for years and can be worn again and again?

    A big thank you to Izzy and The Exchange for helping me pick out/put these outfits together. NOTE: All outfit items were available when I picked them out on Saturday 2nd August, and may have sold in the week since. If you like any of these items, don’t hang about, either get down to the Exchange or drop them a message on Instagram to reserve them.

    1940s Weekend/Vintage

    Whilst the Exchange often has vintage pieces in, I couldn’t see/find anything that was exactly 1940s Vintage vibe that would have been perfect for the Lytham 1940s Weekend (Saturday 16th/Sunday 17th August), so instead I found these two pairs of shoes that had a cute Mary-Jane vibe that could work well with a 1940s dress! There were also some vintage brooches and earrings on display that could add a unique addition to any outfit.

    Russell & Bromley – Size 4 – £45 (RRP £200+)

    Clarks – Size 6.5 – £26.50

    Leeds Festival

    Leeds Festival takes place on August Bank Holiday weekend and with these two choice outfits you’ll be ready for anything!

    Boho Look

    This one was picked out by Izzy as to what she would wear to Leeds Festival for a more Boho look…

    Lanvin Sunglasses – £80 (RRP £180+)
    Cream Boho Shirt – M – £24.50
    Mango Suede Shorts – UKS8 – £40
    Le Chameau Wellies – S5 – £98.50 (RRP £160+)
    All Saints shoulder bag in oxblood – £70 (RRP £229)

    Rock ‘N’ Roll Look

    This one was picked out by me for a bit more of a Rock and Roll kind of vibe!

    Rino & Pelle Leather Jacket – UKS8 – £48.50 (RRP £85+)
    The Kooples Tank & Skirt – XS – £40 each (RRP £120+ each)
    Dune Shoes – S 6.5/7 – £30 (RRP £79+)

    Fresher’s Week

    Fresher’s Week is usually the last week in September or the first week in October, and with this cosy jumper & jeans combo you’ll be ready for those early autumn temperatures.

    Kenzo Jumper – M – £45 (I loved this jumper, it looked so cosy!) (RRP £270+)
    AGOLDE Balloon Jeans – 29″ waist – £45 (RRP £320+)
    Tory Burch Flats – S5 – £65 (RRP £225+)

    Flower Show/Garden Fair

    Hobbs Flower Print Dress – UKS16 – £26.50 (RRP £169+)
    Office Sandals in Brown – S6 – £28 (RRP £59+)
    Fat Face Fedora – £15 (RRP £25)

    Lancashire Game and Country Festival

    Saturday 6th/Sunday 7th September 2025 at Scorton Showground.

    Light Barbour Jacket in Blue – UKS8 – £65 (RRP £112+)
    Polo Trousers by Ralph Lauren – XS – £39.50 (RRP £175+)
    Tod’s Loafers – S5 – £245 (RRP £695)

    Blackpool Illuminations/Light Up Lancaster

    I also wanted to include something a bit warmer as we approach the end of summer, so here’s an idea for something to keep you a bit more snug to go and see Blackpool Illuminations (end of September) or Light Up Lancaster (November (might need a scarf for that one too!!).

    Massimo Dutti Leather Jacket – Size S/M – £80 (RRP £299)
    M&S Mesh Shirt in cream – M – £20
    Topshop Corduroy in cream – UKS12 – £22.50

    Obviously this is just a very small selection of what is available, and you’ve really got to go for a rummage to truly appreciate everything that is available. For example one of things I found was a gorgeous Balmain mini dress. It was HEAVY with beading and beautifully detailed and was on sale for £145. Considering that (looking at the Balmain website) their mini dresses currently retail for anywhere between £1,500 to a shocking £15,000(!!!!), this is an absolute steal. Sadly, it was a size XS and would probably have gone up one of my legs and that’s about it! But if you’re petite or want to give an amazing present for a petite friend/family member – that dress would be perfect. And there’s so many more things like in there, you’ve just got to go looking! Isn’t that so much better than a fast fashion item that will fall apart after one wear?

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  • The Exchange Lancaster – Vintage & PreLoved Clothing

    The Exchange Lancaster – Vintage & PreLoved Clothing

    What does The Exchange stock?

    Situated on the corner of Common Garden Street and King Street, The Exchange Lancaster (Instagram Link) is a beautifully curated preloved boutique store where the sustainability conscience fashion lover can find designer gems and unique pieces to suit all styles and price points. The vintage and preloved shop has been in business since 2010, showcasing sustainable style for a decade-and-a-half.

    I will be honest here, I am on a bit of a personal campaign against fast fashion and fashion waste (along with many other people and organisations!), and I have an intense dislike for companies such as T*mu and Sh*in (asterisked to stop flagging on search engines), among others. Fast Fashion is one of the biggest polluters on the planet; cheap clothes come with an astronomical environmental and human cost and I really hope that the more people learn about the terrible practices and costs of these companies, the less they will use them. We already have enough clothing on the planet to clothe everyone for the next sixty years, we do not need more unethical and wasteful fast fashion that will collapse after you wear it once. Anyway, this article wasn’t supposed to be a piece about how terrible fast fashion is; it’s about the beauty of reusing and re-loving the clothing that is already out there. Because this is such a soapbox issue for me, I really love solutions such as The Exchange which encourage reusing good quality high street clothing, and finding vintage pieces to love for many years to come. Creating this circular fashion economy is the best way to stop waste entering landfill and also having unique and interesting outfits to choose from whenever you open your wardrobe!

    How does it all work?

    The Exchange takes in seasonal pieces from members of the public, and takes in those that are in good condition and that they think will resell. There is a huge selection of clothing and it’s wonderful to go searching through the rails to find pieces you love. This selection can range from high end high street brands like Whistles, Reiss, and All Saints, to labels such as Versace, Saint Laurent, Chanel, and Mulberry. All designer pieces are professionally authenticated by the highly knowledgeable staff who have been collectively working in the fashion space for decades. Reflecting this range of options, the price points range from £10 up to several hundreds for designer bags (that would originally have retailed for £1000s).

    The Exchange isn’t just a place for fashionistas looking for a good buy; it’s also a good place for those whose wardrobes have gotten a little full, and want to make some money in reselling. Of course there are apps for that kind of thing, but The Exchange takes all the work out of it and will almost certainly get you a better price than you could sell it for in-app. The way it works is you take in what you want to sell (it must be in good condition/well-made), the shop will take the pieces they like the look of – agreeing a price that you’d be happy to sell it for – before taking it off your hands. The shop will then keep the pieces for six-ten weeks (depending on what it is/stock turnover/discussion etc.) and try and sell it. Once it’s sold, you will get 50% of the sale price back. Some customers take this as a payment, others prefer to leave it as a store credit on their account for the next time they’re searching for a preloved treasure of their own!

    A couple of my favourite pieces came from The Exchange, including a Radley bag with tags still on that would have retailed for £250 that I picked up for £60. I also wanted to find something sparkly for when I went to see Taylor Swift on the Eras Tour last year, so The Exchange was my first port of call to look for something unique. If you’re prepared to go digging, there’s some amazing things to find!

    The collection is constantly changing. The dedicated and knowledgeable staff in the shop are always rotating the stock, looking for exciting new items and curating different looks for the displays. If you have an account and let them know the kind of things you like/are looking for they’ll get in touch if something comes in that they think you’ll love!

    The shop is open Tuesday – Saturday, 10am-5pm. Tel 01524 65456 or message the shop on Facebook/Instagram to get in touch.

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