Sparkly & sustainable party wear

Personal stylist Emma Shoe of Styling You Well inspires women to shop less and wear more

Emma shares her opinion here on what it actually means to be sustainable in terms of fashion and how you can dress more sustainably for the party season?

The most sustainable wardrobes are full of timeless cherished pieces that you truly love and happily wear time and time again for years to come. TV presenter Gaby Roslin regularly goes ‘shopping in her wardrobe, not just for her everyday outfits but also for high profile public appearances. According to Professor Karen Pine – author of ‘Mind What You Wear’ – most women wear less than half the clothes in their wardrobe. In December 2018 £3.5bn* was spent on new clothes for the party season, but after only being worn once, eight million of these items were on their way to landfill.

Buyingnew clothes with the intention of only wearing once or just a handful of times is where the problem of unsustainable fashion lies.

I’m not saying don’t treat yourself to a new frock or party piece, but I am encouraging that you buy mindfully, ask yourself do I truly love it, how will I style it, what will it go with in my wardrobe (can I mix and match) and will I still love wearing it time and time again. Choose timeless pieces that have longevity over faddy fashions you will probably fall quickly out of love with.

*(Source: 2018 Oxfam report into fast fashion research)

Here are my pick of timeless party pieces from local pre-loved and independent boutiques including my favourite local discovery Wonderlust who create all their own collections in house, everything (except knitwear) is designed and hand made in their Teddington studio

*Feather and Stitch Essential Temptation4 green sequin skirt £139*

*Phoenix Style pre-loved Balmain plum velvet jacket £600*

*Julia Mays pink silk satin ankle boots £465 (Harvey Nichols or www.juliamays.com)*

*Phoenix Style pre-loved Gucci teal velvet bag £650*

*Yaa Yaa London Luxe sterling silver pink agate earrings £68.50 (designed in Surrey and made in Ghana by artisans)*

*Wonderlust Muse silver sequinned jacket £160*

*Phoenix Style preloved Jimmy Choo beaded heels size 5 £450*

*Phoenix Style pre-loved Lulu Guinness black suede boots size 6 £150*

*Silver brocade dress from Mary’s Living & Giving Teddington. Photographed by Caroline Jones at their fashion show.*

*Cleverstein sustainable Chameleon shoes, nude leather £245 + £29 for detachable accessories (made with upcycled material). www.cleverstein.co.uk*

*Yaa Yaa London Amethyst gold statement ring £35. Designed in Surrey and made in Ghana by artisans.*

Personal Stylist Emma Reed helps her clients explore how to create a sustainably focused wardrobe to experience the joy of buying less, buying better and wearing more.

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*Wardrobe Reset is a 2 hour session at your home. Define your style and create new outfits using existing wardrobe pieces. T’s & C’s apply.

@stylingyouwell

Mobile: 07900 2424 87

www.stylingyouwell.com