Swap, sell or give away

Who said there is no such thing as a free lunch pair of shoes? Forgive us for putting our own spin on an old adage but this is exactly what new fashion site Friendly Fashion has to offer.The new non-commercial platform for clothes swapping and

selling is a bold response to growing consumption as Gintaras Lingevicius, Friendly Fashion’s web expert, explains: “People dispose of clothes just because they got bored with them or a new fashion style came in. But the most common reason is – we simply want something new.”

With an impressive catalogue of over 500 items including clothes, bags, shoes, accessories, there is little surprise that the eco site is attracting a high volume of shoppers with young women proving to be the most active users.

Fast-growing areas include children's clothing and original handmade jewellery. Lingevicius says: “Users will be really surprised by the variety and prices of handmade items which are usually expensive in boutiques and markets.”

Friendly Fashion prides itself on its niche focus on clothes and accessories – setting it apart from other similar sites – and its non-commercial nature means that price reductions are heavily encouraged.

Meaningful consumption is at the heart of the new site along with promoting recycling, fair-trade fashion labels and good-quality social events through trading, membership and community forums.

Clothes-swapping is fast becoming a trend within its own right. Last year Look fashion magazine hosted a pop-up ethical fashion swap boutique in London’s Carnaby Street and in February this year students from the Centre for Sustainable Fashion organised an open-door Swapshop. Singer Mica Paris recently teamed up with Kenco Eco Refill to openly encourage women to move away from the throw away culture in favour of swapping and donating clothes.

Picture: Friendly Fashion