Tonight, Frugal Fashion Week launches in Toronto. I had the chance to chat with Gillian Downes, the FFW producer to discuss the event and all things stylish and inexpensive.
Check it out!
Visit the Frugal Fashion Week website for more event info and the Windfall site to learn more about the charity supported by the event.
Special thanks to Lucas for being my cameraman!
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A swap party that is.
When I did a post two weeks ago about finding clothes in your mother’s closet, I received a comment from Giovanna saying, “Try your own closet first, everybody. 
 Go through and find all of the old things that you hate, take a strong pair of scissors and some leather cord and go to town”. This gave me an excuse to go and talk with some girls about how they stay fashionable and cheap. (more…)
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What is frugality? To all of us here at SYR, its how we live our lives, whether we like it or not.
According to renowned feminist Wendy McElroy, frugality causes you to reverse the way you think about material things. So - what does this mean in this economy, to all of us recessionistas out there? Well, in this context, anything can be frugal - as long as it is resourceful and brings you closer to your goals.
Anyhow, the other day I was getting ready to head out to meet some friends for some cream sodas and I realized that I simply didn’t have any shoes that matched my ensemble. Oh no! I proclaimed, what to do?
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It seems like everyone is sharing clothes these days.
So I was thinking that I should probably write a post just for women. Since I do love you so much, I wanted to show you common courtesy and provide some tips on how to save money. In case you didn’t know, I have a masters degree in fashion that I received back in 2006 from a Cracker Jack box. I still remember the day, my parents were so proud. Well now it can come in handy, as I have found a great article that helps you look fab with stuff that you already have!
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Last week I asked readers to share their thoughts on what they do to affordably go out and I’ll be honest rather than jazzing up the results, I got one response. Damn, I suck. In consolation, that one response happened to be pretty funny so I’m sharing it here to give props to Phil from Easy Tiger Corp, the company that makes pre-stained underwear. Phil also wins 50 bucks to use on Ticket Trunk so thanks for sharing Phil and congrats. (more…)
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Elvis Presley releases ‘Blue Suede Shoes’ in 1956. The Beatles release ‘Love Me Do’ in 1963. Bruce Springsteen releases ‘Born to Run’ in 1975, Michael Jackson releases ‘Thriller’ in 1982, Nirvana releases ‘Nevermind’ in 1991. Then pretty much nothing happens for twenty years until the Screw You Recession Crew releases their eponymous rap ‘Screw You Recession’ in 2009.
I think it’s safe to say that is how the history books will remember the musical timeline of the last half century.
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This past weekend I had the opportunity to attend the Eco Savvy Festival in Toronto. Often people consider being ‘green’ to be an expensive endeavour. Although most of us cannot afford to convert our houses to solar energy or to buy a hybrid car (or a car in general), there is a ton that you can do to save the environment and save money at the same time. Check out the video for some valuable and inexpensive ways to go green.
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Why buy, when you can borrow? According to Metro News, Keira Knightley is curbing her “footwear fetish” by renting shoes for the day and returning them, for a fraction of the price of buying a new pair. It’s a trend that’s gaining popularity faster than the Sunggie.
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Dress Vault is a great example of this burgeoning borrowing frenzy. A “fashion-based service of mutually-beneficial relationships,” Dress Vault operates in the women’s-used-apparel-goods market, and facilitates lending and borrowing of dresses between its users. It’s kind of like a sexier version of E-Bay, except you’ll never be stuck with something you thought was going to be stellar-fantastic and turned out to be eight sizes too big and have a hole in the crotch. Not that I’m speaking from experience or anything. Check it.
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So I am off to catch the last bit of Montreal Fashion Week. Normally, this would be followed by 1-2 weeks of total lust induced depression. I watch a fashion show for an hour, and I’ll think about those clothes for weeks. And while working for Virgin Mobile has its perks (including daily sing alongs and walk-offs), a six figure salary isn’t among them. So I will not likely be able to afford these clothes anytime soon.
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The latest in cheap and cheerful? Your friend’s cast-offs.
The Basic Idea: Get some friends together, ransack your closets and combine all the stuff you don’t wear. Price it like they would at a consignment store, and then have a party where everyone can try it all on & buy what they like.
It might sound lame. And it might be lame, if your friends are wearing tapered mum jeans from the late 90s, anything with a member of the Disney family on it, or acid washed jeans.
But if you’re like me, with more than a few Shopaholic friends who’ve spent more time at Holt Renfrew or H&M than their last four places of employment combined, then a swap party might be better than you think. I’ve been to two so far, and besides having mega fun, I’ve ended up with a cute Dianne von Furstenberg dress ($30) and a leather Club Monaco clutch ($15). I also went home with $120, which I immediately turned into a cute cashmere sweater from the Holt’s Now or Never sale. It’s all about feeding the economy.
The recipe for success?
• Grab some cheap clothing racks & plastic hangers from Canadian Tire to make it seem like a real store.
• Have everyone bring at least five things, and try and have at least 10 people participate, so there’s lots of stuff to choose from.
• Make sure all items are dry cleaned and pressed. As much as I can appreciate the benefits of hand-me-downs, there’s a limit to what I want on my body, and it doesn’t include your sweat from last month’s make-out session with that swarthy?guy from that gross bar.
• Designate a semi-private area for “change rooms.”
• Have everyone mark their items with price tags before they get there, and decide ahead of time the range of acceptable prices (e.g., it’s NOT OK to charge $25 for a tee shirt you bought on sale at the GAP).
• Have a separate table for accessories.
• Have lots of wine and some snacks.
Don’t have any friends you think are stylish? Check out online options instead.
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