Hi everyone, I hope that you all had a wonderful festive break - I’m sure that it feels like a lifetime ago now, it certainly does for me! I never find January and February particularly inspiring so it has been lovely to work on something with our long time friends, Toast. It’s also a time when the shops are in transition and many of us are not wanting to buy anything new so this initiative from Toast feels particularly timely.

As you know, I feel strongly that we should not always be buying new things and should try and reinvigorate what we already have in our wardrobes. I hope that this blog serves as a place for styling inspiration as well as a source of ideas for new clothes. In the UK, an estimated 711,000 tonnes of used textiles are discarded into household waste annually, according to the Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) so it is important that we think of new ways of wearing our old favourites.

However, sometimes pieces that we have loved finally succumb to the wear and tear of everyday life or, alas, the moths get the better of them, or we fall out of love with a piece and it’s time to give it a new home. TOAST offers a programme of initiatives under TOAST Circle, each one designed to keep well-crafted pieces in circulation and reduce waste. From its free repair service for those pieces in need of a mend to frequent clothes swapping events and a donation programme. Each one proves very useful for reinvigorating the TOAST pieces in our wardrobes. For more information, see here.

I think that the principals around this initiative are excellent. It is vital that the fashion industry start to take real action in creating a more sustainable way of operating and this is very encouraging. Moving forward I would like to see a higher percentage of the profits going to charity which Toast have told me is in discussion (there are a lot of initial outlay costs) but for now, this is a way of doing things that I fully support. Anything that keeps our unworn clothes from landfill and helps to keep garments in circulation for as long as possible, is a very good thing in my book.

Also, if you love Toast clothes but can’t afford the price tag, then the Reworn section is absolutely the place to keep an eye on. The pieces are almost as good as new and are sold at a significant reduction of the original retail price….I currently have my eye on a pair of navy blue suede boots…. ;)

If you are thinking of donating, you might want to make your donation before Tuesday 4 February as you will be entered into the Toast prize draw.

One winner will receive a two-night stay for two people at townhouse hotel Artist Residence in London. They will be invited to see the Tomorrow’s Wardrobe exhibition at the Design Museum, which spotlights designers that are re-examining the way we create, make, and wear clothes. They will also enjoy access to two workshops with the TOAST Repair specialists. A one year ‘Member and Guest’ membership to the Design Museum is also included in the prize.

It’s a goodie but act quickly as there are only a few days left….

So, what have mum and I decided to donate… the shirt that mum is wearing has been loved for many years but it was bought at a time when she wore her shirts much longer in the body (almost covering her bottom) and she tends to prefer shorter ones these days, usually tucked in to high waisted trousers. She leans towards more structure as she gets older too. The skirt that I am wearing is a hand-me-down from mum! She wore it for a long time but as skirt lengths changed, it became a bit short and so - being two inches shorter - I wore it. Recently, I have come to find it still too short for my liking (I have opened the waistband here so that it sits longer) so I am passing the baton on to someone else to enjoy and love.

P.S. If one of you wins the competition for the long weekend with Toast, will you let me know?

P.P.S. Obviously I have absolutely no influence over who wins but I’d love to know if it is one of our gang that gets to go (that would be good wouldn’t it). Send pics!