My husband took this snap when I realised I was kitted out almost entirely in Bristol conscious fashion finds. It seemed a fitting photo to use for this blog about my research into all the wonderful wardrobe-related shops and services in the city.

The coat is Karen Millen but I bagged it at a Kecks Clothing 'Revamp, Restyle, Reuse' sale during Fashion Revolution Week last year at Bristol Energy. Clothes on sale at the event had been sourced from Bristol Textile Recyclers and Emmaus and were sold by the bag. My coat is in perfect condition aside from a loose hook and eye. It cost me less than £5 which is crazy considering it was probably between £200-£300 new. I found this grey striped merino wool Gap cardigan at another Kecks Clothing sale at Emmaus Stokes Croft. There are a couple of tiny holes in the sleeve ripe for darning. Other than that it was in perfect nick.

Helen Brown, local upcycling pro and founder of Kecks Clothing hand-picked preloved clothes and accessories that had either been sent for recycling or that had been overlooked by shoppers at Emmaus. Some of them could have ended up in landfill had they not been purchased at the sale, as Helen explains:

'The pieces headed for landfill have gone through the shop cycle [at Emmaus] and have been seen to be damaged, or have not appealed to customers this time around. The rotation rate, with the infiltration of fast fashion, is so swift that there simply isn't storage space to repair clothes or put them on rotation again. Emmaus works with ARB recycling who can't take stained or damaged goods, and some materials, so the goods at the Revamp, Restyle, Reuse sale had been rejected by them'. 

I am sure both my jumper and coat ended up in the sales because they had tiny imperfections, discarded because the previous owners weren't keen to repair them.

My navy White Stuff dress and the merino wool scarf (originally intended as a gift for someone but I loved it too much to give it away!) are from St Peter’s Hospice on Bristol’s infamous Gloucester Road, the longest independent high street in the country. My wear-with-anything boots are by Swedish brand Ten Points, bought from Oddsox shoe shop also on Gloucester Road. The only two items not from Bristol are the bag – a happy purchase from FARA in Balham – and the tights which are from conscious fashion brand Thought. 

After a successful crowdfunding campaign last year I'm expanding the 'long-life style' directory on here to cover Bristol. There are so many amazing organisations in the city including independent designers, Repair Cafes, vintage boutiques, haberdashers, upcycling gurus and of course charity shops. I want to bring the best of Bristol's conscious fashion scene under one virtual roof; I want to map them all out, promote them and create your wise guide to Bristol fashion!

As part of my research I'd love to tap into some local wisdom and I would be really grateful for your recommendations to make this the best resource possible. The survey can be found here – please do add your suggestions and send it to anyone else you know who may have local knowledge to share.

Thank you so much in advance for your help. If you would like to stay updated then you can sign up to receive our newsletter or follow on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook.

Wardrobe Wisdom Bristol Fashion Survey

About the author

Founder and Director of The Good Wardrobe. Lover of charity shops and mending stuff. New to Bristol. Follow on Twitter