VINTAGE AND SECOND HAND
It's a depressing thought that around a million tonnes of unwanted fabric goes into landfill each year, all because we cant resist the latest looky-likey high street 12 dress. Try to buy more of your classics . . . suits, bags, coats . . . vintage and you wont believe the different kind of thrill you can get.

Anyone can walk into a department store and buy a head-to-toe new look but only people with true shopping chutzpah know how to source that original Chanel handbag.

'SWISHING' According to Jess Cartner-Morley in this month's Elle, "swishing is the new shopping".

Swishing is a new term for clothes swapping. See it as the perfect excuse to ask your friend for that fabulous Chloe dress she hasn't worn for the last two years: "Its good for the environment!"

You don't have to deprive yourself either.

If you've run out of stylish friends to tap, there are also websites such as www. fashionhire. co. uk where you can rent what you want season by season and for a fee.

ECO-FRIENDLY LABELS
You can't get everything secondhand obviously so look for labels that are made from raw materials such as cotton.

Lots of high street stores from Next to M&S now have Fairtrade clothes and its not hard to check the ethical code of the company you are buying from to make sure the clothes are made by people earning fair wages in healthy work conditions. If they are a big company this information should be offered on their website; in smaller shops ask the manager or proprietor.

The ethical fashion market is growing by 30% each year, which means there is more and more choice out there by the day for consumers. Check out ethical label shopping sites such as www. peopletree. co. uk, www. adili. com and Irish designer, www. unicorndesign. net W SEA