Can You Make Partywear Sustainable?

The best thing to wear this party season is something old, says Tiffanie Darke, as she tracks down the ways you can get your seasonal sparkle – with a sustainable edge.

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I hope we’re in time, as this might take a few weeks: you need a good tailor, some imagination and a rummage through the back of your wardrobe. Ready? We’re upcycling for party season ’24 and you’re about to have a lot of fun.

‘You can spend a lot of money on occasionwear, then only wear it once or twice,’ notes designer and upcycling queen Lisa Redman. Her clients come back time and again with existing pieces for her to reimagine – altering the silhouette, upgrading the neckline, adding a frilly shoulder, a belt, an oversized corsage or some embroidery. One client brought a treasured Lanvin dress with stains on the skirt; Redman beaded over them with splashes of crystal and pearls. For this season, try adding a velvet collar to a cocktail dress or coat to nail the debutante trend; hand-bead some sparkles and pearls onto an old cashmere cardigan; or turn a dress into a skirt and use the remnants to make a top-knot hairband or bow. Ta da!

(c) Raquel Baires, Unsplash

Another strategy is to hunt down something secondhand. From October, most charity shops offer edits of party-ready looks. Vintage influencer Emily London recommends High Street Kensington, the Kings Road and Streatham High Road for the best finds. ‘Don’t think you have to go head-to-toe with sequins,’ she advises. ‘Look for separates that can work with items you already own. Frank Usher, Louis Feraud, Roland Joyce and Oleg Cassini produced a lot of sequinned tops and jackets in the 80s and 90s. These pieces tend to have a boxy cut and look great with boyfriend jeans, a fitted t-shirt and statement flats.’

Meanwhile Stella McCartney, Burberry Prorsum and Isabel Marant have good back catalogues of lamé, particularly as shirts. Retro Woman, the preloved store in Notting Hill, is London’s go-to, as they reduce the price of each item every week it’s on the rails: ‘You can score a real bargain if you visit regularly.’

Finally, the oversize tuxedo jacket will still take you everywhere, and the men’s section of every charity shop in the UK has options. The best are by Yves Saint Laurent, Kilgour, Armani or Dior, but a vintage 100 percent wool jacket by Moss Bros, Jaeger or M&S will be good too. Find one with satin shawl lapels and check for where the shoulder pad of the jacket sits against your shoulder. If it slopes off, it may be too oversized. ‘Don’t worry about long sleeves,’ says London. ‘Push a rubber band up to the elbow and scrunch the fabric over it for a slouchy-cool effect. Or for a sharper silhouette, cinch the jacket with a skinny leather belt.’ Time to get going…

Featured image: Aiony Haust, Unsplash