Talking Threads: clothes with history

Tamworth woman Emily Honess has been quietly leading an eco-revolution, upcycling fashion through her former retail outlet White Rabbit, eight years working for Lifeline's One of a Kind Tamworth store, pop-up shop and label Talking Threads, and co-ordinating the seasonal  Flamingo Park Market. I caught up with Emily, wanting to seek out some clothes to add to my wardrobe without stepping into a chain store, or paying a designer price tag. She says the name Talking Threads comes from second hand clothes telling a story, whether it's about how they were made, or an era. "It's all about the story." Emily says fashion is a good starting point for people on the sustainability journey. "For someone wanting to be more eco-friendly and minimise waste, the issue of sustainability can be overwhelming, but fashion is easy to focus on without sacrificing self-expression or style," Emily says. She took her message to the recent Amazing EnviroRace organised by Sustainable North West for secondary students to learn about the human impact on the environment. In her activity "The Price is Wrong" Emily asked students to think about the real price of fashion, from water use, chemicals, pollution, and deforestation, to carbon footprint. When she asked students to arrange items of clothing from most sustainable to least sustainable, they were often surprised by the results. She encouraged students to, "borrow from a friend, or buy second hand and when buying new clothing try to buy less, buy quality, and say no to fast fashion." Read more on Emily's blog.

What did I take home from Emily's stylish stash? Cotton and wool work dresses, a fabulous handmade silk jumpsuit, and that's me at right below wearing a pre-loved party frock to the My Open Kitchen Gathering drinks at The Masonic, Orange (L-R Pip Brett, Jumbled and Iglou, Sophie Hanson, Local is Lovely and My Open Kitchen, Penny Hanan, 1803 Deer, Fiona Walmsley, Buena Vista Farm).