Poplar is not only home to the East End’s best Pie n Mash, but a growing vintage clothing scene! Last Thursday, I went along to Poplar Clothes Swap at The Cabin to get my hands on some bargains. I arrived with a bag of old clothes – no holes or stains – and was given ‘tokens’ to swap for anything that caught my eye. Admittedly, there were a lot of Charity Shop classics like Primark t-shirts and some questionable jumpsuits. But, I managed to find some beautiful vintage dresses and a hefty winter coat. The best items fly off the rails within seconds of leaving the sorting office, so keep your wits about you.
Volunteers at Poplar Clothes Swap
Competition aside, the atmosphere was relaxed and friendly. The events are run four times a year (one for each sustainable fashion season) and rely on a core group of committed volunteers. So committed, they tried to convince me to take home almost everything I tried on. Even a blue satin ball gown which made me look like a mermaid.
Another highlight of the evening was the vegan bread and butter pudding cake, sold for an embarrassingly cheap 25p a slice. Without a doubt the best I’ve ever tasted – and I couldn’t even tell it was vegan. Interestingly, a cup of tea was 60p (140% more expensive than the homemade cake). The men who run the pop-up cafe might need to rethink their prices…
The Men’s Cabin Vegan Café
To round off the evening, the Women’s Environmental Network organised a raffle to raise money for their local projects. There were roughly 20 people at the event, so my chances of winning looked hopeful. I went a bit mad and bought 5 strips, my eyes on a Patagonia backpack and gardening gloves. It turns out, investing in raffles pays off. I won…3 times!
Enjoying bread and butter pudding cake at Poplar Clothes Swap
I would recommend this event to anyone. Good people, good food and good chances of winning the raffle.
See you at the next one in August. Oh, and it’s free.
