RESIDENTS enjoyed expert fashion advice and a free makeover when the Wear it Love it Share it campaign came to town.

A pop-up installation, designed by local artists at Oblique Arts arrived at last Sunday’s Multicultural Festival in Wisbech, featuring clothes rails full of high quality, fashionable second-hand items.

Festival goers had fun dressing up in the boutique changing room, and are featured now in the Wear it Love it Share it photo gallery at www.facebook.com/wearit with many photos, too, now also in our special gallery (right).

Over 300 people enjoyed on the spot fashion make-overs, as well as expert advice on how to dress well for less whilst reducing their impact on the environment, by up-cycling and re-using clothes, and buying second-hand. Visitors learned about ways to recycle old clothes and about the impact of textiles going to landfill.

Wear it Love it Share it is led by the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Waste Partnership and Amey Cespa, Cambridgeshire County Council’s waste management contractor. This initiative aims to reduce the amount of textiles that get sent to landfill in Cambridgeshire.

Clothes featured at the event were provided by local charity shops and were available to buy. Over �100 was raised in support of local charities through selling items at the event.

Hillary Cox from Oblique Arts said: “It was brilliant to engage with so many people at the Wisbech Multicultural Festival. The atmosphere was amazing, and there was a real enthusiasm from residents to find out more about the impact of their clothes on the environment.

“People got involved from aged 3 to 93, showing that everyone can stop good clothes going to landfill.

“And ‘Wear it Love it Share it’ has not finished at the event. I invite everyone wanting to learn more about ways to re-use and recycle clothes or share their tips with others to join the discussion at our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/wearit.”

Councillor Peter Murphy, chair of the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Waste Partnership said: “It is vitally important that we reduce the amount of textiles that are getting sent to landfill each year. Not only is it a huge drain on natural resources, but Cambridgeshire charities and businesses may miss out on as much as �450,000 every year when people throw clothes in the bin.

“As long as textiles are clean, charity shops and textile banks welcome all clothes, and even rags have value! It is great to see residents getting involved to support this campaign in such a creative and exciting way.”

To help residents reuse and recycle their clothes, the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Waste Partnership developed an online map of charity shops and textiles recycling banks locations. To find out where to pass on pre-loved clothes or to buy second-hand, residents can visit www.recap.co.uk/pass-it-on