Walrus Bar, Northern Quarter, Mancheter

On the 16^th August I attended the Manchester Fashion Network ‘We Will Frock You’ event after realising I’m too hard up this month for a splash out until pay day! I also feel guilty from reading the green brigade features in fashion magazines lecturing shoppers on our wasteful retail indulgences. Besides it sounded kindda hip and happening because it was hosted at the uber cool Walrus bar and there were promises of live acoustic music and  style advice from the Grooming Academy. Did I mention the wine & cup cakes? Never one to turn down a Cup cake or a nail manicure I clicked the attend icon on Face Book. Would I feel up to it though after a night on the town celebrating my birthday? I decided to generously donate 6 of my funkiest unwanted vintage  pieces into Walrus bar and promised myself faithfully I would arrive on time,  Sunday at 3.00pm. The idea was I would obtain like for like items and spread the generous vintage clothes swapping Karma.  

I donated an impulse buy on an only worn once fashion forward floral dress with an Elizabethan style bodice panel decorated with individual white roses. For those zeitgeists types who revel in strutting around in edgy pieces it is perfect and was featured in Gratzia magazine. Unfortunately it was an impulse buy for me! Then there was this beautifully detailed silk linen vest top decorted with delicate bead embellishments. Remember those unforgiving body con dresses that showed off all your lumps and bumps? Well I bought one when I was a stone lighter and was delighted to show off my curves, until I walked down the high street only to find it slowly creeping up my thighs and landing on my waist! It got tossed into the donation pile for someone who enjoys stopping traffic!

Sunday morning, I can’t wake myself up – let alone get out of bed! By four o’clock it was doing my head in knowing that I may miss out on collecting some edgy, vintage fashion graduates clobber, so I headed into town. Hello jumble sale city! A battlefield awaited me with, casualties of clothes spread over the war zone half  half empty stood triumpantly. The girl in the que in front of me proudly holds a to die for All Saints dress, I turn green.  The MFN assistant who advised me on the voucher system recognises my name and explained  “Oh I remember your clothes; you were very generous and gave some beautiful items. Shame you didn’t come earlier on, all the best stuff has gone now as we got rammed!” Gulp, not what I wanted to hear.

I see no sign of nail technicians or stylists? The place is practically empty and I feel a little foolish. The promo email said the event went on until late so where is everyone?  The remainders appear to be leaving and 4.30pm can hardly be considered as late. By no means is this the first time I have been mislead by the Manchester Fashion Network 4 weeks ago they advertised for a recruitment fair that you paid to get into only to find after queuing up for several hours the recruiters spilt the beans that  the advertised jobs were unpaid work placements. Yet this was’n mentioned in the adverts and so you pay them to get you work that you end up doing for free? The cheek! When the penny dropped I declined.  Well at least this event is free.

Half Empty Bar.

It gets worse I search high and low for an inspirational piece that would make me feel like I hadn’t given away some of my best oldies but goodiesthat  I could have sold on EBay! Well 20 minutes later I had an arm full of less than mediocre I return from the fitting room with only 3 half decent items. A cute Miss Sixty denim mini dress and some skinny jeans refused to yield to my dimensions. I’ve been had. I return home with 3 okayish items (and that only cos the previous assistant took pity on and informed me of a secret stash of unopened clothes they did have time to put out.)  3 turkeys, there is no swishing Karma at this event. Donate at your peril.