I bet you’ve borrowed clothes from friends before, but have you ever considered borrowing them from a stranger? Trust me… it’s not as weird as it sounds. Yarn Yarns have made sure of that.

Yarns Yarns is the home of all things sequinned, frilly, velvet, and vintage. It is in this beautifully orange store in Northcote, Melbourne, that you can borrow clothes from people who have lovingly gifted their most precious vintage garments. Simply pick them up, rock that vintage look, woo your friends, then drop them back.

Gone are the days of spending hundreds on an outfit that won’t get to see the daylight nearly enough as it deserves!

I’m confident that renting is the new black.

Yarn Yarns began how many successful businesses do: with an urge to save the world. After learning that fashion is a massive contributor to waste in the world, founders Sophie Woolley & Katherine Cotton (affectionately known to us as Woolley & Cotton) were shocked. They analysed their own wardrobes, and realised just how many of their clothes were loved and treasured, but not worn nearly enough. Too many memories and too much sentiment to give away, but so much more potential to be had!

Woolley & Cotton began a blog to share stories behind clothes and why people are so attached to them. Naturally, their story sharing turned into clothes sharing... the Yarn Yarns shop was born!

I had the privilege of visiting Yarn Yarns when in Melbourne recently, and oh what a place. I was greeted by the lovely shop assistant, Blazer (a four legged friend), and chatted with co founder, Cotton (equally as lovely). The first thing to catch my eye, were the beads on each clothes hanger:

“Red beads = rent, white beads = rent or buy, no beads = buy,” explained Cotton. Genius.

Plus: each garment rented comes with a story of the owner.

As well as visiting Cotton to chat more about their brilliant store to share with you all, I was thrilled to choose a dress to wear to a Melbourne Fashion Festival event that coming weekend. The dress on a mannequin at the front taught me what love at first sight was… I immediately put it on.

P.S. I later found out the story behind my particular dress was even more meaningful, when my friend spotted it in my Instagram stories. It is owned by the sister of a celebrant friend of mine!

"Care for your clothes, like the good friends they are," - Joan Crawford.

Yarn Yarns have discovered the sustainable answer to all fashionista struggles. They help us get our ‘fashion fix’ without filling up landfill. Yarn Yarns have boycotted fast fashion, and in its place, they’ve created a circular system where clothes are loved over and over again, like the good friends they are.

I wish I could have spent more time with Cotton in the shop when visiting, but alas, my Melbourne adventures were jam packed. Instead, I emailed the team and asked them a few questions so we could all get to know them a little better…

A day in the life of Yarn Yarns… Cotton is in store Tuesday to Sunday while Woolley is more behind the scenes, doing things like managing the Instagram and taking photos of the clothes.

Life in store involves updating the website, tending to customers, and slowly adding to the stories of the garments. They also look into the history behind how styles came about as another way of building a deeper attachment to the garment.

TOP TIP from the Yarn Yarns team: If you ever get a chance, look at the history of pockets in women's fashion. It is super interesting!

If Cotton were a piece of clothing: I would be a blazer. I love women dressed in what used to be traditionally masculine clothing. Women started wearing men's clothing when they were breaking out of their traditional household roles and entering the workforce. So I would be a blazer because they are like a celebration of female independence!

If Woolley were a piece of clothing: I would be a big woolly jumper, because it's like a nice warm hug. 

Thank you Yarn Yarns for having me in store and allowing me to wear your gorgeous dress. I feel overwhelmingly inspired and enthused for the future of fashion because of you. I’ll be renting again soon when I’m back in Melbourne!

As a rule, I only work with brands I love, use, and can whole heartedly back. This is a sponsored blog (I can't pay my electricity bill with free products), but 100% my own words, photos, and opinion.