‘Too Fancy to Fling’ a fashionable new way
John Lyons
Two Ballynacargy women, Frances Lyons and Linda Heduvan, have pioneered a simple way to sell second-hand clothes and shoes.
Their new venture, beginning on March 7 and 8 in the Parochial Hall, Ballynacargy, will bring together a treasure trove of quality second-hand produce. Called ‘Too Fancy to Fling’, it might just be the new thing in the second-hand clothes market.
Speaking to the Westmeath Examiner, Frances said: “There is so much waste nowadays - good clothes are just thrown out. It’s now time to recycle and re-use what we have, and what better way to do this than on a local scale while earning a few euro too?”
The fashion enthusiasts explained that the idea came about when they were doing their annual spring wardrobe clear-out. They came across many quality pieces of fashion that they hadn’t worn and began wondering if there was an alternative to clothes banks or other forms of disposal, and so Too Fancy to Fling was born.
For those wondering how it works, the process is relatively simple. Each event is limited to 25 sellers, and they are each restricted to 50 items to keep the event orderly. Each seller is designated a number, and each item is priced by the owner. The items are then transported to the event by Frances and Linda, so the owner of the clothes doesn’t have to be present.
Frances explained: “We came up with this system as it makes it as convenient as possible for our sellers to sell their products and to make the event run as smoothly as possible.” For each sale made, a percentage of the revenue is retained by Frances and Linda, and the rest goes to the seller.
Multiple events are planned, and a full quota of sellers is already secured for the first weekend. To set a precedent, the duo are going all out for the first event, with refreshments and fitting rooms sure to impress any fashion lovers who call in to take advantage of the wide range of stock.
Success can never be guaranteed, but Frances and Linda have high hopes. “We are currently receiving items from our 25 sellers, and we have everything from wedding wear to welly boots for sale. All items are of exceptional quality, and we hope that this event is the first of many,” said Frances.
‘Too Fancy to Fling’ begins on Saturday and Sunday, March 7 (7–10pm) and Sunday March 8 (12–2pm) in the Parochial Hall, Ballynacargy.