Can't-miss vintage kilo sale expected to attract hundreds to UOW

The Illawarra's first Vintage Kilo sale will take over the University of Wollongong Unihall this weekend, thanks to the The French Fripe group.

The idea is that shoppers choose their items from the various clothing racks on offer and then it's all weighed up at the end - with no minimum spend.

Promoted as a sustainable alternative to fast fashion, French Fripe experience sweeping success in Europe and now operates out of Sydney's own inner-west.

The rise of eco-consciousness and growing popularity of vintage and second-hand clothing meant its first event in Marrickville last year attracted over 5000 fashion enthusiasts.

Now, the company is embarking on an Australia-wide tour to promote sustainability within the fashion industry and Wollongong is the first city on their hit list.

"It felt right to go to Wollongong first," organiser Maite Marchiorim said.

"We had a lot of people coming from Wollongong [to Sydney] last year so it made sense to stick close to home."

French Fripe has become the largest wholesaler of second-hand clothing in the Southern Hemisphere and already supplies many op shops, vintage stores and resellers within Australia.

"This initiative was really to open our doors to the public so that people can shop sustainably and at a reasonable cost," Ms Marchiorim said.

Organisers will set up UOW's Unihall with almost 200 clothing racks and will restock with new items for every kilo that walks out the door.

Students and shoppers are encouraged to come and take advantage of the eclectic mix of clothing, with plenty of sporting brands and '90s-era pieces to be found.

"There's stock from America, Japan and from a few different countries within Europe," Ms Marchiorim said.

"There's really an amazing mix of things that you might be able to find."

French Fripe has made it even easier for shoppers to snag a bargain, detailing average weight ranges and prices for different clothing items on their event Facebook page.

At $50 a kilo it means shoppers pay between $6-$9 for a t-shirt and up to $80 for a 1.6kg jacket.

"Being on campus and [financially] accessible for students is really important to us," Ms Marchiorim said.

Entry to the event is free, but organisers advise purchasing a $2.75 priority ticket to ensure entry to the popular event.

Another pre-loved and vintage clothing sale will happen in Wollongong's CBD this weekend - and it's free.

Local creatives Acacia Reynolds and Stephanie Yin will host a vintage clothing market at 101A Swan Street on Sunday, April 28, thanks to the crew at Teel Studios.

The one-day market is set to be full of pre-owned goodies with hundreds of second-hand and vintage items up for grabs between 10am-3pm.

"The main goal of our event is to create a welcoming space for both buyers and sellers to share some old and new pieces," Ms Yin said.

Shoppers are guaranteed to find a sweet deal among the $5 bargain bins and will be treated to a free beer from Seeker Brewing on arrival.

"We are super excited about the day and hopefully will be able to host more markets in the future," Ms Yin said.

Individual vendors will set-up shop on the day and will prefer shoppers pay in cash.