How to Host a Clothes Swap
The fashion industry is more polluting than the aviation and shipping industries combined. According to the 2018 Global Slavery Index it’s also the second highest at risk industry for slave labour, with 80% of workers being women.
The best solution? Simply rewearing and celebrating what already exists. Fashion is an amazing form of expression, culture, heritage, craft, connection and thankfully all of the best parts of fashion are enhanced and remain when engaged with sustainably.
This is where clothing swaps come in. A clothes swap is exactly what it sounds like - an event where you can swap clothes with others, making it good for the planet and people, good for your wallet and a bit of craic!
Getting Started - Clothes
To begin, you’ll need clothes to swap. A great opportunity for a satisfying declutter. Take a look at what you currently have in your wardrobe, try on different pieces and ask yourself:
How many times have I worn this in the past year?
Will I get more than 30 wears out of this in the future?
Does this item reflect my current style/identity? Or was I just trying to keep up with trends when I purchased it?
Do I enjoy wearing this? Does it feel comfortable?
Do I already have something similar to this? If so, why do I need two similar items?
And most importantly; does this item spark joy? If the answer is no, think who else it may spark joy for.
People
Once you’ve decided what items you would like to pass on to someone else, it’s time to get friends involved. Invite them to do the same with their wardrobe, and pick a date for the swap. Ask them to share with their family and friends too - even if they can’t attend the event, they may have clothes they’d like to donate.
Space
Find a space to host the event - this could be someone’s house, a park, a local school or business, or a function room. Think about whether you will need a space for people to try clothes on. Even if you won’t have a changing area, it’s useful to have a full length mirror at the event.
Token System
Smaller swaps at home with close friends will probably not require a token system, but for larger swaps they can be helpful. This means for every item attendees bring, they will be given one token (a raffle ticket or something similar), which they can exchange for another item at the event. The more items you bring, the more tokens you can collect, and exchange for gorgeous new clothes.
General Tips
Decide who will be responsible for manning the clothing rails, distributing tokens, and greeting attendees. You may need to recruit a few pairs of extra hands to prepare the space, and ensure all runs smoothly throughout the day. Bring a speaker for some music and any other creative additions you might like to add for atmosphere.
Online Option
Don't want to do a physical event? Why not host an online swap shop? Ask everyone to send pictures of their items. Once you’ve compiled all photos into an album, create a Facebook event, or an Instagram account for the event. You can post the photos on the page, but make sure there is someone responsible for keeping track of what items have been claimed. Attendees can connect and share their addresses privately to send the items. It might be useful setting this to private mode, so that only those who have brought items to the event can claim items.
Join a community of people rewearing their clothes with pride
Be sure to take pictures and tag us at @climateloveireland if you host a swap. Together we can help each-other shift the tide to make sharing and swapping the new normal. Also if you’d like to show the world that you have reloved some beautiful new clothes get one of our reloved hearts to wear with pride on your items. Available here on our sister platorm 100% ReLoved
THINGS TO BEAR IN MIND
We want everybody to enjoy clothes swaps and be a part of climate solutions. When choosing a space, think about accessibility for wheelchair users or those with specific needs. Ask yourself:
Is the event accessible for wheelchair users?
Will you need clothing rails, toilet access?
How can you ensure your event is size inclusive?
What will you do with any items that are left over at the end of the event?
FIND OUT MORE AND GET INSPIRED
Check out our circular fashion project 100%Reloved. 100% ReLoved is community led, educationally driven and puts people and planet first. It harnesses the exciting power of fashion to educate and empower climate lovers to be part of fun and accessible solutions to the climate crisis.