Clothing Swaps as a Form of Ethical Fashion
Getting involved in ethical fashion can be quite easy to do with the help of clothing swaps. This is the practice of exchanging clothing with your friends and family. It can help save clothing from ending up in the landfill, provide a fun system to socialize and trade, and facilitate a like-minded community around ethical fashion.
The fast fashion industry designs, produces and supplies clothing at a breakneck speed at the expense of workers, who are often vulnerable because of their immigration status or the lax labor laws in their countries. This is because companies are in a race for cheaper labor and production, which encourages the textile industry to cut corners. This causes harsh working conditions where many of the garment workers don’t receive a fair, living wage and are subject to physical and psychological abuse.
Swapping clothing can help you get new clothing for free, prevent clothing from going to the landfill and reduce consumption of virgin resources. When you decide to extend the life of your clothing for just nine months, you cause a 25-30% reduction of your water and carbon footprint. In the face of complex issues in the fashion industry, swapping clothing can be the first step in the right direction. This way we can practice being a conscious consumer with the things we already own!
“Swaps are opening people’s eyes to a completely new way of doing things,” said Patrick Duffy, Global Fashion Exchange (GFX) founder. “The old way was shop and buy. The new model is swap and borrow.”
Consider hosting an online swap to practice ethical fashion. This is as simple as creating a clothing swap group chat or Facebook group, taking photos of the clothing you want to swap, sending a short description of each garment and making offers via text messages or comments. In this space, friends and family can easily communicate and share swapping options. Consider setting some ground rules for your online swapping group. This can include the number of garments each person needs to offer, how frequently everyone needs to upload in the chat and/or the acceptable conditions of clothing. You can then claim a piece by sending a simple text and paying for shipping via money transfer apps, such as Venmo or Cash App.
“Swaps are opening people’s eyes to a completely new way of doing things. The old way was shop and buy. The new model is swap and borrow.””
This makes it easier for the original owner of the piece to send it to you via mail. Consider the cost of shipping as a tradeoff; by participating in an online clothes swap, you’re saving gas, staying COVID-safe and not having to buy clothing at full price. If your friends live close by, you can drop clothing off at each other’s houses or host swaps in person (following social distancing guidelines, of course). The following are a few tips to have a great clothing swap experience in person or online:
Tip #1: Clean Clothes
Only swap clothing you can envision someone else wearing and being happy to have in their closet. This means choosing clothing that is free of stains, holes and tears. Make sure you wash the clothing to get rid of undesirable odors and iron them to remove wrinkles. If you are hosting the clothing swap, consider setting acceptance policies. This means deciding what conditions the clothing should be in, how many items each swapper can exchange and how many pieces people can get. Also, consider establishing a one-to-one exchange system where a swapper can receive one garment if they donated one garment. The exception can be with luxury goods deemed to be worth more than one garment.
Tip #2: Choose Trendy Pieces
Consider what pieces your swapper community would like to own. Do you have any pieces that you haven’t worn that are on-trend and in-season that someone else could use? Look in your closet and really consider the high-quality garments that no longer serve you. Reflect on the last time you wore each piece, how you felt while wearing it and whether you’ll wear it in the upcoming months. Being intentional about the clothing you give away will help swappers receive beautiful clothing that they will cherish. Remember that you cannot change your mind once a swap is made. Being emotionally detached to items that are no longer serving you will help you participate in a successful clothing swap. All the while, recognize that higher quality, trendy pieces are highly valued and can be great trading items in your swapper community.
Tip #3: Raise Awareness
Consider sharing facts about the issues within the fashion industry with your community. Make sure to include images and graphics that remind swappers about the true cost of their clothing. You can even create a special hashtag for your swapping community to help expand your outreach about your clothing swap. This can help start conversations on what needs to change in the fashion industry, how to get further involved in ethical fashion and how fashion can be a force for good.
About the Author
Elle Magaña Mireles is a Latinx sustainable fashion advocate based in Chicago, IL. She believes clothing can be a gateway to creating a more just and humane world by bringing about global, positive change. In her free time, she writes for her sustainable fashion blog called Just Irenic, spends quality time in nature, and takes courses on social justice.