One thing I have missed this year is clothes swaps.
Clothes swaps have been my first choice in recent years whenever I've wanted to get new clothes. Of course they aren't new new but they are new to me, and the amount of money I've saved is notable. Clothes swaps offer you choice, and a fresh wardrobe without the price tag. Giving clothes a new lease of life, knowing you're making sustainable choices, saving money and lowering your impact on the environment are more than enough reasons for me to never buy clothes from a shop again.
Excusing the obvious items like knickers, socks and hoisery, what's not to love?
I'm a little ashamed to say I fed into the bright lights of ASOS Premier, haul type online shopping (not to the extent of the YouTubers though), and always bought new pants, in threes, just because I liked lingerie. I cannot tell you why I used to do this. But those days are over. I started to find clothes, get them given to me, and I naturally became sick of owning more clothes than I ever needed, and giving so many away to charity every year. What the hell was I doing - how much money was I wasting? So skip forward and as well as being given things, finding them, and cutting down on needless online shopping, the overall thing I did was change my mentality. I realised I just needed less. I didn't need so much stuff, or to consume fashion at the rate I was doing it at. I was just being told I should do this, through the mindless advertising, social media, capitalist ideals and consumer culture society throws at us at every corner. Why do we follow the system with such trust so willingly?
Unfortunately COVID-19 has disrupted the wonderful new way of shopping that clothes swaps offer. The idea that second hand and reusing is the way forward has been once again pushed out of mind, and this cannot happen. Clothes swaps were increasing in their frequency, accessibility and popularity, and this momentum has been stopped. Conscious consumerism is so important in the behaviour change we need to fight climate change, poor human rights, and social and environmental injustices across the world. Well, alas! What's this? Just before the year is out, North London Waste Authority and Love Not Landfill have got together and are going to hold the fresh concept of an online clothes swap. Just in time for Christmas as well. We thought clothes swaps had completely disappeared off the scene for a while, and with the seasons changing, the colder weather and what would normally be the party season, I'm thinking I could do with a little swaptastic spruce to liven up the monotony of my now greatly loved home wear items. Maybe I can get my hands on some stretchy trousers to wander around the flat in. Hurray! You'll have to download the Nuw app and take advantage of their limited free subscription time, and you can find out more on the North London Waste Authority site. This online clothes swap will also be accompanied by a series of Instagram Live events hosted by Love Not Landfill, where fashionistas and sustainable fashion advocates talk about how everyone can reduce the impact of our clothes on the planet. Due to COVID-19 restrictions many in-person events have been halted, so NLWA and Love Not Landfill created the online Stop & Swap so the swapping can continue.Absolute credit to them.
FAQs here.
See below for the schedule for the Instagram Live events
Happy clothes swapping!
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