Take Off Your Clothes | North America's Biggest Clothing Swap!

06 . 01 . 2010

Take our 2010 challenge: swap often and shop smart!

The holidays are over, and we’re starting an exciting new decade. What do you think it’ll be all about? Have you made any resolutions for 2010 and beyond?

We’ve done a lot of thinking about what we want this new decade to bring. It’s all about the kind of positive change that only awareness, discernment, conservation and sharing can bring!

Take our 2010 challenge and start the year — and the decade — off on a green shoe:

1. Swap often.

Cut your new clothing budget, and have fun going swapping instead! It’s easy to mix it up and change your look by frequently trimming your closet and swapping for items you’ll wear more often. Most of our events take place during the spring and fall — the perfect times to refresh your seasonal wardrobes!

We will be announcing our spring events by the end of this month. Sign up for our newsletter to make sure you don’t miss out! If we’re not in your city yet, you can get involved and start a chapter.

Current chapters: Montreal, Toronto, Halifax, Ottawa, Calgary, Boston (USA), Lausanne (EUR) and Newcastle (AUS)

2. Shop smart.

The recent news of H&M’s slashing and trashing of their excess inventory left many of us shocked and asking ourselves why an international apparel retailer would do something so blatantly socially and environmentally irresponsible.Who else, we wonder, is doing this without getting caught? Our hunch: it’s not just H&M. It’s a lot of mass-apparel retailers who don’t want their brands “diluted” by selling their leftover inventory to the Marshalls and TJ Maxx’s of the world or *gasp* — by donating it to charity.

As we learned from our recent interview with Montreal fashion designer Anastasia Lomonova, it is companies like H&M that are making it nearly impossible to compete for smaller labels who wish to produce their clothing in North America or even Europe. The more we buy big box, the more our local economy, environment, and communities break down. Want some solid facts? Download the EHP report “Waste Couture” from our blog here.

In 2010, resolve to support local/regional fashion designers, independent retailers and artisans as often as possible. Before buying something produced overseas, Google the brand name and make sure that the company hasn’t violated any human rights, labour or environmental regulations.

3. Downsize.

Remember when you moved into your house, condo or apartment and it had … space? Lots of empty space that was eventually filled up with … stuff? What stuff? For some it might be furniture, books, cosmetics, electronics, records, magazines, and/or CDs. For others, kitchen gadgets, baby accessories, appliances, computers, video games, designer trinkets, gardening tools, broken lamps, framed photos and word art magnets. Can you even walk anywhere anymore without tripping? Is all that stuff just giving you a headache?

Do yourself a favor: downsize. Breathe. The walls aren’t closing in. You’ve just cluttered them up with … stuff. Decide what you absolutely can’t live without and unload the rest.  Try selling the more desirable items on Craigslist or eBay and use the money to pay down your credit card, mortgage or loans. Better yet — do some homework and put it into a sustainable investment.

4. Donate.

Put aside the clothing for our next swap and call a local charity to come and pick up the rest. You may even qualify for a tax receipt to help you on your next tax return. You’ll feel good about the newly created space in your home, and knowing that someone will put your donated items to good use.

5. Freecycle.

Before you buy new next time, try freecycle. There’s a chance that someone is giving away precisely what you want. It’s also a fantastic way to unload any items that a charity doesn’t pick up.