When we think of sustainable fashion, a lot of us may picture expensive organic fabrics, or designer labels that promise ethical production. But for many Londoners, sustainability can be found much closer to home. So close, it is in their own wardrobes.
Across the city, community clothes swaps are offering an alternative to fast fashion by encouraging people to exchange, rather than buy, clothing.
It is a simple idea with some growing appeal, especially as environmental concerns converge with the reality of the cost-of-living crisis.
According to the NGO Slow Fashion Movement, we buy 60% more clothing than we did in the year 2000, yet keep each item for only half as long.
The fashion industry is also responsible for approximately 8-10 per cent of global carbon emissions, making it one of the most polluting industries worldwide.
In East London, Ama recently hosted her first clothes swap at Starlane Bar. Her long-term goal is to create an accessible, social space where people could freshen up their wardrobes without spending any money or adding to textile waste.
Attendees arrived with their unwanted clothes, and left with ‘new-to-them’ pieces, demonstrating that fashion can be both affordable and community-driven.
For others, however, second-hand fashion is about more than sustainability. Roxy, the founder of F**** Fast Fashion, runs the first wholly dedicated swap shop in London. She says affordability is a major reason people return to her shop in Dalston.
This reflects a wider societal trend, with more and more people turning to resale platforms to purchase items before going to traditional high-street retailers.
The rise of clothing exchanges also reflects a broader shift in how people think about fashion. While environmental awareness has helped fuel the slow fashion movement, rising living costs have made buying second-hand, or indeed not buying at all, an increasingly necessary choice.
Clothes swaps may not solve fashion’s environment challenges alone, but they do offer a glimpse into a system where circular fashion can exist. So the next time you are tempted to buy something new, it might be worth looking up a nearby clothing swap.
Featured image credit: Flora Sawyer
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