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This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at American chapter.

Everyone loves to find good clothes for very cheap, especially your classic broke college students. Many ways to find deals are by thrifting or using unethical, fast fashion online shops that are very cheap. But, my friends, there is another way to find clothes for very cheap…clothing swaps! Her Campus at American is hosting our first ever clothing swap. It’s an event you definitely do not want to miss.

Clothing swaps are when people bring gently used clothing items to a party then trade with another person for free. People will usually bring 3-5 pieces to put into the “potluck” and trade with others. The saying “Another man’s trash is another man’s treasure” really applies to this situation. Basically, this means you don’t have to go out and spend your money, while updating your wardrobe at the exact same time. Sounds pretty amazing, right? 

Patrick Spongebob Money
Tenor

Clothing swaps are typically hosted by a particular group or organization as a mixer of some sort or even a little party. People attend these little parties with particular information entailing how many clothes or accessories to bring with them to the party. Then once all are at the party, the swapping begins.

Having taken part in a clothing swap before, it is a pretty awesome experience. A clothing swap gives you a chance to both grab new items and donate items that you don’t love anymore. It’s an overall mutually beneficial event so make sure to come by!

There are many ways to throw a clothing swap party, but the biggest thing to remember is that this is meant to be a fun and cheap. Clothing swaps are a great way to save money, have fun, be eco-friendly, and even show you don’t support cheap online clothing shops that have sweatshops to create their products.

low angle of green trees
Immortal Shots

When it comes to being present and conscious of your everyday actions, buying new clothes isn’t exactly the kindest way to treat our planet. However, clothes are something we all need and want to function in society. Buying fair-trade, eco-friendly, and organic clothing is way better for the environment but can often times become super expensive. One way that we can combat this problem, is to participate in a clothing swap! At a basic level, a clothing swap helps save the world because it’s an opportunity for all of these clothes to have one more life. 

This will also allow you to lessen your closet clutter, get rid of things you no longer need, and gain new items that you can wear and have fun with. Let’s be honest, no of us has hundreds of dollars laying around to buy new clothes, so this is especially useful for college students.

Anna Schultz-Girl Looking Through Closet
Anna Schultz / Her Campus

Keeping the idea of clothing swaps in mind, Her Campus at American will be hosting their very own clothing swap right on campus. On March 5, we will be partnering with the AU Zero Waste club from 8pm to 9pm to provide a fun, eco-friendly clothing swap for anyone to participate in! Keep an eye out on our social media pages for more details on this upcoming event.

Hopefully, this can be a step in the right direction for reducing waste in the AU community and eliminate the stigma of second-hand or hand-me-down clothes.

Sources: 1

Ariel Tresser

American '23

Ariel Tresser is a Freshman at American University majoring in Public Relations and Strategic Communications with a minor in Education. She loves music, writing, and exploring new places in D.C.!
Gianna is currently a senior at American University in Washington, D.C., and is majoring in journalism and minoring in political science. She is the Editor-in-Chief of Her Campus at American University. Gianna enjoys writing about Women's Advocacy, Politics and Pop Culture. She also loves to travel and find hole-in-the-wall restaurants in D.C.