Recycling for fashion junkies

This week I jumped on the swishing trend by taking part in a clothes swap party at Threadneedles Hotel.  Swishing is apparently the posh name for what is basically a group of girls gathering together to swap their unwanted clothing and accessories for items that they do want. Clothes swap parties have been gathering popularity in the UK for a number of years since the idea was imported from America, where the parties are given various names such as “Switch and Bitch” or “Naked Lady Nights”.

Not only is the idea a very apt one for our troubled economic times, but there’s also an environmental message behind the nights. According to TRAID (Textile Recycling for Aid and International Development) over 900,000 million items of clothing are thrown away each year in the UK. Discarded clothing and shoes are typically sent to landfill, where textiles present particular problems, as synthetic products do not decompose. Woollen garments do decompose, but in doing so they produce methane, which contributes to global warming and climate change.

So instead of throwing away perfectly good clothes because they are no longer of interest, the parties give girls the chance to give them away to a new home and potentially leave with a fabulous new item to hang in their wardrobe. 

The party I attended had a charitable twist to it, at the end of the night we were asked to make a small donation for Kid’s Company, a charity that works with vulnerable children and families.

I took along a bag of clothes that included a couple of dresses and tops, and left with a fantastic pair of patent leather TopShop shoes that had never been worn, and until that evening had been stuffed in a wardrobe gathering dust. Better that they are out of the wardrobe and on my feet, not only have I saved myself cash but also reduced my consumption.

There’s plenty of information on the web as to how to host one of these events, either at a venue or in your own home, but one of the best sites is www.swishing.org.

Comments

[BR]

Is this done in the US? Do you have a link to a site with more information on swishing locations in the US? Specifically in Washington, DC? Thanks.

[shareen]

hope u like