A Win-Win from Erica

Today, i thought i would share a great idea from Sustainable Thoughts follower, Erica.  First some background.  In July 2010 I wrote about some interesting challenges out there to prompt people to be mindful about the tremendous amount of time, money, resources, mental energy, and space that we often waste on clothing.  Many of us have closets that are overflowing yet we keep buying more.  In the first challenge, the "6 Item Challenge" people try to live for a month using only the same 6 items of clothing (undergarments not included).  In the second, the "Great American Apparel Diet"  participants try to go for an entire year without buying any new clothing.  To catch up on all the details, check out the original post: Nothing to Wear?  Try this Challenge.

From Erica:

Hi Michael, thanks for this article.  I just spent 3 weeks traveling in Europe and had a wardrobe of about 15 items that could be mixed and matched to fit every occasion from the opera to bike riding.  I like the idea of a compact closet partly because it simplifies getting dressed and partly because I don’t like shopping particularly.  However, I do like to use fashion to express myself so, for about 11 years now, I get together twice a year with a small group of girlfriends (7 total) and we swap clothes.  Sometimes it’s clothes we just don’t want to wear anymore and sometimes it’s clothes that we spent money on and so feel guilty throwing out.  The swap lets us get things off our hands guilt-free and our items often look more fabulous on our girlfriends – which is another gift!  Plus – it’s become a tradition and our favorite days of the year…we make a whole event out of it!  Maybe you can start a men's swap club??

Good luck at the thrift shops!

A brilliant idea - the clothing swap.  It intertwines sustainability (consuming less by sharing/reusing clothing) and community (making time to spend with friends). 

Thanks again to Erica for sharing.  Keep the good ideas coming in folks.