With the increased concern over fashion’s impact on the environment, people are now turning to exchanging instead of purchasing clothes.
This trend of fashion swapping has become popular – and more events are popping up to encourage it.
“There is a growing familiarity among Malaysians with the activity, whether it’s a small, private get-together hosted among friends or public community events,” comments one organiser, Melissa Tan.
To make it clear, fashion swapping is the exchange of pre-loved clothes – with no money involved in the transaction at all.
This differs from thrifting, which in itself, is a trend that has boomed in the past decade or so.
“Fashion swapping is a communal experience where we share our unloved clothing, unlocking sharing within the community instead of relying on more consumerism,” explains Tan.
She is the country coordinator of a volunteer-run organisation called Fashion Revolution Malaysia – the local chapter of a larger global fashion activism movement.
Events are held all year round, with swapping being one of the activities at the annual Fashion Revolution Week in Malaysia.
“Each swapper brings a minimum number of pieces from the wardrobe to swap out – pieces that they have likely grown out of, gone unloved, or just didn’t quite fit into their life anymore,” Tan says.
“They swap these out for ‘new-to-them’ pieces that they like instead.”
The idea is that if a person knows more about their clothes – how it is made, or the story of the previous owner, then it won't be just a throwaway item. Photo: Fashion Revolution Malaysia
Read more: In Malaysia, pre-loved fashion is slowly becoming well-loved fashion
Thrifting versus swapping
While fashion swapping is free, thrifting involves the sale of pre-loved clothes.
This has then led to questions being asked about whether thrift shops still hype up consumerism – even if unintentionally.
Stylist Mughni Che Din points out that the two activities work in a similar manner to promote the reuse of clothing. He says both methods are valuable in reducing fashion’s environmental footprint as they discourage the production of new clothes.
“Their effectiveness depends largely on how consumers practise and perceive them,” he stresses.
Mughni loves thrifting. That said, he does believe it can sometimes perpetuate the desire to acquire more, even if the items are second-hand.
“This consumer behaviour can still contribute to waste, albeit less than fast fashion. Also, thrifting operates within a capitalist framework, sometimes leading to increased prices and commercialisation.”
He has noticed this on his thrifting sessions.
“For instance, a pre-loved coat that used to be priced between RM30 and RM50 can now cost RM45 upwards,” he says.
“Despite this increase, I believe thrifting still offers better value compared to fast fashion. The quality and craftsmanship of some items found in thrift shops are generally superior, making them a more sustainable and long-lasting choice.”
Tan says she personally favours clothes swapping because it is a great tool to unlocking a different experience to fashion.
There is the community aspect to it when participants gather, fostering camaraderie. Thrifting, like conventional shopping, is usually a one-person activity.
“In swapping, you’re experiencing the generosity of another. You may be swapping stories that are attached to memories of the pieces with one another. It can introduce greater meaning and respect to the clothes itself,” she points out.
“It can give the role of ‘caretaker’ to a beloved piece, rather than it existing as just a thing to be consumed and disposed of.”
Tan believes thrifted clothes act as conversation starters.
She gives examples of cute or interesting tales that a person can possibly share about their haul from exchange sessions, like, “This belonged to my friend’s mum”, or even: “I swapped this – it was the former owner’s favourite first-date dress!”
Read more: The nitty gritty on why it’s so hard to track the fashion industry’s emissions
A growing trend
Fashion swapping has become an integral part of the global conversation regarding sustainability. Events are being held in cities around the world.
US-based Global Fashion Exchange partnered with Italian design school Istituto Marangoni in May last year. It resulted in a one-day Dubai swap shop.
As part of an exhibition on Bondi Beach in October, Sydney artist Lucy Barker hung items of pre-loved clothing and invited visitors to remove them to take home in exchange for their own clean clothes.
As a trend, fashion swapping follows in the footsteps of other sustainable activities – thrifting being one, plus others like fashion rentals.
Yet, more can be done to get the word out.
“We have a lot to do to introduce the concept to the greater public, so more people know that sharing and recirculating resources is not only a more environmentally responsible option to enjoying fashion, it’s more fun and engaging as well,” Tan comments.
Nevertheless, she says Malaysians are supporting the trend. Swappers at her event will usually bring their friends and family to future ones because it’s just “too good not to share”.
“I’ve seen most swappers come back repeated times throughout the last few years,” she lets on.
“Some even quit shopping fast fashion entirely, because it just didn’t make sense anymore – especially since they can access an endless wardrobe through the power of community, instead of contributing to fast fashion’s harmful environmental and social impacts.”
Making an impact
Looking at the bigger picture, fashion swaps can help with the problem of overproduction.
According to a report by McKinsey, the number of garments produced annually has doubled since 2000 and exceeded 100 billion for the first time in 2014.
Based on data gathered by Euromonitor, approximately 107 billion units of apparel and 14.5 billion pairs of shoes were purchased worldwide in 2016. That amounts to every single individual on the planet buying roughly 13 garments and two pairs of shoes every year.
This is despite fashion brands embracing sustainability, where they have started to implement eco-friendly practices, such as using sustainable materials, reducing waste, and improving labour conditions.
Mughni says these efforts often fall short of addressing the broader systemic issues within the fashion industry, such as overproduction and the promotion of fast fashion.
To him, fashion swaps offer an effective solution.
“It promotes a circular economy by extending the life of garments and reducing waste,” he concludes.
