Clothing Swap #1

Let’s freshen up our wardrobes + help our community! Combining a happy hour with putting our hands out into Canberra, our first clothing swap was an arvo of wine, mocktails, and nibbles. All were welcome—we were stoked about our very first sustainable, community initiative!

For anyone who considers herself an activist: this seasonal event is for you! By reducing the need to buy new and donating to Communities@Work, The CBR Gals in collaboration with Eco Stylist + founder of Clothes Swap & Style Canberra Nina Gbor dress to impress women in our community.

HOW TO SWAP WITH THE GALS:

1. Bring ONLY 1 – 7 items of clothing or accessories to add to the swap collection pool.
2. The swap begins after the opening toast.
3. At the end of the swap,the remaining items will be donated to Communities@Work. Anyone is welcome to come along for a tour and discussion with Communities@Work to learn about how they help the greater Canberra community.

• Swap clothing requirements: clean, good quality, + in good condition. Rule of thumb: something you’d gift to your gal pal.
• Items to bring: Ideally warm, corporate-style dresses, pants, skirts, tops, shoes, bags, scarves, hats, jewellery.
• What NOT to bring: swimwear, underwear, pyjamas, nightwear.

What are the community-based benefits of a clothing swap? Besides nailing some gorgeous pre-loved pieces to invigorate your wardrobe, clothes swaps are a fundamental way to curate a sustainable wardrobe. In 2017, ABC TV + iview’s War on Waste series reported that we throw out 6000 kilos of fashion textile waste to landfill every 10 minutes! 

At the end of each season clothing swap, we donate all leftover items to Communities@Work: a resilient and socially inclusive community that cares for the well-being of all. More specifically, we donate corporate-style items for the ‘Care and Share’, a program which provides disadvantaged women with free clothing, shoes, and accessories for job interviews, work experience, or other special events. For this clothing swap, this donation included a tour of their facility on Monday, 8 July.