Every Wednesday, rain or shine, Clothes Exchange brings the circular economy to Square 3 with their pop-up charity shop selling second-hand clothes. This devotion to a good cause won them the prestigious Platinum Sustainable Essex Award from the university, the highest achievement possible in the Sustainability Team’s accreditation programme.
Y2k baby tees, effortlessly cool denim jackets, swaggy jeans, niche band t-shirts, cutesy dresses, and the perfect top for a night at Sub Zero – Clothes Exchange has all these pre-loved garments, and more, offering a fresh new look and an alternative to unethical fast fashion. The stall, usually staffed by co-project leaders Anoushka and Dithusan or other volunteers, is a must-visit feel-good shopping destination.
Every item sold raises money for one of the project’s chosen charities. This year, Clothes Exchange raised £484.63 for 10 different organisations. To put into perspective how many items of clothing that is, each piece is usually priced for a few pounds; that means hundreds of items of clothing were bought by conscientious students this year alone.
Seeing all the fun outfits being flaunted by student models at the annual Clothes Exchange Fashion Shows, it’s clear that shopping second-hand doesn’t mean sacrificing style. From punk Vivienne Westwood-style looks, to achingly romantic dresses, to skater boy realness, the innovative style on display proved that pre-loved fashion encourages creative dressing over chasing the latest microtrends.
Anoushka shared her top tip for students wanting to be more sustainable with us, recommending that ‘you can donate and shop in more thrift shops, as it’s a great way to get into the circular economy’. It is so important that more of us incorporate second-hand shopping into our lifestyle, because ‘in one month alone, the carbon footprint of new clothes bought in the UK was greater than flying a plane around the world 900 times’ (Oxfam, 2019).
Clothes Exchange makes second-hand shopping accessible and affordable for the Essex community. Start shopping more sustainably next year by visiting Clothes Exchange’s stall in the heart of Square 3. Or if you’re really passionate about sustainable fashion, start volunteering! You’ll meet so many amazing people (and get first dibs on the drip).
Check out all the VTeam opportunities available for students here. Do good, feel good, and make lifelong friends.
Want to step up and lead a VTeam project? Applications are now open, and you can learn more about these rewarding roles here.