The clothing market is mostly not very sustainable. It is not green, it is not humanitarian and it creates a lot of waste. Swishing helps to create a more sustainable market by creating shoppers for the pants, sweaters and shirts already out there.
The stories of inhumane practices in factories that produce clothing are numerous. More and more awareness is being raised around the issue, but there is still a long way to go before we can see this market actually change. Big companies still focus on profit maximization, which results in the strange phenomenon where a few individuals gathered around a table have the ability to decide the fate of a large group of people exploited and living in poverty. Furthermore, since the center of production of this exploitative market is necessarily situated in third world countries, the clothes produced still need to be transported to the West where they are actually worn. This is not a very green procedure. It has a significant impact on our environment that continues to be polluted despite the evidence pointing toward major climate changes as the result of that pollution.
Not only are there inherent issues with the ways in which clothing is being produced and distributed, the fashion ideals in the West also seem to have an impact on how green this market really is (or isn’t). In the West many people change the content of their closet about every (other?) season to keep up with the fast changing fashion trends. The result is that many clothes that are still in mint condition are not being worn and, consequently, that more clothing “needs” to be produced. In a certain way this industry seems to produce more waste than is actually necessary. There is, however, a solution to this specific problem. Where it is much more difficult to change the global capitalist market and thus find a solution for the first two fundamental issues raised, there exists already one way to be more green in this market without it even having to cost you a cent. The solution at hand goes by the name “Swishing”.
Swishing organizes events where people meet to switch their clothes, which are still in perfect condition but perhaps the owner no longer likes them or is simply looking for something new to wear. By Swishing the items you no longer want, clothing does not end up hanging in a closet somewhere while a large group of people is being exploited. There are only a few rules to know before you can start Swishing: for instance, it is not allowed to bring lingerie. You can find the rules on the website. The website also explains how exactly Swishing works: you don’t have to pay but you cannot exactly grab everything while you yourself have only brought one piece of clothing. Be sure to check the website and the rules before you attend a Swishing event.
Swishing is also a great opportunity for meeting new friends or for keeping up with old acquaintances or friends. If you haven’t seen your friends in a while and you are thinking of an original way to meet you can always organize your own Swishing event. Meet up at your own or at one of your friend’s houses and find out what everybody is wearing. If you own a company you can even have a Swishing event there for all your employees to bond while also making the world a bit more sustainable.
Featured image: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cotton_mill