At the risk of repeating myself, consumerism is bad for the planet. Which is why cutting down your consumption of things to what you actually NEED to be new, is a great way to love our mother earth better (I’m feeling very tree-huggy today).
One thing we do not need to buy new, especially not simply out of boredom or frustration, is clothing. Yes, I get it, you don’t want pre-loved underpants, but that color-block rain-poncho from the 80’s, that’s so ugly its cool… if you want a real one, you’re gonna have to look second hand. Never underestimate the attic’s of people who “used to be cool”.
This month, I challenge you to visit, or organize a clothes-swap party. The idea is simple: Gather all your clothes that you don’t wear anymore. If you’re having a hard time deciding what to get rid of, use the minimalist-blogger-rule: look at each item and ask yourself “does it spark joy?”. If the answer is no, give it away. Make sure your the clothes are clean and bring them to the clothes-swap-party. There, all the clothes are sorted (or not) and hung up or laid out. Enjoy the party with music, chit-chat, coffee/wine and nibbles, while you “shop” other people’s clothes. Go home with new clothes that really spark joy. Whatever clothing is left over can be donated to charity.
If you want to visit a party, have a look on social media. Often NGO’s, political groups or charities organize the parties (they make profits from a bake sale or might charge a small entry fee).
If there is nothing like that in your area, consider hosting your own and invite all your friends. All you need is room for everyone to be comfortable and a space where people can try things on in privacy.
Oh, and dear men-who-are-not-into-wearing-female-clothing: there is also stuff for you there. If not, bring it to attention and stay for the party!
Often people combine clothes and other things like children’s toys and board games. Or just bring board games to play while at the party. It’s high time we spent more quality time with our community (said the lady on the internet).
