Ethical Fashion Club hosts 2nd Annual Clothing Swap

Plymouth Whitemarsh High School students “shopped” for free clothes at the swap.

Plymouth Whitemarsh High School (PWHS) students and staff had the chance to breathe new life into their wardrobes while championing social responsibility at a clothing swap sponsored by the Ethical Fashion Club. For the clothing swap, individuals brought in unwanted clothing to exchange with others for free, offering a sustainable alternative to traditional shopping.

Chrysavi Bell, PWHS senior and club president, explained the event’s dual purpose: “The clothing swap is important, because it teaches people how easy it is to help the environment while having fun. Our goal is for this act to inspire others to be more environmentally friendly and host their own clothing swap in the future.”

The Ethical Fashion Club encouraged people to bring in items for the swap, including gently used clothing, jewelry, accessories, bags, hats and jackets. On the day of the event, the Large Group Instruction room became a bustling marketplace, offering “shoppers” free fashion finds.

“Every year, thousands of clothes go to waste, and just with this one clothing swap, we have saved more clothes from ending up in landfills,” said PWHS sophomore Sophia Bell, treasurer for the club. “Also, people in this district may not be able to afford spending much on clothes. By going to the swap, they had plenty of clothes to choose from, and they were all free.”

After the “shoppers” got their fill, the club donated the remaining clothing to Laurel House to help victims of domestic violence and The Attic for LGBTQ+ youth. Next year, the group plans to host a fashion show of upcycled and recycled outfits, in addition to continuing the tradition of holding a clothing swap in the spring.