Community Fashion: Are You Sharing Clothes (& A Mission)?

You sit on the sofa on your own, phone in hand. It’s been a stressful week, and you desperately need a pick-me up. So, you start scrolling, open a fast fashion website, and somehow end up with a dozen new items in your cart.

Sounds familiar? I’m pretty sure most of us have been there, myself included.

But while that cheap dopamine feels good in the moment, fast fashion overconsumption is keeping you unhappy in the long run and has a terrible impact.

So, what if the solution were… the complete opposite: treating clothes as a more mindful and shared experience (rather than an endless, unsustainable cycle of personal possessions)?

It’s what I call community fashion!

The problems with fast fashion’s solo overconsumption

Fast fashion brands are pushing you to keep buying cheap clothes without questioning it (and treating them as throwaway), but this has dreadful consequences for:

• The environment, such as an excessive use of water and natural resources, high carbon emissions, toxic chemicals, microplastics in the ocean, and 92 million tonnes of textile waste every year 
• Humans, from garment workers trapped in modern slavery conditions (yes, sweatshops and child labour are still a thing) to communities impacted by pollution
• Your brain, because you’re pushed to keep buying clothes to feel worthy and belong, but you’re really chasing dopamine hits without experiencing that long-term fulfillment. Also, following trends and external validation is removing your sense of self-expression 

That’s why I believe that, as well as a slower approach, community fashion can be a great alternative.

What is community fashion?

To me, community fashion means thinking of clothes as something we can share and circulate (whether that’s before, during, or after we’ve owned them) while working towards the same mission. 

Basically, it’s the opposite of seeing them as individual possessions disconnected from other people, their wardrobes, and the overall consequences of our clothing lifestyle.

For example (but I’ll share more ideas soon), think of clothing swaps.

What are the benefits of community fashion and sharing clothes?

I’ll be honest: before uncovering the ugly truth behind fast fashion, I used to be a huge shopaholic. Then, I moved towards slow fashion. Over the past year or so, I discovered community fashion too, and it’s been such a pleasant surprise and empowering experience.

So, why would you consider sharing clothes and thinking beyond your wardrobe?

• Environmental benefits – Community fashion keeps garments in circulation for longer and reduces waste (and extending their life by just 9 months will reduce their carbon and water footprint by 20-30%!)
• Ethical benefits – Community fashion allows you to make the most of garments already in circulation. So, it’s an alternative to always supporting fast fashion brands that rely on sweatshops and underpaid workers.
  Plus, because you’ll save money in the long run, it’ll also be easier to afford higher-quality and more durable clothes (that can actually last for years and be passed down or shared, unlike fast fashion garments designed to fall apart) made by ethical brands that care about the planet and garment workers.
  You can find hundreds of them right here on Project Cece
• Community fashion, sharing clothes, and mindful consumption benefit you, too – You’ll find your own style, get creative, save money, unlock more outfits without always buying new garments, part with clothes you fell out of love with while giving them a second life, meet new people, and feel connected to a shared mission: living more sustainably.
  Personally, I love this feeling: “It’s no longer just ME trying to make small eco-friendly swaps on my own. We’re in this TOGETHER!” I believe it’s so important and powerful, especially during the loneliness epidemic

Are you feeling my same drive and inspiration? Then, here are some ideas to start sharing clothes with friends, loved ones, and beyond.

How you can share clothes and embrace community fashion: 5 ideas

Community fashion has so many shapes and forms, but overall, it’s about this mindset shift: rather than “always buying new, wearing, discarding”, think “can I get this garment through someone else and/or share it with others?”

As for how this can look like in practice, here are 5 examples:

1. Borrowing and lending clothes to your loved ones and friends. Some of you might be shocked but I actually love wearing my mum’s clothes. Over the years, she’s collected several unique pieces. So, now, wherever I show up with something eye-catching, my friends literally ask “You’re wearing your mum’s clothes, aren’t you?”
2. Attending clothing swap events (there might be one happening in your town soon!). For example, here in Amsterdam we have The Swap Club, which literally started as a clothing swap and now hosts a range of events related to slow living and community 
3. Hosting your own clothing swap party
4. Renting clothes through platforms like Hurr, Rent the Runway, or By Rotation. There might be different ones depending on where you’re based
5. Swapping clothes with people in your area using peer-to-peer platforms, which are usually free. For example, I use The Clothing Loop: it’s a really fun way of meeting your slow fashion neighbours while experimenting with your style, and you get to test out combinations and clothes you normally wouldn't invest in. In fact, it’s thanks to one of these swaps that I’ve discovered that bright blue is a great colour for me, even though I never would have expected that

Basically, everything is pushing us to think of clothes as individual, throwaway possessions without worrying about the consequences of our overconsumption. 

So, choosing a slower approach, community fashion, and connection isn’t just fun and meaningful: it’s a powerful rebellious act!

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