THE JOURNAL
Illustration by Ms Maggie Stephenson
I’m standing in my underwear in my friend’s bedroom, his clothes strewn across the floor. Vintage concert T-shirts, double-knee Carhartts and KAPITAL sweaters lie in crumpled piles on the floor. OK, some of his favourite T-shirts are gently folded. I’m only slightly mortified in my boxers and vest as his collection of pricey and rare sneakers stare at me from a corner of his wardrobe.
I’m here to test out a clothing swap or, in essence, the real-life version of the vibrant vintage shopping scene that has blossomed online over the past few years. My friend, Alan (not his real name), was bashful at first (hence the pseudonym), but ultimately game. I slip on a pair of his chestnut-brown Needles track pants.
Consider this shop-your-friend’s-wardrobe experiment part of a fundamental shift in the way we interact with clothing. As we consider the environmental impact of fashion, it turns out that sharing clothes is one of the most sustainable ways of disrupting the industry’s traditional commerce models. Not only that, it opens up a whole new world of style options. But because this isn’t really something we do outside student flat shares or intimate relationships (see the “boyfriend sweater” cliché), it can be daunting to find someone with whom to enter into such a personal arrangement. I embarked on a clothing swap with my friend – well, my close friend’s boyfriend – to test out the sharing waters. Here are some of my findings.
01.
Ask someone who’s interested in fashion
Swapping clothing is an intimate act and I suspect only people deeply engaged with matters of style will be game. Even then, you’re taking a risk. Make sure you approach someone with whom you have an existing bond and, crucially, a shared interest in style. If you have never spoken about clothes before, asking someone to swap with you could get awkward, and quickly. If they know whom you’re talking about when you mention Rick or Raf and you know they enjoy digging through the local charity shop, consider that a green light.
02.
Ask someone whose style you like
If you have a friend whom you’re always asking, “What are you wearing?” or “Where did you get that?” then you have a perfect candidate for a clothing swap. Bonus points if they’ve asked the same questions of you. It’s a good idea to think of someone whose style is different from yours. Use this as an opportunity to dress outside your comfort zone.
03.
Establish some ground rules
If you’re setting up a swap, it’s always good to have “the talk”. Which garments are off limits? What happens if something gets stained, ripped or worn out? How long will you hold on to each other’s clothes? Some clarity beforehand will avoid confusion or conflict later.
04.
Keep them clean
I would say it is in everyone’s best interest if both participants wash their clothes the day before the swap. I would also advise discussing what to do after you’ve worn the clothes. I’d rather get the worn clothes back and wash them myself because I’m… Let’s just say I’m particular about how my laundry is done.
05.
Keep an open mind
You are not going to look like your friend in their clothes and that’s OK. It may be hard, but it’s best to go in with as few expectations as possible. That way you can keep your disappointment in check and, hopefully, get a couple of unexpected (good) surprises.
06.
Be honest
If your friend doesn’t look good in your clothes, tell them. And be prepared for feedback that may sting a little. Don’t take it personally. They’re just clothes.
When I was at Alan’s, I felt a bit ridiculous when I looked at myself in the mirror. I was like some Bizarro World version of myself. His style, it turned out, which looked so effortless on him, looked decidedly less so on me. I will say he was an excellent hype-man, constantly telling me I looked “fire”, even if we both knew that wasn’t 100 per cent the case.
Out of a big pile of clothing, I ended up taking just three things – a pair of Needles track pants, an Online Ceramics long-sleeve T-shirt and a cropped, lightweight red corduroy jacket covered with patches, which gave off some BODE vibes. Alan asked me to bring about five things and ended up taking just one, an oversized nylon Dries Van Noten jacket he had asked me about a few times in the past.
“A clothing swap could be the first step to becoming the new you, the version you’ve always wanted to be. Clothing can be the portal through which you see yourself anew”
The advantage of a clothes swap is you get to test something new without spending any money. Even though I was most excited about the long-sleeve T-shirt, I couldn’t figure out how to fit it into my own wardrobe. Meanwhile, the track pants, which I had reservations about, ended up being the item I wore most.
It’s also fun to try on a different style from your own. Alan leans towards streetwear, whereas I’m a bit more minimalist with workwear sprinkled in (I have a uniform of Dickies and Carhartt WIP trousers worn with plain T-shirts or button-up shirts and sweatshirts). It felt freeing to try out a new look with minimal commitment. The plan now is for me to return the T-shirt and do another possible swap. Another friend, too, has become interested.
A clothing swap could be the first step to becoming the new you, the version you’ve always wanted to be. Kind of like a manifestation board made of jeans and T-shirts, clothing can be the portal through which you see yourself anew. So, yes, it can feel strange wearing someone else’s clobber, but it also pushed me out of my comfort zone and made me to think about who I was and who I wanted to be and how I could, in some small way, close the gap.
Best of all, I bought a pair of Needles track pants of my own.