In a world where we can get any clothes we want at the click of a button, the planet is paying the price. Yet the art of considerate consumerism is on the rise.
As fast fashion takes over our feeds and influencers peddle products left and right, others are taking a stand against overconsumption, inviting people to slow down and thoughtfully curate their closets.
Locally, one grassroots movement is creating space for the community to gather and swap textiles, helping to keep garments out of landfills.
Swap Omaha, a clothing exchange effort, began in 2022 in partnership with Green Omaha Coalition and Earth Day Omaha. Lauren Bates, who had just moved back to Omaha, reached out to get involved. Her co-organizer, Sami Hartong, had recently graduated from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and was interested in working in the sustainable fashion space through Benson First Friday. The idea of organizing a clothing swap at Earth Day Omaha took shape, and the two combined forces. The initiative progressed organically.
“We weren’t even Swap Omaha at the time, we were just some girls that met at Earth Day through various organizations,” Bates said.
She said the initial response was massive and overwhelmingly positive, and left people wanting more. People loved the curation and the community. They liked connecting with other swappers and got excited when someone selected a piece they had brought.
“That wasn’t exactly our intention,” Bates said. “To bring people together, yes, over clothing, but to have them like connect in that way over the clothing was something that I didn’t expect at all. I love that. That was really cute.”
The fashion industry as a whole has been problematic, and fast fashion, largely through retailers like Shein and Zara, has exacerbated issues, continuously turning out large volumes of new styles at ultra-low prices — which can be attractive to consumers seeking affordable clothing and trends.
But at what cost?
“Every single week they’re pushing out new styles, new terrible, just petroleum-based designs, largely stealing from independent designers, and sometimes even larger brands,” Bates said.
While available at a much steeper discount, their lifespan is significantly shorter, which means they end up being thrown out faster.
Bates said the philosophy behind fast fashion is problematic at its core.
“It’s the exploitation of people on the planet,” Bates said. “It’s the constant churn in the name of profit for their shareholders.”
With experience in the fashion industry, Bates and her fellow organizers saw a need to help combat its waste. Not only did the clothing swap seem like a fun way to find new, unique garments, it would also allow people to watch their own favorite clothing pieces get a second life.
“We all have those items that we really liked, but we’ve, you know, outgrown them either physically or emotionally or whatever, but they still deserve a good home,” Bates said.
She said Swap Omaha is a fun, accessible way for people to donate and discover textiles, all while helping the planet. The sustainability education piece is a core component of Swap Omaha events.
“The education piece, we’ve been trying to weave into Swap Omaha since its inception,” Bates said. “And that’s a little bit harder because you want to have, with the weight of the world as it is, to kind of have fun and connect through clothing because clothing is fun. But meanwhile, we’ll kind of tell people along the way about the fashion industry. I think they’ve kind of come to expect that from us now.”
If you’re wondering if they turn away fast fashion pieces at their swaps, the answer is no. Bates explained that wouldn’t align with their mission of extending the life of garments as long as possible, even if it’s for one or two more wears.
Swap Omaha runs on a couple of different models. One is free community-wide clothing swaps with partners like Benson First Fridays and Earth Day Omaha.
“Those are free and open to the public and we don’t have any kind of cap on how many pieces of clothing you can bring,” Bates says.
They recommend participants take as many pieces as they bring and be mindful that other swappers are shopping too, but they don’t micromanage with the kind of volume these events see.
They also host a one-for-one event model they call C U Next Tuesday, typically held as pop-ups at Floors!Floors!Floors! in Benson in partnership with Leah Miles. Miles owns Floors!Floors!Floors!—a vibrant community space—with her vintage shop, Shipment Vintage, located in the back. At these events, participants make a $1 donation per item they take, with a 20-item limit.
“So if you brought in seven items, you’d be giving $7 to Swap Omaha and you could then take seven items,” Bates explained.
The money raised goes toward storage space and event supplies, like rolling racks and hangers.
“Our swappers bring in some of the most amazing pieces I’ve ever seen, like vintage dresses, I mean, this beautiful suede vest. You’re not gonna spend any more than a dollar on one item. So that’s amazing,” Bates said.
Leftover clothing from swaps is either stored or donated.
“First, we go through all of it, see if it’s still good quality,” Bates explained. “We kind of know our audience. When we do pop-ups in Dundee versus pop-ups in Benson, we kind of have figured out which area of town gravitates towards certain styles. Sometimes we are terribly wrong, but we pull all of that clothing to keep in circulation to put back out of our swaps and then the rest we donate to local nonprofits.”
With fast fashion so deeply ingrained in today’s culture, Bates said the biggest barrier to people rethinking their relationship with clothing is access to information.
“Brands pay a lot of money to have you not know what they’re doing. They pay a lot of money to copywriters to skirt the edges of greenwashing,” she said.
Convenience culture is another barrier.
“It’s so easy to go find something online,” Bates says. “You know, not everyone has time to go to the thrift. Not everyone knows where to shop sustainably. There’s a lot of things like that that are a bit of a barrier to entry because of how conditioned we are to seek convenience over everything else.”
With that in mind, Bates shared one piece of advice for anyone looking to curate a more conscious wardrobe.
“Fall in love with the clothing that you already have,” she said.
She suggested people choose three words that embody their personal style, craft a wardrobe around that, and refrain from purchasing any items that don’t belong.
Two of Bates’ own style words are “classic” and “whimsy.” She focuses on classic lines and whimsical accessories like scarves and jewelry.
As far as the future of Swap Omaha, Bates hopes to continue growing and providing more resources. She said Omaha is growing more progressive and the curiosity is there, emphasizing that change doesn’t have to just be serious, it can be fun too.
Swap Omaha’s next event will be at Joslyn Castle on March 21 for “The Castle Closet: A Vintage Affair.” Tickets are not required to participate in the swap.
Swap Omaha can also be found at this year’s Earth Day Omaha event and certain Benson First Fridays, typically May through September.
When it comes to making change in the world, Bates reminded us not to wait — and it’s up to each individual to take action.
“I think the silver lining in how horrible things have been for sustainability and stuff, is that a lot of people are taking it into their own hands and realizing that no one is going to come save them,” Bates said. “And if they want to change something in their community, they’re going to have to do it themselves.”