by LINA GU and KELLY ZHANG
Wouldn’t it be fun if students could shop for clothes during school? And wouldn’t it be even better if all those clothes were free and sustainable?
Well, guess what: The Sustainable Clothing Club is about to host the fan-favorite annual Clothing Swap.
On Feb. 23, there will be a multitude of clothes hanging on racks in the Main Lawn, glistening under the sun, waiting for their new owner. All these items will be one-of-a-kind, vintage, curated pieces that will likely catch the attention of cool shoppers.
Seniors Reina Jo and Susan Cho, the co-leaders and co-founders of Sustainable Clothing Club, have been connoisseurs of sustainable fashion ever since the 10th grade.
“Susan and I have both always kind of been interested in fashion clothes. We’ve always loved to shop, also go thrifting, and then we’ve also been involved in other sustainability-affiliated organizations at Chadwick and outside as well,” Jo says.
Jo and Cho also explain that the cardinal reason for the creation of their club relates to their advocacy around the anti-environmentalist practices by the fashion industry.
Major fashion companies such as Zara, H&M, SHEIN and Forever 21 have been the leading cause for the 92 million tons of textile waste worldwide each year, about 12 million in the United States alone.
These companies are also known for their speedy production rates, being able to bring top-notch, trendy items of clothing in a short window of time. In many of these cases, the clothing is being handled by children in underdeveloped communities, where child labor laws aren’t being regularly enforced. Because of their fast production rate and mainstream accessibility, these companies have been referred to as “fast-fashion” companies.
“I feel like our generation has been so desensitized about fast-fashion and other practices that are not green,” Jo said. “So we wanted to bring the two together and shed light on how unsustainable the fashion industry really is, especially as people who are interested in clothes and share that same mission.”
Through Jo and Cho’s shared passion and determination, the Chadwick Clothing Swap has been a successful event the past two years. A collection of clothes up for grabs for any passerby are set up on racks, where every item has been donated by Chadwick students or faculty.
But behind the scenes, the club has worked hard to arrange the event. Countless emails needed to be sent between Upper School Deans Marielle Sallo and Patrick Wallace to confirm dates, advertisment posters needed to be made and donation boxes needed to be bought.
If you walk around Rossler Hall now, Jo and Cho have set up these boxes all around the grade mailboxes. After collecting for several weeks, the club will filter through the garments and make decisions about which ones to display in the swap.
“I think the first year we did it, we separated all the garments with pants, shirts and tank tops,” Jo says.
The clothing that is separated into categories will later be displayed and hung on racks on the Main Lawn for the Clothing Swap. Any clothes that are not picked up by the second-hand shoppers are donated to clothing charities like Goodwill so that they will not go to waste.
SCC’s Clothing Swap has been a very popular event for many, each swap starting with more than 150 pieces of clothing. Many Chadwick students have loved the swap, and have nothing but positive things to say about it.
“People find what they like and because we all have different tastes, so there’s really something for everyone … which I like,” senior Lauren Lopez said.
Says Tori Fay, the faculty advisor of both SCC and Sustainability Council: “Having something to wear that makes you feel good is wonderful. But if you are always chasing the latest style in pursuit of that goal, your fleeting happiness contributes to a global waste problem polluting our environment for decades or more.
“Instead, work to feel good about how you look and how you are helping the planet.”
The Mainsheet 