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Students, faculty, staff, Wayne community members and businesses are invited to participate in Wayne State College’s first clothes swap on Monday, April 15. Three clothes swaps will be held at 4, 5, and 6 p.m. in the Student Center’s Frey Conference Suite.

Students in Wayne State’s Service-Learning Program are hosting the event. Another clothes swap will be held as part of the Wayne Green Team’s Earth Day movie, “The True Cost,” at 6:30 p.m. Sunday, April 21. The movie is about the waste generated from the fast fashion industry. Students in Wayne State business ethics classes chose clothes swaps to stress the need to recycle and reuse personal clothing.

Clothes swapping, a practice dating back centuries, has experienced a resurgence in recent years as a sustainable alternative to traditional shopping. Historically, communities across the globe engaged in various forms of clothes swapping, from informal gatherings among neighbors to organized events in public spaces. These exchanges not only provided individuals with access to diverse wardrobes, but also fostered a sense of camaraderie and resourcefulness within communities.

“In modern context, clothes swapping events have become a cornerstone of the sustainable fashion movement, advocating for conscious consumption, and challenging the culture of the fashion industry,” said Dr. Laura Dendinger, professor of business at Wayne State. “By giving clothing items a new lease on life, these events reduce the demand for new production, thereby mitigating the environmental impact of the fashion industry and promoting a circular economy.”

To participate in the clothes swap, register on JotForm at https://form.jotform.com/240744359483161. For more information about the clothes swap, contact one of the groups involved. Event information is on Facebook, X (Twitter), and Instagram for Wayne State College Business or WSC Green Team. Participants can post their involvement with the hashtag #CatSwap. For more information, contact Dendinger at 402-375-7020 or ladendi1@wsc.edu.