"there's no beauty in the finest cloth..."

Clothing swaps are an obvious win-win. They're a great way to pick up some new stuff and clean out room in your closet. Plus leftovers usually get brought to charities. Last one I went to, I came home with a huge bag of clothes and, upon further inspection, I found $31 in the pockets of all the pants I acquired. Sweet. So whilst bored at work I googled "clothing swap nyc" and found an upcoming swap in Chelsea on June 24th (more info below). I'm psyched...It looks like 30 someodd people are coming so far, and that number is growing so the pickings should be good! You can and should sign up here: The New York Clothing Swap Meetup Group.

As Gandhi said, "There is no beauty in the finest cloth if it makes hunger and unhappiness." Clothes swapping (or buying used clothing in general) is a smart move both economically, socially, and environmentally. Writer/activist/naked yogi Wendy Tremayne explains:

"In the creation, production, marketing, and disposal of clothing, there exists an opportunity to improve the care of the planet and the soul of the individual. In an endless search for newness, Americans consume resources for the creation of more, regardless of the fact that we exist amongst a fantastic surplus. This is easily seen in the amount of textile waste produced in the US. It currently comprises 4.5% of residential waste created. Each American is responsible for approximately 35 pounds, totaling 8.75 billion pounds per year. Fifty percent of the textiles consumed and discarded are made from synthetic fibers that are produced from oil, which has a negative effect on the Earth."

You can read more about Wendy, her socially conscious efforts, her naked yoga classes and her awesome nation-wide invention, Swap-o-rama-rama on her website, www.swaporamarama.org.

And remember to come to the upcoming swap!

Sunday, Jun 24,
2:00 PM
at
Wicked Cow Entertainment
45 W. 21st Street (Between 5th and 6th Avenue)
Floor Two, Buzzer Three
New York, NY 10016
Info/Map