Ethical Writers Style Swap

(Drawings and design by Elizabeth Stilwell.)

The Ethical Writers Coalition is hosting their fourth bi-annual Style Swap this coming Saturday in New York City. Since I can’t be there in person, I’m helping to spread the word online and sharing a few style stories from my fellow writers. If you’re in New York and would like to attend, tickets can be purchased here. The past swaps have been a huge success and everyone came away with lots of great new finds.

Clothing swaps are an excellent way to recycle clothing and accessories with your friends and family, and you might find something you love, too. Below, some of the members of the Ethical Writers Coalition share their secondhand stories.

Faye Lessler, Sustaining Life

Ever since I was 10, every time I went over to a close friend’s house, I would bring a bag of clothing with me and come home with a few fun, new-to-me pieces to add to my closet. To me, swapping is about trying new things and creating stories around our relationships through our clothing!

Addie Benson, Old World New

“Reuse, sustain, make old new again.”  That’s my motto, and my favorite old things to make new again are clothes.  Finding timeless pieces at thrift stores, vintage shops, garage sales, and even at clothing swaps make for a great curated closet.  Sometimes I’m amazed by my finds and wonder how anyone could have ever let them go, until I head to my closet and realize my style has evolved and that I, too, need to donate or swap some things that I once loved to don regularly.  The cycle of donating clothes and finding more second hand clothes to wear is exhilarating.  It is never the same twice, but it is always a fruitful adventure that yields endless style possibilities!

Sara Weinreb, IMBY and Necessary Trouble

A few years ago I bought a vintage coach purse at a flea market. I love it and use it all the time! It is such great and sturdy quality, and I wouldn’t have spent the money on it new, plus I love the worn-in look to it. Added bonus that my fashion student cousin was with me and authenticated that it was real!

Stephanie Villano, My Kind Closet

I think there’s a romantic element to swapping or buying secondhand. I like to imagine who was wearing or using the piece of clothing or home decor (my husband and I like to shop secondhand to decorate and LOVE antique mirrors and nautical stuff) before me and I often come up with a story in my mind about what that person was like and how they styled it. I’d like to think that the person who owned the pair of boots, piece of clothing, or artwork before me would be happy to know that it has found a new home and is still being enjoyed.  I also sometimes consign old items with a local consignment shop, and I really take pleasure in seeing someone around town wearing something that I know used to be mine.

Several ethical writers also have exciting new projects in the works! Grechen Reiter of Grechen’s Closet recently opened Slowre, a curated consignment store featuring ethically and domestically made clothing and accessories. I’ve consigned a few pieces and it was a great experience. Kamea Chayne of Kamea World has published her first book, Thrive. And Hanna Baror-Padilla of Sotela just began her Kickstarter campaign to produce a line of dresses that work with the changing needs of women’s bodies. Congratulations to Grechen, Kamea, and Hanna!

And don’t forget about the Style Swap if you’re in New York City this weekend!