Shopping for clothes can be an expensive ordeal, but Keene State’s Office of Student Diversity, Belonging and Equity (OSDBE) and the Sustainability Office offered an alternative.
On Thursday, Nov. 21, both offices hosted the Stop, Swap, Stitch, and Fix clothing swap event in the student center from 2-5 p.m. Students were able to donate old clothes before and during the event or they could come by and pick up articles of clothing, completely free of charge.
While the OSDBE hosts annual clothing swap events, this is the first time they have collaborated with the Sustainability Office for the event.
“We partnered to do a gender-neutral clothing swap and combine sustainability with fashion and … being true to your identity,” said Kate Witte, KSC’s sustainability coordinator.
According to Witte, students were able to bring in any clothing items that had been damaged and learn how to sew or patch them up. That way the item could be repaired and not thrown away.
“Fast fashion is rampant so it helps to just have options for students that they don’t have to buy,” continued Witte. “And the mending part of this … that helps because if you have a hole in something and you can’t fix it oftentimes you’ll just throw it away. If we can patch it, then that’s keeping that out of the landfill.”
Ian Kaplan, coordinator of LGBTQ+ student support, spoke on how these events can help students express themselves and their gender identity.
“When students are exploring gender expression, one of the biggest barriers for students being able to be their authentic selves can be the financial barrier of purchasing a whole new wardrobe,” said Kaplan.
These gender-affirming clothing swaps can help students overcome that financial barrier and help them explore and express their gender identity. To help create an inclusive and gender-affirming environment, the clothing was separated by its size and not by gender.
Kaplan continued, “We wanted to provide an opportunity for students to access a basic need like clothing in a way that is really meeting them where they are at, literally in the student center.”
Students could stop by the clothing swap to not only pick up new clothes but also to donate old items they no longer wore. Many students seemed to take advantage of the opportunity to sustainably get rid of old clothing.
“I wanted to replace a lot of my wardrobe with more feminine clothing,” said a senior student, who asked to remain anonymous. “So, I brought a bunch of stuff [to give away] and in return, I’m taking a bunch of stuff.”
“I had some clothes I wanted to donate … but I wanted to take a look too, just to see if there’s anything I might like,” said sophomore Gale Stewart. “They had [a clothing swap] last year that I helped out with, I was here for quite a while helping out with that.”
Stewart continued, “I see a lot of feminine clothing so I haven’t been able to find anything I like, but it seems…like there could be a lot of clothes people might like.”
KSC’s Eco-Reps club holds a clothing swap event in February similar to the Swap, Stop, Stitch and Fix event, according to Witte, so there will be another opportunity for students to donate or find clothing on campus.
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