Earlier this year, a friend asked me if I would like to participate in a corona-proof clothes swap in Delft (I used to live there). I was confused. How would you make clothes swap event corona-proof? Then she explained to me. It is called “kettingkledingruil” in Dutch, and this initiative has many members all across the Netherlands. Each city/town has their own group(s). This is the principle of how it works:
The admins gather everyone interested in participating à you will be put in a WhatsApp group with a “walking route” >> in this “walking route”, there will be some bags with clothing. If someone brings a bag to you, you can then “shop” from the bag >> you can also fill the bag with lovely clothes that you do not wear anymore >> bring the bag to the next person on your “walking route”.
Confusing? No, it is super simple and fun! Yes, it might be confusing at the beginning because we started this corona-proof clothes swap in Delft from zero. Who must begin to provide the first bag? Well, someone had to start with a small bag with only a few clothes in there. Initially, not many people participated (only 20); therefore, we did not have many clothes to swap with. However, it grew quickly, and it was fun! Here is a picture of me with my first ever clothes from kettingkledingruil Delft:
One month later, I moved to Rotterdam, and I decided to join the similar kettingkledingruil. It amazed me how big the group in Rotterdam is because we have more than 100 participants! Because of many participants, many bags are circulating in the group, so you have many options. This makes me feel as if I am really “shopping”. By the way, you can take more than one item from each bag: it does not have to be 1 on 1, sometimes you take more, sometimes you give more! You can also find bags, shoes, and even sunglasses in the bags, so it is super exciting. Here are more pictures of clothes that I have “bought”:
The main reason for me participating in this kettingkledingruil is because I want to live more sustainably. Some of you might aware that the (fast) fashion industry is not the most sustainable industry in this world. By giving these clothes their second lives, we can minimise our water and carbon footprint. Furthermore, it also helps to save money! You can also find some famous brands in the bags, for super affordable “price”. It also feels nice when you see someone “adopts” the clothes you are no longer wearing. Secondhand is the new trend! If you are also interested in joining this initiative on sustainable clothing, you can register via www.kettingkledingruil.nl.
nice, I wonder if there is something like this in Breda! Will have to look it up.
Yes, there is also kettingkledingruil in Breda! You should sign up using the link above and start your clothes swap journey 😀