OUT WITH THE OLD, IN WITH THE NEW-TO-YOU: The Stylebook Clothing Swap held at the Arts Council of Princeton last March was such a success that a second one is planned for October 25.
By Anne Levin
Last March, the Arts Council of Princeton (ACP) and the Princeton-based Stylebook closet organization app joined forces for a clothing swap, held at the ACP’S building on Witherspoon Street. For each garment of decent quality — no rips or stains — participants got to pick another that was a better fit, stylistically and otherwise.
The swap was so popular that it sold out. Another is planned for this Saturday, October 25 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. A seamstress will be on hand. A “custom patch bar” will be available. And some specific designer labels will be worth two swaps.
“I’m passionate about sustainable fashion,” said Jessica Atkins, who co-founded Stylebook with her husband, Bill Atkins, 16 years ago. The app has customers in over 100 countries, including a few celebrities. “You’re keeping nice clothes that you like in the immediate community. There are too many clothes being donated, and sometimes they end up in a dump.”
Wanting to focus on the local, Atkins approached the ACP about doing a clothing swap. “We’re an app. We don’t actually do things locally, and I was inspired to try it,” she said. “They agreed, and it went really well. People who attended said they’d like us to do it again. I thought it would be good this time to connect it to the winter season.”
The couple, who moved to Princeton a decade ago, invented the iPhone app right after graduating from college. “It started as a fun project, just for ourselves,” said Atkins.
The app took off. Users keep track of the clothes they own, and tools help them manage and be creative with their wardrobes. A calendar allows them to plan what to wear, and when.
“It’s great for people who have an endless closet. Believe it or not, that is common,” said Atkins. “There are things like packing lists, popular with people who have to travel a lot for work. You add the outfit you want to bring, and it automatically tells you the items you need to bring with it. It’s a way to have fun with your clothes. It helps people for many different reasons. Some have a limited budget. Others use it for sustainability reasons.”
Participants in the Saturday swap, which is held with the platform BeReworn, can bring up to 10 pieces, but there is no minimum. Check-in begins at 11 a.m., and swapping starts at 12 p.m. Quality is preferred over quantity. Personalized pieces —T-shirts with high school mascots or family reunion sweatshirts — are discouraged. Any unclaimed items at the end of the event can be donated to the Helpsy bin, coordinated by Sustainable Princeton.
“We’re really aiming to get people to swap nice things that they’ve been holding onto, but didn’t necessarily want to donate,” said Atkins. “You just don’t want to throw it in the Goodwill bin. We want people to bring things they have a connection with, but are just not for them anymore. People who attend are more likely to find something they do connect with. And their item could be someone else’s new favorite.”
Admission to the swap is $10. Visit artscouncilofprinceton.org-swap for additional details.