On Saturday, March 29th, the usually unadorned, unembellished Travers and Wolfe Fitness Center was transformed into an eclectic haven of unique fashion finds, complete with soft underground beats drifting through racks of secondhand sweaters. What started out as a modest idea for a simple makeshift thrift-shop on campus turned into the extensive, first annual TCNJ Clothing Swap hosted by Women In Leadership and Learning (WILL) and TCNJ ResLife – Freshman Year Experience. Contrasting the dreary weather outside was row upon row of colorful tunic tops, sleek evening dresses, and nearly everything in between, all neatly lined up and displayed on racks throughout one of the most frequently overlooked spaces on campus. Event organizers spent the days leading up to the event tabling in the Stud collecting used clothing items in exchange for swapped “tickets.” These advance-swapped tickets could then be exchanged for various items at the Clothing Swap, and students could also bring clothing items directly to the event to obtain tickets as well.
After numerous weeks of planning and preparation, WILL and ResLife representatives manned the Clothing Swap from 10am – 5pm. Key organizers included junior Tiffany Piatt, Executive Chair of WILL; sophomore Jennie Sekanics, Vice Executive of WILL and FYE CA; sophomore Hailey Marr, WILL member and FYE CA; and sophomore Eddie Esse, FYE CA. Various Greek Life organizations, such as sorority Delta Phi Epsilon and fraternity Delta Lamda Phi also generously donated clothing and accessories, contributing to the overall collaborative atmosphere of the event.
At the event itself, students swapped up to three clothing items in exchange for additional tickets, and could purchase more items at the additional cost of $1 per ticket. The swaps and fees were definitely a modest price to pay given the quality, variety, and distinctiveness of the fashion selection at the event. Style options ranged from bohemian skirts to preppy blazers to cocktail dresses to even men’s flannels, with a little something for every Collegiette style out there. And as is often the case with thrift-shopping, a little extra time spent digging through the racks could lead the some incredible gems, with some spotted pieces including a BCBG mini-dress and an oversized, multicolored DKNY chunky sweater. Brand names aside, the collection of tops, skirts, and dresses were all definitely unique and well worth a trek to the Towers in the rain. There were even smaller racks stocked with necklaces, earrings, and bracelets up for swaps as well, and it was all too easy to leave with an entirely new, full-fledged outfit given the extent of the options available to students. While secondhand shopping has surfaced as a recent fad thanks to celebrities such as chart-topping Macklemore and quirky fashion icon Zooey Deschanel, the Clothing Swap organizers highlighted reusing and recycling clothes as more than a superficial trend. “We really want people to realize they’re getting new wardrobe items while also giving back to a good cause,” shared sophomore Jennie Sekanics. At the end of the day, true Thrifters aren’t in it for the Instagram posts or the pretentious pleasure of being so cool, and WILL and ResLife’s joint Clothing Swap undoubtedly showed that thrift-shopping is a practice rooted in sustainability and philanthropy. Ultimately, all proceeds of the SFB-funded event went towards the philanthropic efforts of WILL, including organizations such as Trenton Area Soup Kitchen (TASK), Dress for Success, and Young Women’s Empowerment, and leftover fashion pieces were donated to Goodwill and HomeFront.