Clothing & Fabric Swap

includes a dedicated Mending Station, an integral feature of the exhibition that invites visitors to reflect on the environmental and human costs of the global textile trade. Highlighting the impact of discarded textiles exported from Europe and North America to Nigeria and other African countries, the station offers a hands-on opportunity to disrupt the lifecycle of textile waste through mending. Visitors are encouraged to bring garments in need of repair, where menders will use techniques like visible mending with African wax print fabric, celebrating the beauty of repair while preserving the stories embedded in each garment. The station is activated every Saturday by artists and volunteer menders from 1-4pm for the duration of the exhibition.The station also serves as a space for reflection, asking critical questions: What happens when we don’t repair? Whose lives and environments are impacted by discarded textiles? By participating, visitors join a collective effort to confront the throwaway culture and imagine more sustainable futures.

1. Drop

Stop at the welcome area with up to 10 items or 2 regular sized grocery bags of preloved clothing, footwear, jewelry, and accessories OR fabric in good condition (a.k.a laundered and folded, no rips, stains, used undies or socks).

2. Swap

Find some thing(s) you love and try it/them on in the event space or washrooms.

3. Keep

Take what you want home with you. We ask that you to limit the amount you take home to a similar amount to what you brought. Remember: it's not about how much you get, it's about how much you'll wear it!

4. Share

Tag @the.good.swap to share your finds with the world. Sign up for our mailing list to find out when the next swap is!

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Eliminate textile waste in Toronto and champion ethical and sustainable fashion practices globally by encouraging participation in the conscious fashion movement through swap events, advocacy, and education.

Our mission differs from service organizations such as clothing banks which provide access to free or low-cost clothing for those in need of it. This list of clothing banks in Toronto may be useful if you are looking for these services.

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By swapping instead of shopping (or dumping your clothes at a thrift store), you’re participating in the circular economy, keeping clothing out of landfills, saving money, updating your wardrobe, avoiding unethical fast fashion and resource depletion, and sharing with a community of likeminded people… and sharing feels good.

All the sweet haul dopamine, none of the ethical dilemma!

Learn more about the fashion industry and how to care for clothing you truly no longer need on our Resources page.

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1. Be nice to each other. Respect physical boundaries.
2. Ten items or less. Please be respectful of our ten item limit!
3. Check your items: no holes, no stains, missing parts, clean, and ready to be loved by someone new.
4. Wash your items in scent-free soap and fold them before attending.
5. Respect physical boundaries.
6. Don’t hoard. Try things on as you go so others can check them out if you decide not to keep them.
7. Don’t hover. Please keep the drop-off table clear and let volunteers place the items before looking through them.
8. Don’t use the swap as a dumping ground. The end-of-life care of your textiles is your responsibility. You bought it, you bury it.*
9. Don’t take to sell. Please take items that you or someone you personally know will wear.
10. Don’t do stuff that makes us have to write any more community guidelines.

*Don't actually bury it. .

Fine print: *We don’t take responsibility for garments donated and swapped and accept no liability for any claim or loss resulting from any transaction taking place at the event.*
Swap at your own risk: The swap is a high traffic event, and the opportunity for germs and pests to spread is elevated. We ask that swappers always wash their clothing in scent-free soap before a swap and only attend if they are in good health, but please be advised that we cannot guarantee the conditions of items at - or outcomes of - the swap. Take precautions: wear a face mask, use hand sanitizer, and wash your items when you get home!

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The Textile Museum of Canada is fully accessible for mobility devices via an elevator. Learn more about the TMC's accessibility.

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TTGS takes place on the traditional territory of many nations including the Mississaugas of the Credit, the Anishinaabe, the Chippewa, the Haudenosaunee and the Wendat peoples and is now home to many diverse First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples. Tkaronto (Toronto) is covered by Treaty 13 signed with the Mississaugas of the Credit, and the Williams Treaties signed with multiple Mississaugas and Chippewa bands.

We are grateful to make use of this space and hope to learn from, and integrate, Indigenous knowledge and values into these events.

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Event Venue & Nearby Stays

Textile Museum of Canada, 55 Centre Avenue, Toronto, Canada