No Frills All Fun(draising) Clothing Swap and Repair Day

Our annual No frills, All fun Clothing Swap & Repair Day is a down-and-dirty community over capitalism event with the intention of mitigating textile waste by extending garment life and circulation. We bring on local seamstresses and artisans for on-site clothing repairs and customizations and work to support our friends at On The Rise Cambridge.

Less than 30% of second-hand donations are actually resold in thrift stores -- the rest gets sorted, turned into rags, incinerated or shipped overseas leading to more carbon emissions and an INSANE amount of waste.

We want to keep garments in circulation longer, slow down the fast-paced trend cycle, and mitigate textile waste -- all while spreading the community love.
We Thieves will be bringing our AS IS vintage/textiles ideal for upcyclers and creators to work with plus we'll be layering in some surprise vintage pieces for your hunting pleasure.
Details:
Bring 5 to 15 items of CLEAN - gently used clothing, outerwear, and accessories you are no longer wearing - but that have plenty of life left - to swap with our community for things you do want. You can take as MUCH as you like. Bring 15 - leave with 2 or 20 (up to you).

Cost:
1) Minimum of 5 items + Sliding scale fee of $5 to $25 to help us cover administrative costs and fundraising.
2) $25 if you are not bringing anything but just want to take.

Repairs:

Onsite simple repairs plus more complex will be available.
Repairs are NOT FREE! The individual seamstresses and artists handle costs, and are not connected to We Thieves - repair costs start at $5.

What to bring:

• Clothing that is in good condition and wearable. MUST BE clean, no smells, holes, or irreparable damage.
• All brands, genders, and sizes.
• Accessories include handbags, hats, bags, belts, and shoes (in good, clean condition).
• HANGERS help clothes swap better! Clothing that requires hanging (dresses, coats) MUST BE ON HANGERS - this helps us circulate better. It is challenging to keep track of whose is whose, so feel comfortable donating the hangers you provide or swapping them with empty ones. the
• BYOB - Bring your own bags and beverages! This is no frills - the only frilly thing is the incredible historical building we will be in!

ABSOLUTELY NO: Underwear, heavily worn shoes, dirty or irreparably damaged clothes. We will review garments before entry. The management of our unwanted textiles is laborious and time-consuming. Please respect our community and organizers. How we dispose of our textile waste is correlated to how we consume it. Please be mindful.
Early drop-off between 9 and 11 a.m. before the swap so we can have everything ready for you to begin at 11am.
All attendees will receive an email prior to the event with updates should there be any!
Come and go as you please - stay for 30 minutes - stay all day!
We can't wait to see and be with you for one of the most amazing and fun days we hold for our community!
Check out the video from past years event!

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

Multicultural Arts Center, 41 Second Street, Cambridge, United States