Seasonal Clothing Swaps

Uvida Shop started hosting seasonal clothing swaps in April 2022 as part of our Earth Day celebration that year. Since then, our swaps have grown to include hundreds of participants across Massachusetts and saved literal tons of clothing from the landfill.
A clothing rack sitting outside the Uvida Shop Brookline location as part of our summer 2023 clothing swap. The rack is full of hangers with brightly colored and patterned clothes.

What is a Clothing Swap?

Our clothing swaps are a space where people can bring in old clothes they don't want anymore in exchange for clothes others have brought in!

Globally, we throw away 92 million tonnes of clothing each year, which means all the resources that went into making those clothes go to waste too. By exchanging lightly worn clothes, our clothing swap participants get to update their wardrobes sustainably without all that waste. It's a win for you and the planet!

Read About Textile Waste

Frequently Asked Questions

How does the clothing swap work?

Bring in any clothes you don't want anymore (don't fit, not your style, etc.) and exchange them 1-to-1 for clothes that someone else has brought in for the swap.

When's your next clothing swap?

We host four clothing swaps each year: a winter swap in January, a spring swap in April, a summer swap in August, and a fall swap in October. They generally run for one to two weeks each. See our Events Calendar for specific dates.

Joining our newsletter is the best way to find out about our next clothing swap and other events! Our newsletter members get notifications about our clothing swaps a week or two before we announce the date (sign up at the bottom of this page). You can also follow us on Instagram for regular updates.

Who can participate in the swaps / What kind of clothes can I bring in?

Bring in any clothes that don't fit, aren't your style, or just don't spark joy anymore to exchange them for something new. We accept all clothing styles throughout the year, so feel free to bring a coat in during our summer swap or a pair of shorts to the fall exchange.

Everyone is encourage to participate! We highly encourage people to bring in men & women's clothing, plus sizes, children & baby clothes, and more so that we can offer a wide range of swap options to anyone who wants to participate. Our goal is always to make this event as inclusive as possible.

We also accept some shoes and some large accessories for the swap (ex. purses, scarves, belts, etc.). We do not accept smaller accessories like wallets, jewelry, etc.

Please note, we do not accept accept swimsuits, underwear, or heavily torn/stained clothes.

How many clothes can I take?

Our swaps are a 1-to-1 exchange, so you can take up to as many pieces as you bring in. So if you bring in 5 items, you can take up to 5 pieces.

You can also take fewer clothing items, or come back later during the swap to see if there's something new you might want. Just let one of our associates know. We'll take down your name and the number of items you dropped off that day. When you come again, let the associate behind the counter know that you have clothing swap credits.

When can I bring in my clothes?

Our seasonal swaps generally run for one to two weeks each, so we highly encourage you to bring clothes in during that time. You can drop off clothes during store hours.

We also accept clothing donations throughout the rest of the year, but will not have the exchange program running if you drop clothes off outside of that time.

Do I need to pay to swap?

No, our clothing swaps are free for all participants!

That said, it does cost us a lot of time and effort to host these events. While you're in the store, please consider shopping from our curation of plastic-free goodies so that we can continue offering these free services for years to come! You can also support us by shopping on our website. Your support means everything to us 😊

I brought in a lot of clothes at the beginning of the swap. Can I come back later to take more?

You can do that! We run our clothing swaps for one to two weeks at a time, so they're always bigger by the end of the event as word spreads.

If you want to come back later to swap more, just let one of our associates know. We'll take down your name and the number of items you dropped off that day. When you come again, just let the associate behind the counter know that you have credits for the swap.

Credits can roll over into the next season's swap.

What happens to the leftover clothes?

We sort through the remaining clothes at the end of each swap and store anything that would work for the next season. That's why you might recognize some items if you've been to a few of our clothing swaps.

Any clothes that are stained, unwearable, or have been through several swaps (and still haven't found their forever home) are donated to a trusted textile recycling program.

What if I don't have anything to swap?

The clothing swap is first and foremost an exchange event, but we also understand that sometimes you're out an about or traveling and don't have anything to swap with.

In those cases, if you spend $10 in the store you can take an item or two from the clothing swap.

Can I donate clothing?

Yes! We accept clothing donations throughout the year.

We're also looking for pants hangers (the kind with the little clips), if anyone has extras they'd like to donate. We have plenty of regular hangers, so no need to donate more of those.

Can I get consignment for the clothes I bring in?

This is an exchange only event. We don't pay you for the clothes, but you're highly encourage to swap them (1-to-1) for any items that others have brought in.

I have a question that wasn't answered here!

We're happy to answer any additional questions. Feel free to fill out our contact form and someone from our team will get back to you shortly!