Jaron Levi
palmettoreport@gmail.com

(Rock Hill, S.C.) — A simple idea — bring one item of clothing, swap one — brought local shoppers together earlier this month at the Rock Hill Brewing Company, offering a new wardrobe without spending a dime.

On April 18, the Common Thread Clothing Swap event introduced a new approach to thrifting, allowing participants to trade in their old clothes for other used items of clothing that were new to them.

People brought items such as shirts, jeans and shoes for every occasion, drawing in a large crowd.

“There are so many different ways that you can connect with your community and socialize, and not necessarily spend an arm and a leg doing it,” said Michaela Cangiano, the event organizer.

Cangiano said the swap was created for a completely free shopping experience, as traditional thrifting becomes more expensive.

“Having the warm, fuzzy feeling when you’re like, ‘Oh yeah, I found this and I didn’t spend 50 bucks on it, I got it for free,'” she said.

The event also raised awareness about the wastefulness of fast fashion. According to the United Nations Environment Programme, the fashion industry produces 92 million tons of textile waste each year and much of it ends up in landfills.

“We have too much and I’m so thankful we have those resources, but so much of it just goes into landfills,” attendee Katie Gillespie said. “So, I feel this event is a small step going in the right direction.”

For the brewery, hosting the event went beyond shopping. Ben Vogt, co-owner of Rock Hill Brewing Company, said events like these help to provide resources to those in need.

“I thought it was a great idea to give some clothes away for free and let other people make good use of them,” Vogt said.

Cangiano said leftover items from the event were donated to local organizations.

She also said she hopes to expand the event into a community closet to offer a grab-and-go resource for residents in need of clothing for job interviews, internships and other occasions.