2024 Third Annual No Frills All Fun Clothing Swap and Repair Day

When: Sunday, October 20, 2024

Where: Cambridge Multicultural Arts Center, 41 2nd St. Cambridge MA 02141
Time: 11- 4 pm

REGISTER HERE     +         TO VOLUNTEER CLICK HERE


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.

Check out a video from last year! 

NEW for 2024: 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.

How it works:
Bring up to 15 items, including gently used, clean clothing and accessories you are no longer wearing, that don’t fit, or you realized you never should have bought 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: Sliding scale fee of $5 to $25 to help us cover administrative costs and fundraising.

Repairs: Onsite simple repairs plus more complex will be available.
Repairs are NOT FREE! Costs are handled by the individual seamstresses and atists and they are not connected to We Thieves - repair costs start at $5 and go up from there. We simply provide a space for them to work their magic.

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 such as handbags, hats, bags, belts, shoes (in good, clean condition). Do not bring in your busted shoes.
  • HANGERS help clothes swap better! Clothing that requires hanging (dresses, coats) MUST BE ON HANGERS - this helps us circulate better.. It will be difficult to keep track of whose is whose, so feel comfortable donating the hangers you provide or swap hangers with those that are empty. You can take your hangers home with you once swap is done or if hangers become available during the swap.
  • 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 prior to entry. The management of our unwanted textiles is laborious and time-consuming. Please respect our community and us organizers. How we dispose of our textile waste is correlated to how we consume it. Please be mindful.

This year, we will allow an early drop-off between 9 and 11 a.m. before the swap to allow us to prepare in advance and ensure a smoother event.

All attendees will receive an email prior to the event with updates and reminders. 

We can't wait to see and be with you for one of the most amazing and fun days we hold for our community. 

REGISTER HERE     +         TO VOLUNTEER CLICK HERE

FAQ'S

What does the entry fee cover ?
The straight up answer to this is to help us cover the administration and time with planning, staffing, logistics, and everything involved in organizing this event for our community.  This includes space fees, admin fees, security, the list goes on. This is a NOT FOR PROFIT event - so any extra money gets donated to On The Rise Cambridge.

If I pay more than $5 to enter do I get more? 
No.

Is it 1:1 swap?
No - we have too many folks attending to manage it and this is a NO FRILLS event - nothing complex, complicated to manage. If you don't find things you like - you can still leave the garments you don't want. Bring 5 items leave with 20 or 1, up to you.

What happens to leftover clothing? After the swap is over, we are committed to donating and recycling all leftover items to On the Rise Cambridge, Second Chances Mass, and Cambridge Clothing and Textiles Recycling. 

I have some real nice fancy clothes - if they don't get swapped can I get them back? We are not responsible for returning unswapped items to their owners. We recommend 1) Returning at the end of the swap to look for it  2)Don't bring it if you really don't want to part with it or 3) Try and sell it to us via our buying page or find any of the local consignment shops that can help you out!

We can't wait to hang and to see what you score!