Existing Within Capitalism: An Exploration of the Clothing Swap as an Anti-capitalist Fashion System

Our fashion industry is built to serve the needs of a capitalist society. Consumers searching for alternatives are often presented with one-stream solutions that cannot reverse the fashion industry’s crisis. This research paper proposes a new alternative for consumers- the clothing swap, an anti-capitalist fashion system. Two in-depth interviews with participants of the Canadian clothing swap community were conducted to understand how they fit into an anti-capitalist framework in the context of fashion. By drawing on the personal experiences of the interviewees, this research illuminates the impact that the clothing swap can have on its participants. Finally, this study proposes that a capitalist fashion industry does not serve the needs of all of its consumers and identifies the importance of seeking out alternatives that do, such as the clothing swap.