T.O. the Good Swap: Fashion Revolution Week Edition

T.O. the Good Swap and the Fashion Revolution Tkaronto team are teaming up to bring you a swap on Saturday, April 23 as a part of Fashion Revolution Week 2022!

You'll get a chance to check out FRT's Shirt Project exhibit which will be up at the Centre for Social Innovation's Spadina location while you swap, and to meet some of its members!

WHAT IS FASHION REVOLUTION WEEK?

Fashion Revolution week happens every year in the week surrounding the 24th of April. This date is the anniversary of the 2013 Rana Plaza collapse.

Rana Plaza, a building in Bangladesh, housed a number of garment factories, employing around 5,000 people. The people in this building were manufacturing clothing for many of the biggest global fashion brands. More than 1,100 people – mostly young women – died in the collapse and another 2,500 were injured, making it the fourth largest industrial disaster in history.

No one should die for fashion.

Learn more about Fashion Revolution on their website.

HOW T.O. the Good Swap WORKS

STEPS

1. Drop

Stop at the welcome area with 1-10 items of preloved clothing, footwear, jewelry, and accessories in good condition (a.k.a laundered and folded, no rips, stains, used undies or socks). We’ll check you in and you’ll place them in their piles!

2. Swap

Take up to 10 items and try things on in the Centre for Social Innovation’s gender neutral (and mirror-filled!) bathrooms.

3. Share

Tag @t.o.thegoodswap to share your finds with the world.

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COMMUNITY GUIDELINES

1. Be nice to each other.

2. Respect physical boundaries.

3. Don’t hoard.

4. Don’t use the swap as a dumping ground. The end-of-life care of your textiles is your responsibility. You bought it, you bury it.

5. Don’t do stuff that makes us have to write any more community guidelines.

*Please do not actually bury it. 85% of textile waste ends up in landfills each year. Don’t be that guy.

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LOCATIONS

Please note that TTGS switches locations between the ground floors of 720 Bathurst St. (CSI Annex) and 192 Spadina Ave. (CSI Spadina).

Both the Centre for Social Innovation locations are accessible spaces, details below!

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LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

TTGS takes place at the Centre for Social Innovation’s two locations on the traditional territory of many nations including the Mississaugas of the Credit, the Anishinaabe, the Chippewa, the Haudenosaunee and the Wendat peoples and is now home to many diverse First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples. Tkaronto (Toronto) is covered by Treaty 13 signed with the Mississaugas of the Credit, and the Williams Treaties signed with multiple Mississaugas and Chippewa bands.

We are grateful to make use of this space and hope to learn from, and integrate, Indigenous knowledge and values into these events.

ACCESSIBILITY

Both the Centre for Social Innovation (CSI) locations are accessible spaces.

720 BATHURST ST.

The ground floor of CSI Annex is fully accessible for mobility devices. Guests will enter through the south-east door – the entrance is equipped with a lift.

192 SPADINA AVE.

CSI Spadina’s ground floor is fully accessible with a ramp at the main entrance and a lift on the south side of the building located in the laneway between 192 and 190 Spadina.

ARRIVING

Doors close at 2:30pm, so please arrive before then!

COVID-19

Masks on face, vaccines in bod. Maintain a safe distance from your fellow swappers and wash your items before you swap them.

If you’re feeling under the weather or have recently been around someone who is, stay home and join us at the next event! Covid or not, no one wants to get any kind of sick.

We’ll be updating our Covid-19 guidelines in accordance with the City of Toronto’s rules and recommendations.

FINE PRINT

Please read in a very serious voice: *We don’t take responsibility for garments donated and swapped and accept no liability for any claim or loss resulting from any transaction taking place at the event.*

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FAQs

IS ENTRY FREE?

Yes… but donations are needed.

T.O. the Good Swap is run out-of-pocket by one not-rich human person and a few very lovely volunteers. Your donation goes directly towards: a thank you lunch for the volunteers (think: pizza, sushi, falafel, not a 10 course meal), gas for the car I borrow to haul donations around the city, bits n' bobs like printing, complimentary tea and coffee for swappers, and the upfront costs I incurred when starting this whole thing. I don't pay myself for admin time/effort that goes into the swaps.

If you can spare between $2-$8 that would be amazing.

TL;DR: donations go towards covering the cost of running these swaps. If we're [I'm] able to cover the costs we [I] donate the rest to the Clean Clothes Campaign!

WHY SWAP IF I CAN SELL?

If you can sell it, do it! Make that cash!

BUT instead of dumping the stuff you didn't sell at a thrift store bring it to the swap! You can read our Resources page to find out what actually happens to the clothing you donate to thrift stores (hint: it’s not great)!

WILL THINGS BE IN MY SIZE/STYLE?

We straight up do.not.know. That’s the magic of a swap - it’s all determined by the swappers!

While we can’t guarantee you’ll find something you love, doing these things will help:

• Bring items that YOU would be delighted to find.

• Invite friends who share your style and/or sizing - they’ll probably have something you like!

• Invite those who DON’T share your style or sizing - this will help ensure variety and inclusion!

WHAT SHOULD I BRING?

Ask yourself, “Would someone else want to wear this?”. If it’s clean and in good condition, the answer is probably yes! Just don’t bring items that are worn out, stained, or worse-for-wear. If you need help with the end-of-life of your apparel, please review our resources page!

Can I bring kid’s clothes? Yesss, kids need clothes too!

Household items? Nahhh, we’re focusing on apparel for now - but maybe one day!

CAN I USE THIS SWAP TO GET RID OF MY TRASH?

No, please. Please do not do that.We accept only gently used clothing in good condition at the welcome desk. The swap is only as useful as the items we bring, so please don’t just cram all your old items in a bag and dump ‘em out. That would not be good.

If your items have lost their utility as wearable garments, find other uses for them, or recycle them!

IF I BRING SOMETHING, DO I HAVE TO TAKE SOMETHING?

Hah. Nope, if you just want to donate your items that’s cool!

If you can’t drop them off at the swap, let us know and we’ll coordinate an early drop off time for you. Shoot an email to hello@goodswap.ca or DM us at @t.o.thegoodswap!

IF I DON'T BRING ANYTHING, CAN I STILL SWAP?

Definitely. Just bring something next time!

IF I DON’T FIND ANYTHING, CAN I TAKE MY STUFF BACK?

Oh yeah! If they haven’t been claimed and you haven’t found anything, feel free to take your items back. We won’t hold them for you, so grab them on your way out!

Many used clothing collectors don’t actually reuse clothing in a sustainable way. We suggest consigning them or donating directly to charities in need of the specific items you have.

WHAT HAPPENS TO UNCLAIMED ITEMS?

We want your clothes to go to a loving home with someone who really wants them, instead of a landfill.

If items aren’t swapped or reclaimed they will be kept for another swap or donated responsibly.

CAN I INVITE FRIENDS?

Of course! Just make sure they RSVP, we've got limited space!

WHO SHOULD I CONTACT IF I HAVE MORE Q'S?

Send an email to hello@goodswap.ca to get all your q’s a’d, or check out goodswap.ca!

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OUR PALS

The Centre for Social Innovation

The Centre for Social InnovationThe Centre for Social Innovation is a hub for people working for people and planet. With two co-working, meeting room and events locations in downtown Toronto and member programming, they’re a perfect place find space, make connections, and make impact. We’re very, very happy to host our swaps at CSI!

Wanna be a pal? Message us to talk about partnering and sponsorship!