Style Swap: Secondhand Style Gets a Fresh Look

Who says sustainability can’t be stylish?

As part of Valley Climate Action Week, Sustainable Stillwater MN brought Style Swap to Stillwater High School on September 14, giving students a fun, accessible way to explore the world of secondhand fashion.

About 55 students stopped by to shop, browse clothing, and discover new-to-them pieces. Students could also get creative with upcycling activities, including fabric painting, stencils, screen printing, and repair techniques.

The event was made possible through a great partnership with Valley Outreach StyleXchange, which donated the clothing for the swap. Bringing the event directly to the school helped remove some of the barriers that can make secondhand shopping less accessible — while showing students that thrifted and reused clothing can be fun, creative, and something to be proud of.

The energy was positive, students were excited to participate, and several students even picked up passes to visit StyleXchange. With around 250 students at the school exposed to the event as they passed through, Style Swap also helped introduce a much larger group to secondhand shopping as an option.

This first Style Swap was a great starting point, and SSMN hopes to build on the idea with future events — potentially bringing the swap back quarterly.

A big thank-you to Stillwater High School, Valley Outreach StyleXchange, and all of the volunteers who helped make this event happen. Sometimes sustainability starts with something as simple as finding a new favorite shirt — and realizing it already had a story before it found you.

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