18/05/2025

ON SUNDAY MAY 18, 2025 X theSunday Special

© Chloe Evans

Clothes swapping and slow fashion: My personal experience

BY DAYANA SOBRI

money changes hands and the environ ment breathes a little easier. I recently attended an event titled ‘Sustainable Living Made Easy,’ hosted by Melissa Tan, a sustainability advocate and Gamuda Berhad. It was part of a green initiative focused on green living, including sustainable fashion. This com munity day promised a refreshing blend of education, action and connection. We explored practical ways to adopt sustainable living and learn more about how this approach supports greener development. ‘’The way that our world is going is tragic and we’re not heading to a good place. We can’t expect things to change without taking action. Contrary to popular belief, sustainable living is pretty simple,” Tan shared. “We aim to change people’s view from overconsumption to a more community based way of sharing resources instead of us endlessly taxing our environment. You’re experiencing something new for a better future, and by improving your lifestyle one step at a time, you’re also contributing to saving the earth. ‘’Small things like using reusable straws, bringing your own water bottle, XVLQJ UH¿OODEOH FRQWDLQHUV DQG DYRLGLQJ plastic bags can go a long way. All of these small habits will add up and become a routine. I also believe that this will eventu ally lead to less mindless consumption as we become more aware of how we handle waste. We’ve got to work together as a community, too,’’ Tan explained passionately.

As a hardcore shopaholic, discovering clothes swapping was a refreshing shift from mindless consumerism. It sparked my journey into slow fashion, EJQQUKPI EQOOWPKV[ UWUVCKPCDKNKV[ CPF OKPFHWN UV[NG QXGT ƔGGVKPI VTGPFU T HERE’S something liberating about stepping into a room full RI VWUDQJHUV DOO ULÀLQJ WKURXJK racks of clothes, not to shop, but to swap. No tills, no plastic bags,

no fast fashion tags in sight. Just a mutual understanding, we already have more than enough clothes to go around. It’s a refreshing shift that’s gaining traction in Malaysia. In a world grappling with the climate crisis, fashion has come under growing scrutiny. The global apparel industry is responsible for around 10% of greenhouse gas emissions and produces 92 million tonnes of textile waste annually, accord ing to the United Nations Environment Programme. Malaysia is not exempt from the fast fashion cycle. We throw away over 200,000 tonnes of textiles each year, most RI ZKLFK HQG XS LQ ODQG¿OOV But change is brewing – quietly, styl ishly and intentionally. Green living made simple Over the past few years, clothing swaps have become a feel-good, low-impact way to refresh your wardrobe. The idea is simple: bring clothes you no longer wear and trade them for something new. No

Introductory panel during the FR Malaysia week.