Exchange Your Habit, a new clothing exchange on Roosevelt Street north of 6th Street, is holding their first clothing swap at noon on Saturday.
The clothing exchange store offers a membership system in which patrons pay a certain amount of money each month to exchange used articles of clothing for new or used outfits.
Although the store opened temporarily for the First Friday art walk on Sept. 7, the official opening will be held on Oct. 1.
“We are trying to get a lot of traffic for this event, so we can have a huge opening in October,” co-owner Katherine Fowler said. “This is going to be a big deal on Roosevelt (Street).”
The swap event will feature a local DJ, free refreshments and spa services ranging from facials to manicures and pedicures. Customers can also meet with owners and join a raffle for 10 free memberships to the store.
Co-owner Renée Harper said the idea stemmed from a clothing exchange event she attended in downtown Phoenix. Harper said requiring customers to join as members will offer better organization and higher quality clothes than other exchanges.
A $30 per month membership pays for 10 clothing exchanges, $50 per month offers up to 20 exchanges and $99 per month includes 50 exchanges.
The clothes are rated by quality, based on three factors: wear and tear, brand and vintage. Certain brands will receive a letter grade from A to E, and a piece of clothing’s quality will be rated from 1 to 5 based on its “wear and tear” factor. Vintage clothing can earn customers bonus points.
Once rated, points are awarded to customers, who can choose to save their points or spend them all at once.
Harper said she personally found the membership prices to be convenient.
“I know that I spend more than $30 a month on clothes, but I usually don’t buy much. This way, people can choose a membership that works for them, and its perfect for a girl who doesn’t plan ahead too rigorously,” Harper said.
But the shop isn’t only geared towards women. It and will feature “an extensive amount of clothes for guys,” said Otto Ebert, an employee at the shop.
Fowler said the shop aims to help the environment as well by lessening the amount of clothing that ends up in a landfill.
“It’s crazy to think of all that stuff going to waste,” Fowler said. “It makes me sick to think that we are wasting these clothes, when they can be recycled and reused.”
Contact the reporter at dvalente@asu.edu
