We break down the process and what to expect at the store, based on our own swapping experience
Buying used clothes, accessories and shoes is becoming less and less of a taboo these days, and it's about time. Not only is buying used a great way to save some money, it is also an excellent way of caring for our environment. You are essentially doing all the three Rs all at once! Besides the more obvious reusing of resources, by choosing used over new, you also reduce the need to draw on new textile resources, and you extend the life cycle of a garment before it ends up in a landfill.
Combine buying used with the giving away of your own pre-loved clothes to be reused, and you are making your personal wardrobe exponentially more sustainable! Lucky for us, a one-stop shop to fulfill both sides of the sustainable fashion equation was recently launched in 2018. Located in Liang Court, The Fashion Pulpit is a physical and permanent store where visitors can bring in a bunch of their pre-loved items and get points for them to swap for other pre-loved clothes available. And it's not just clothes (which in itself already ranges from casual tees to workwear to wedding gowns) - there are also shelves of accessories, bags, scarves and shoes.
If you think the store is going to be a packed little place with messy piles of clothing all over each other, think again. The vibrant and spacious interior (decked out in loads of used furnishings too) of The Fashion Pulpit is as charming as an independent boutique.
We can bet you have at least one piece of clothing right now that you no longer want or can wear. What should you do with it? Many Singaporeans would throw it out, indeed doing so for an average of 27 clothes a year, according to a CNA survey in 2016. Such startling practices prompted Raye Padit to start several sustainable fashion initiatives even before he founded The Fashion Pulpit. "The main objective of The Fashion Pulpit is to make swapping the first alternative to shopping," Raye says. "I really feel that it's not only beneficial for the planet, it’s also beneficial for everyone. It saves money and provides more options as an extension of their wardrobe."
After hearing good things about The Fashion Pulpit from friends, we decided to give it a try. The process, especially the points calculation, is something best understood when experienced first-hand. So, here's a step-by-step guide to clothes swapping at The Fashion Pulpit, as we have personally experienced it, and why we definitely recommend everyone to try it too.
3. Start swapping!
Once you know your total number of points, it’s time for the fun part! Browsing through the racks at The Fashion Pulpit feels just like shopping at any ol’ fashion retail shop, an experience Raye and his team made sure to create for all visitors. “There are a lot of misconceptions when it comes to second-hand clothes, especially regarding hygiene,” Raye says. “That’s why we put in a lot of effort in curation, so the customers can take pride in swapping and feel like it’s normal shopping.”
Every item is not only carefully curated but also meticulously arranged according to type and some even colour. Take your pick from t-shirts, jeans, dresses, blazers, pants, and more. There’s a section of menswear as well, so bring along your male friends, family and partners to swap with you ladies! One of the many awesome things about swapping at The Fashion Pulpit is that you can cut across the types of fashion items. You might bring in only and all clothing, like we did, and bring home a necklace, a bag or a pair of shoes! Or, vice versa, you could bring 10 pre-loved pairs of shoes and pick up a mix of clothes and others.
When you’ve found a few favourite pieces, head over to the fitting room to try them on!
Could we find many good pieces with 23 to 24 points? We sure could and did! As they only accept items in excellent condition, you can look forward to finding clothes of excellent condition and quality too! We saw many gorgeous pumps, including a Vivienne Westwood beauty worth 15 points. Most of the dresses we saw ranged from six to 10 points. The hot pink floral bodycon dress above was worth six points.
We ended up getting this sequin-beaded dress, which is from Japanese brand Another Edition and worth 10 points.
And then there are the vintage clothes. We absolutely loved the vintage selection at the store.
There’s a good range of gorgeous retro blazers and even a whole set of top-and-skirt suits. These vintage pieces average about five to seven points.
Finally, we used up exactly the points we received. For her 23 points, Xueting got that aforementioned dress, a vintage blazer top, floral trousers, and two necklaces. Seraphina got a blazer, a bodycon dress, and a shoulder bag with her 24 points.
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