By Isabella Popo
Thrifting just got a whole lot easier thanks to SMU’s newest club, Sustainable Style. On Thursday, May 1, the group hosted a clothing swap to encourage sustainable fashion.
Founded by SMU Fashion Media Professor, Dr. Idacavage, Sustainable Style aims to promote eco-friendly fashion habits and raise awareness about the environmental impact of clothing. They hope to encourage sustainable fashion practices through education and student-led events for the SMU community and beyond.
While pursuing her Ph.D. at the University of Georgia, Idacavage was an active member of Fair Fashion UGA, the university’s fashion sustainability club.
“I just got very inspired being around them,” Idacavage said. “And they had been doing a lot of different events, like mending events and many clothing swaps that were very, wildly successful.”
During her interview at SMU, Idacavage proposed a similar initiative, which ultimately led to the creation of Sustainable Style. Now, in just her second semester, she is already making an impact on campus
SMU Look Staff Member and Digital Writer Mari Sato is also the President of Sustainable Style.
“I’m really passionate about this club because learning how to consume more sustainably is really important for our planet and future,” Sato said.
So, how does the clothing swap work?
After donating an item, participants receive tickets that correlate with the value of the items brought. Once items are brought in Sustainable Style members tag them with different colored stickers that correspond to a specific number of tickets.
The price tiers are as follows: Items worth $75 or more receive four tickets, $50-75 is three, $25-50 is two, and $5-25 equates to one ticket. With these tickets, you can “purchase” any item off the rack.
“The point of this event is that it’s a completely free way for people to not only donate their clothes, but also upgrade their closet,” Sato said.
It’s not only students who benefit from this exchange. Professor and former Faculty in Residence for Loyd Commons, Alice Kendrick, paid a visit to Dallas Hall Lawn. As someone who donates clothes frequently, Kendrick always takes advantage of recycled pieces–not for herself, but for the SMU community.
“It’s been really an honor to be able to push out clothes, to give clothes away that students don’t use, don’t know where to donate, and don’t have the time to put through the donation system,” Kendrick said.
The leftover items from the clothing swap were donated to Genesis Women’s Shelter, a place where these pieces will support women and children escaping domestic violence by providing them with clothing and essentials as they rebuild their lives.
Through events like the clothing swap, Sustainable Style is not only helping students refresh their wardrobes — it’s building a community committed to fashion with a purpose.
“If we all traded more and donated more, I think it would be a happier place,” Kendrick said.
Want to be a part of Sustainable Style? Reach out to Dr. Idacavage at sidacavage@smu.edu or follow the Sustainable Style Instagram for updates and events.
