Imagine winning a free shopping spree limited only by how many clothes can fit in three shopping bags.

That’s what 181 Federal Way community members got to do on May 10 at the tenth Community Clothing Swap at the South King Tool Library (SKTL), located 1700 S. 340th Place in Federal Way.

In total, nearly one ton of free clothing was redistributed at the event, which was held in partnership with the City of Federal Way.

The event is typically held twice a year as an opportunity for people to add to their wardrobes — and clean out their closets.

“I love that anybody can come here, no judgment, and get what you want,” volunteer Sopheak Chhun told the Mirror.

For some “shoppers,” the swaps are a fun way to refresh their wardrobe, while for others, it can be part of a larger life change.

“There’s a young lady in there that’s coming out of addiction,” said Amanda Miller, executive director of the tool library. “You can feel like you’re actually changing who you are with clothes. Clothes are an art form and the way that we convey our personalities.”

Other shoppers used the clothing swap to outfit their whole family with new looks, or found interview outfits and work clothes. Formal wear and vacation elements like swimsuits were also available along with a variety of casual clothing.

“I just love that there there’s community [events] that look after the people around here without having to spend money, especially because life is going to get more expensive,” volunteer Alex Sylvester told the Mirror. Sylvester moved to Federal Way relatively recently and volunteered as way to connect with the community here.

“As time progresses and as tariffs rise, as economies shift, [we’ll need] to look for more local resources. There’s not a lot of secondhand resources, and we need that,” Miller said.

Environmental impact

It’s estimated that over 80 billion new clothing items are produced every year globally, and in the United States, approximately 17 million pounds of textiles enter the waste stream each year, according to the most recent data from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

Through the SKTL clothing swaps alone, over 36,000 pounds of clothes have been redistributed in the community.

“Consumption-wise, it’s a drop in the bucket, but the ocean is full of drops,” Miller said.

It’s all about “creating habit shifts,” Miller explained: “It’s really a burden to us when we’re confined by all of these things.”

Through the tool library and events like the clothing swap, Miller facilitates local and individual consumption habit shifts by helping people borrow the tools they need for free.

Miller is also advocating for systemic shifts to change consumption and production habits. State Rep. Kristine Reeves (D-District 30) credited her as instrumental in the recent HB 1483 “Right to Repair” bill, currently awaiting the governor’s signature.

“People want to donate their clothes. They see the value in it, but there’s not a lot of places where you can donate and know where it’s going to end up. So this is a great way for people to know that it’s going to go back out into their community,” Miller said.

With all the positive impacts coming from the clothing swap, putting it on required a lot of effort. While Miller said she’d love to put them on more often, this one involved the efforts of over 40 volunteers who contributed at least 160 hours of labor to make the four-hour event happen.

Even at an event where 1912.5 pounds of clothes were given away for free, Saturday’s clothing swap had 802 pounds of leftover donations at the end of the day. These were distributed to local community partner organizations including Wayside UCC Open Doors Sharing Closet, Vine Maple Place, Brooklake Resource Center and Frenzie Thrift Store.

Volunteer Jeannie Wood-Elder alters a pair of pants at the free clothing swap on Saturday, May 10. In addition to free clothing, Wood-Elder made it so that guests could also access some simple clothing alterations if they needed it. Photo by Keelin Everly-Lang / the Mirror

Shoppers could fill up to three bags of clothes at the free clothing swap at the South King Tool Library on Saturday, May 10. Photo by Keelin Everly-Lang / the Mirror