Halloween night is rapidly approaching, the F*** Fast Fashion club urges students to thrift or reuse a costume before buying another one.
“We buy these clothes that are made terribly, you wear them once and either throw them away or put them in the back of your closet,” President Taylor McCracken, an international security and conflict resolution senior, said.
According to the company Tencel Global, 12,500 tons of Halloween costumes are sent to landfills each year.
The club has a few tips for making a sustainable, last-minute costume.
- Look through your closet: See if there’s anything you can make from it.
- Swap session: In your household or dorm, have everyone bring items you can use, wigs, clothes, etc. and possibly make a costume with any running ideas.
- Thrift Stores: Many thrift stores have second-hand costumes, accessories, and other items you can use with a running idea.
- Offer Up/ Facebook Marketplace: Secondhand costumes are also available in your localized area, and they’re usually cheaper.
The club is also hosting a Halloween thrifting challenge on their Instagram @ffastfashionsdsu. Participants who show off their costumes will get early access to the inventory for the club’s virtual auction in November.
F*** Fast Fashion’s mission was to become a staple on campus for secondhand clothing with a physical booth on campus. While COVID has stopped that process for now, the club meets virtually to educate members about the fast fashion industry and thrifting.
McCracken said she got the idea for the club after visiting a friend at the University of California, Santa Barbara.
“There was a bunch of clothes on a lawn… they took donations from students and gave them away for free,” she said.“It totally works. You go to college, you may realize you have too much stuff, you might gain a freshman 15 or you might lose 10 pounds. You can go and stop by to get clothing when needed.”
The club plans on having clothing exchanges on campus when it’s safe to do so, allowing students to donate clothes, pick up a few clothing items and get sustainable outfits from a better variety of offerings than at thrift stores.
In November, the club is hosting a virtual auction for all students to exchange and share clothing.
“We’re accepting donations, we don’t have a formal donation drop set up quite yet, but we’re gonna host a virtual auction to give away clothes,” McCracken said.
The club also hosts a monthly podcast, Sustainability After Dark, and offers tips, tricks and ideas on their Twitter and Instagram. Meetings happen every Wednesday at 7 p.m. on Zoom and communication is through their GroupMe page.
Anyone is welcomed to join, no club fees or dues have to be paid and there are multiple committees for members to join.
If you want to join the club or to participate in their Halloween challenge, you can find more information on their Instagram, @ffastfashionsdsu and on their Twitter @fffsdsu.
Disclosure: Brenden Tuccinardi, editor in chief of The Daily Aztec, is a member of F*** Fast Fashion.
