Clothes swap initiative 'No New' by Bandi enters its second year

The “New Year Reuseolution” initiative of the British slow fashion app Bandi is entering its second year. Those who want to take part just have to pledge to not buy any new clothes for a month (i.e. the whole month of January). Swapping or secondhand is allowed. Sounds difficult? Bandi co-founder and CEO Frankie Theakston managed it for a whole year.

“I am beyond proud of successfully completing ‘No New 2022’. After the first 3 months it was a breeze, my mindset has totally changed and I no longer think about shopping new first. I will be attempting ‘No New 2023’ hoping to make it 2 years of no new clothing for me and sharing more of my journey with you all. Feeling more pumped than ever about secondhand clothing,” enthuses Theakston in a statement.

Together with her sister Nicole, she founded Bandi in September 2021 to enable users to swap used clothes. Users do not invest any money other than postage - the clothes are exchanged by agreement, which is why Bandi is nicknamed “The Dating App for Your Wardrobe”.

“Dating App for Your Wardrobe”

The initiative aims to raise awareness of the fashion industry's impact on the planet, and everyone can join in by downloading the Bandi app and accepting the pop-up invitation. If they want to swap, all they have to do is create an account, upload pictures of the clothes they want to swap and wait for offers.

The advantage is that the transactions are completely user-driven and include all brands and types of clothing. The lack of a financial component also makes transactions easier, and the absence of a brand- or retailer-driven platform makes them independent of credits that encourage the purchase of new articles.

“I’m thrilled to bring back our ‘New Year Reuseolution’ for 2023. Last year was a great success, with over 250 people making the pledge we saved the carbon equivalent of 3,100 cups of coffee and 120 trees. This year we want to beat that number and make an even bigger impact,” says Theakston.