During a recent trip to the mall, I realized that my lifelong devotion to new clothing had become extinct. “When did this happen?” I asked myself. Seems I was always up for shopping sales at Benetton or Anthropologie and scouring the Nordstrom rack for a good deal. I looked down at the shoes, jeans, and shirt I was wearing and recalled where each item was purchased while summing up what I paid in total.

My shopping companion and I strolled through the new luxury wing at the Towson Mall where, just for kicks, I tried on a $700 trench coat at Burberry that was so crisp and gorgeous I didn’t want to take it off. But I did, and walked out of the store feeling like I’d conquered a small battle. With unabashed pride, I proclaimed that “everything I’m wearing I purchased at a thrift of consignment shop – this entire outfit cost me around $45!” The best part was that I loved what I was wearing – stylish, well-constructed clothing that didn’t cost les yeux de la tete (as the French would say).

If you’re a B’More Green reader, you’ve most likely already come to the conclusion that shopping for used clothing is green and saves green. You’re probably also aware of the environmental impact of clothing, as in 900 million items of clothing are sent to a landfill each year in the U.S. And while more folks are recycling their clothing now more than ever, current stats claim that the average American purchases only 10 pounds of recycled clothing a year, which isn’t a lot. What can you do to increase that statistic? Aside from avoiding the mall, you can shop at thrift stores and consignment shops – Baltimore has a ton.

And, if you’re up for the challenge, clean out your closet and take your unwanted items to the upcoming Baltimore Clothing Stop & Swap, which will travel around Baltimore City from April to mid-May. The swap will provide an outlet for the public to donate, trade, or take clothing and accessories. In addition to donating items, you are asked to provide details about each accessory or piece of clothing, such as who wore it, and when and where it was bought and worn. In place of price tags, these “histories” are attached to each article to give them an identity and to encourage people to reconsider the ways in which they value clothing and accessories.

For more information about the clothing swap, including dates, times, and locations, visit the Baltimore Sun’s Find Local page. Donations may be for any size, age, gender, etc. and should be recently laundered and unstained. Go get your green on.

Image courtesy of the New York Times.