Skidmore Exchange Closet
About: The Skidmore Exchange Closet is a collaboration between the Office of Campus Life & Engagement and Scribner Library. The Exchange Closet was founded in March 2018 by students working in partnership with Campus Life & Engagement. It was established with accessibility, equity, and sustainability in mind, with a particular emphasis on offering gender-affirming clothing without barriers of cost, surveillance, stigma, or scrutiny.
Building upon the original intentions, the current goals of the Exchange Closet are based in philosophies and principles of mutual aid where solidarity and collective care are cultivated and celebrated rather than individualistic or “pull yourself up by your bootstraps” mentalities. The Exchange Closet centers environmental, economic, and gender justice to offer a space where Skidmore students, staff, and faculty can access non-perishable food items and gently used clothing (casual and professional) at no cost and without judgement. The Exchange Closet is for all Skidmore students, staff, and faculty members! While the Exchange Closet does focus on making sure that poor/working class/low-income and/or trans and nonbinary members of the Skidmore community have access to the clothing and food they need, the Exchange Closet is also a place for students, staff, and faculty of any identity to get clothes for any occasion like an upcoming interview, date night, Halloween costume, or daily use and/or grab food because they are hungry (for whatever reason).
Intentions:
1. Increase sustainability practices among members of the Skidmore community by reducing the waste created when getting new clothes and when throwing clothes away. Think on-campus thrifting, but free!
2. Offer a resource for casual and professional clothing for members of our community who may have financial limitations preventing them from acquiring the clothes they want and/or need.
3. Provide access to gender affirming clothing for students, staff, and faculty of all genders and body sizes. Whether you want to try on a skirt for the first time, you need button ups for top surgery recovery, or you just want a new pair of jeans in your size, the Exchange Closet is for you!
4. Give students, staff, and faculty the opportunity to obtain non-perishable food items at no cost, with no requirements or stipulations attached.
5. Foster a community, mutual aid space on campus that is collectively cared for and supported by Skidmore students, faculty, and staff that is both useful and fun!
Location & Hours: To access the Exchange Closet, simply stop into Scribner Library, room 126 and take what you want and/or need! The Exchange Closet has the same schedule as the library, which, during the semester is typically as follows (but you should check their website just to be sure!):
Monday – Thursday: 7:30am – 1am
Friday: 7:30am – 10pm
Saturday: 9am – 10pm
Sunday: 11am – 1am
Donations
During regular business hours when the College is open, donations can be delivered to the Case Information Desk or the Office of Campus Life & Engagement (Case 207), the Office of Student Diversity and Inclusion (Case 203), or the Office of Religious and Spiritual Life (Case 205). If you are unable to bring donations during those times please contact us and we can help arrange another time. If possible, please bring your donations in a box or bag that you can leave with the items.
What to donate: We currently accept clean new or gently used clothes, shoes, and accessories. We also accept non-perishable food items, especially the kind of thing that can be a quick meal for folks on a budget (soups, staple ingredients, canned goods).
Frequently Asked Questions
Is everything free?
The clothes and food items are all free. There is no cost to access the Exchange Closet. Please do not take the hangers, racks, boxes, or mirrors. Please only take what you know you will use and feel free to bring back items if you don't need them anymore and if they are still in good condition.
Do I have to donate before I take clothing/food?
Nope! There is no requirement to donate before taking items. And there is no requirement to take anything after donating.
Is this only for students?
The Exchange Closet is for all Skidmore students, staff, and faculty! We don't ask for identification from those using the Closet.
What does the Exchange Closet have to do with environment justice, economic justice, and gender justice?
The Exchange Closet is a campus resource that exists both for pleasure and necessity. We encourage all members of the Skidmore community to utilize the Exchange Closet,
including people of any financial/class status or background, any and all genders, and those who are interested in environmental justice.
Environmental Justice According to faculty at the Boston University School of Public Health, the U.S. disposes of 34 billion pounds of used textiles every year, equating to over 100 pounds of textile waste per person every year! People with higher incomes generate about 76% more clothing waste that those with lower incomes. 66% of discarded textiles in the U.S. end up in landfills, which are more than 2.8 times more likely to be located in neighborhoods and communities of color than in white neighborhoods. We know that the Exchange Closet is not going to solve environmental racism or eliminate the need for fierce environmental justice work. However, we do believe that participating in efforts that reduce textile waste can be part of environmental justice work and we are proud to offer this opportunity to the Skidmore Community!
Economic Justice
51.7% of Skidmore students receive need-based financial aid, meaning that they come from families with lower incomes. Many of these students have to work while going to school to be able to afford tuition or to have money for food and other expenses. Offering mutual aid resources like access to free non-perishable food items and free gently used clothing helps to support students, faculty, and staff who are struggling to make ends meet. By coming together as a Skidmore community to support all of our members, we can work towards a campus where everyone has what they need and want to thrive.
Gender Justice
Providing clothing for folks who face barriers accessing clothes that affirm their gender was one of the goals of the students who founded the Exchange Closet at Skidmore. This goal continues to be a priority. While the Closet is open to students of any and all genders and ways of dressing, we know that sometimes it can be challenging for trans, nonbinary, and/or gender non-conforming people to access clothes for a variety of reasons. Those relying on family support to afford clothing may not be able to ask for clothes that work for them. Homophobia, transphobia, and transmisogyny can also impact a person's access to employment and affordable housing, making free and low-cost resources an important option. It's also just nice to pick out clothes in a setting where you know no one's judging whether your selections "fit" what they assume about your identity.
Where can I try on clothes?
There are full-length mirrors in the Exchange Closet, but the space is not private. There are restrooms located on the other end of the first floor of the library (closest to Case
Green). If you do try on clothing in library restrooms, please consider the needs of others by being mindful of the amount of time you are in a stall. While it may be more convenient to use a wheelchair accessible stall to try on clothes because it has more room, please refrain from doing so as it prevents folks with mobility aids from being able to use the restroom.
My group is doing a clothing swap or other related event – can we partner with the Exchange Closet?
Absolutely - the more collaboration with the Exchange Closet, the better! Just use the contact information above to reach out!
