What do you do when your wardrobe needs an update, but you don’t want to spend money on fast fashion? During the nationwide National Repair Week (October 10–17), everything revolves around reuse and repair. To make sustainable living accessible to everyone, this initiative is being implemented on a particularly grand scale in Amsterdam-West.
On Sunday, October 11, MidWest is organizing the very last edition of its free clothing swap. Amsterdammers can swap clothes—without cash registers or tokens—and have them repaired on the spot. And there’s more: all clothing left over at the end of the day will be donated to a charity.
Here’s how the very last clothing swap at MidWest works
Since 2022, De Kledingruil has been a beloved tradition at venues like Sissi’s and Multipla. On Sunday, October 11 (12:00 p.m.–5:00 p.m.), the initiative returns to MidWest in Amsterdam-West for one final time.
The concept is simple: no cash registers, no price tags, and no tokens. Admission is free. You drop off your clean, nice clothes at the entrance and browse for new finds to your heart’s content. Everything that’s left over goes to a charity.
For the occasion, MidWest is transforming into a neighborhood festival featuring a DJ, a nail bar, tarot readings, coffee with toasted sandwiches, and a “repair queen” in the sewing corner for on-the-spot clothing repairs.
Get free clothes and have items repaired
The clothing swap at MidWest takes place right in the middle of National Repair Week (October 10–17). During this themed week, the focus is on repairing clothing and other items instead of throwing them away.
Does your favorite piece of clothing have a tear or a loose button? During the campaign week, local sewing workshops and repair cafés in West are organizing extra workshops and open drop-in sessions. Using the online national repair map, you can immediately see which neighborhood locations in Amsterdam-West are participating and where you can go for free or for a small fee.
