On Friday, Nov. 14, the Riley Ellipse will be transformed into an outdoor thrift store, full of people, clothes and colors.
It is now a biannual tradition, and the Student Sustainability Committee is running the Wildcat Thrift as a way to encourage students to shop sustainably and to give rather than waste.
“Our motivation is trying to make clothing a closed economy here at Villanova,” senior and Wildcat Thrift Chair Natalia Rodal Fernandez said. “Some of the most sustainable ways of closing [the clothing] cycle and making it better for the world is to repurpose clothes and keep them in the economy where they keep being worn.”
During this event, individuals and organizations can set up tables on the Ellipse or anywhere surrounding the Oreo and offer the once-ignored pieces from their closets.
Students can mill around from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m. and look at everything the Thrift has to offer.
“We have around 12 vendors this year,” Fernandez said. “They each have different clothing vibes they bring to the table. … So students can expect just to walk around, find other options in clothing options from different vendors on campus.”
Started just three years ago, the Wildcat Thrift is relatively new to campus and is constantly expanding as more students discover it. The Student Sustainability Committee (SSC) is always focused on continuing this outreach to spread the word about the wastefulness of the clothing industry.
The textiles industry is the second-most polluting industry in the world and generates more than 57 million tons of waste each year. This is a grim reality, one that is not improved by the sheer amount of fossil fuels used in clothing production, especially by fast fashion brands.
The Wildcat Thrift is one effort to try and extend the lifespan of clothing rather than accepting a culture of easy waste and replacement.
The biannual event is only one of the various initiatives started by the members of the Student Sustainability Committee on behalf of the Villanova community.
“We have an Instagram (@villanovasustainability) where [students] can look at what other events are happening around campus,” Fernandez said. “Besides the Wildcat Thrift, we have different committees within the Student Sustainability Committee which have different projects that are ongoing.”
One of these projects involves restoring Villanova’s status as an arboretum, a title it lost in 2019. There is also a sorting committee and a biodiversity initiative to explore.
At the Wildcat Thrift, there will be surveys available for interested students who want to join the committee.
As the day of the Wildcat Thrift approaches, though, it takes precedence. Taking place in the heart of campus, foot traffic is a given and the committee hopes some students linger to discover the importance of this event.
“I hope [students] realize that there are other ways of keeping clothes in a closed system, other than throwing them out,” Fernandez said. “It is really awesome to see how students can become interested in sustainability through something as simple as fashion. I think the Wildcat Thrift is a great way of showcasing that and making students interested.”
While we all love to buy new clothes and follow the latest trends, the Wildcat Thrift serves as a reminder that sometimes we need to slow down and take a look at our consumption and where our money is going. This Friday is the perfect opportunity to put some new, more sustainable habits into practice. Look around, support friends and contribute to closing our clothing economy one thrift stop at a time.
