From Repair to Reuse: A Day of Clothing Swap and Sustainability with Patagonia at Hiroshima University

On October 20, 2024, something different happened at Hiroshima University’s central plaza.

In collaboration with Patagonia, we hosted the Worn Wear College Tour, featuring not only their mobile repair truck “Tsugihagi,” but also a student-organized clothing swap event under the ReuseGo project.

Our message was clear:Don’t throw your clothes away.Let them tell stories. Let them continue their journey with someone else.

A clothing swap is simple, fun, and free.Participants bring clean, wearable secondhand clothes. Before the event, we collected and sorted the items, and attached a Reuse Story Tag to each piece.

These tags carried short stories from their previous owners:“This dress was my graduation day outfit.”“I wore this shirt to my very first part-time job.”By reading the tags, participants didn’t just choose a shirt—they chose a story to wear.

Event day

One of the most exciting parts was Patagonia’s mobile repair service.Their expert team fixed holes, replaced buttons, and demonstrated darning embroidery techniques.

There were also displays of before-and-after clothing repairs that showed:“Worn is better than new. Repair is style.”

What surprised me the most was how easily clothes became a bridge.

Students and locals, international and Japanese, parents and children—everyone started conversations through clothing.

We didn’t just exchange clothes—we exchanged warmth, languages, and perspectives.

This was just one day, but it created lasting impact at ReuseGo, we believe clothing reuse is not just about sustainability—it’s about human connection.

We’ll continue creating events that bring people together through clothes.Join us next time, and pass the story on.