High Fashion, Low Waste

by Ava Killbourn

Edgar Degas, Dinner at the Ball, 1879 

There may be an impressive assortment of traditions at St Andrews, but balls in all their reminiscent finery represent an object of fascination among outsiders and newcomers. Although balls at St Andrews have a distinctly modern flavour, semi-formal dress is still a firm expectation for most of the biggest events of the year.

St Andrews has a uniquely high fashion social scene: Kate Kennedy Opening Ball, Welly Ball and Mermaids Christmas Ball (pictured L-R). 

Unfortunately, the need for a shiny new outfit for every event can leave both our bank accounts and the environment a little downtrodden. This week I caught up with Naomi Smith, the creator of new formalwear exchange service, St Andrews Ball Swap. Here is what she had to say about her venture.  

“Tell me a little bit about St Andrews Ball Swap and how you came up with the idea.” 

“I have been shopping secondhand for as long as I can remember. Fast fashion and poor labor rights in the clothing industry have been issues close to my heart since I became more involved in environmentalism. When coming to St Andrews, I realised that first of all, the secondhand shops were quite limited, catering generally to the elderly population and secondly, with an excess of balls and events, I was surprised that nobody had made an effort to start a secondhand formal wear initiative. I decided that I would start an Instagram to see if there was even an interest and when I realised there was, I decided to promote it and eventually expand to Facebook. The Ball Swap Initiative is there to allow students to post formal wear that either they no longer wear or clothing they would be happy for someone to borrow for an event. I post the photos and information about the item and someone viewing can directly message the owner to ask if they can borrow. The platform accepts dresses, suits, shoes, accessories, etc.” 

“Why did you decide to focus specifically on formal wear for balls and not some other aspect of student fashion?”

“I realised that there was already a platform for student fashion i.e. sustainable style and other student led initiatives. When I was in my first year staying in McIntosh Hall, I constantly heard students speak of online sites such as ASOS, Boohoo, and QUIZ, where the majority were getting their formal wear and I just couldn't believe how no one managed to realise how harmful that is to the environment. When I attended balls, I tried my best to find something secondhand and I ended up buying a dress from an RSPCA charity shop in Kent on Depop. I knew that someone would have to start a formal wear swap or at least something more accessible to students and more eco-friendly and that's where I came in.” 

“Why is sustainability and circular fashion important to you, especially with regard to the St Andrews and student communities?”

“I read an article back in 2016 about the harm of the fast fashion industry and have since been transformed. I think clothing is one of the easiest ways to transition into being more eco-friendly as it doesn't necessarily involve a lifestyle change. All it takes is just saying no to online websites, no to new clothing shops and yes to secondhand. It's really not that hard, but it is important to remember that some people do not have the privilege nor the time to search for vintage, secondhand items. I think we need to educate students about the benefits of shopping secondhand. Students are always trying to find ways to save money, and this is one way to do just that. Especially, in St Andrews with its small community and limited number of shops, it is important not to give in to online deliveries and instead focus on what we have as a community."

A few of my favourites from Ball Swap’s Instagram page 

“What has been your favourite part of running a program like this?”  

“My favourite part of running this initiative has been the response I've gotten from the community of St Andrews. Everyone is so interested in the project and everyone wants to take part and I love that. I've already been interviewed by the Environment Team of the university as well as The St Andrews Environmental Network and I just love seeing the enthusiasm surrounding this project!” 

“What do you hope for Ball Swap in the future?”

“At the moment, the swap is not incredibly popular among students willing to lend items, most of the items on the Instagram page are actually mine, so I'm really hoping more students will send me photos and info of items are Christmas and hopefully second semester, when the majority of the balls happen. I really want to ramp it up by then so we can have a good circular economy going in St Andrews and we minimise online deliveries and new items. I think students are hesitant of lending their items for hygiene issues and I always tell them that they are welcome to charge a refundable fee that will be returned or not based on the cleanliness of their items. I want to make sure this is a beneficial experience to all parties involved.” 

“Is there anything else you want the St Andrews community to know about Ball Swap?” 

“Please follow the Instagram page @standrewsballdressswap and our Facebook under the same name! Also please send in your items; the site is in desperate need of items to be borrowed by students. Thanks so much for listening and if you are interested in getting involved with the project, please email me at ns233@st-andrews.ac.uk.” 

Thank you to Naomi for all her hard work and dedication; let’s help her make this and future event seasons more consumer conscious! 

What they need!