A project that runs old-clothes borrowing like a library is expanding its reach in Shropshire, UK. Called With Love From, the project uses donated clothing to set up shared wardrobes in local libraries, and a new location in Shrewsbury has now officially opened; previously, Oswestry Library had already been offering free selection of formalwear to be returned after events since late 2024.

Key points

  • The project "With Love From" sets up shared wardrobes in Shropshire libraries, first launching in Oswestry in late 2024 and now expanding to Shrewsbury Library.
  • Participants can freely choose clothing suitable for occasions such as weddings and Christmas and return it after use; garments include sequined outfits, menswear, childrenswear, and a range of sizes and materials, with womenswear predominating.
  • The project works with Repair Cafes in Shrewsbury and Oswestry on clothing care activities; old clothes that cannot be repaired are kept and used as materials in workshops to make new items.

Lead Lizzie Dibble said the model, like libraries, is built on trust: "We trust people and things work. It breeds respect for clothes and hopefully encourages people to treasure these items more." She said the shared wardrobe can "really lift people's spirits"—from sequins to bright colors, from festive outfits to menswear and childrenswear, there is a rich variety of sizes, fabrics, and textures. "Just being able to come in and browse makes people feel better."

Shrewsbury Library manager Katherine Berry said the response to the new site has been very good. She said many people exclaim "what a brilliant idea," because many are under cost-of-living pressure or care about environmental issues; if a garment would only be worn once, sharing can keep sustainability going. She mentioned occasions such as weddings and Christmas, and said it is a good thing that clothes can be loved again.

In addition to borrowing, the project also partners with Repair Cafes in both places to run clothing care sessions, mending old or damaged clothes; those that cannot be repaired are kept by Dibble and taken to sewing workshops to turn the fabric into new things. "The core is to keep items in circulation for longer," she said.

For the old-clothes industry, this case demonstrates a local-community-oriented circular model of "borrowing rather than buying": relying on the network of public libraries to lower the barrier to use, using repair and remaking to extend the life cycle of clothing, and using one-off occasion wear as an entry point directly linked to cost-of-living pressure and environmental awareness.

Source: Clothing scheme that works like a library expands to Shrewsbury · Originally published 2026-10-06