Instead, a large supply of buttons was used as currency at the Green Wardrobe event put on by the City of Ballarat Youth Council.

There were more than 250 clothing exchanges at the special event held at the Old Sheriff's Office on Camp Street.

For youth council member Senesha Kumarage it was an opportunity to show that fashion and an environmental conscience can go hand in hand.

"Sustainability is something we are all passionate about and when we researched into it more, we found out that sustainability in fashion is something [that] isn't often talked about," Ms Kumarage told The Courier.

"We really wanted to promote it and raise awareness for it in our community."

"It's been really eye-opening and I really hope everybody has learned something from it."

As well as a clothes exchange, there were workshops giving lessons on upcycling clothes, musical recitals, and talks from environmental and sustainable fashion experts.

Fellow youth council member Eloise Amirtharajah said the event had been very positively received: "It's been really exciting to see how many members of the community have come forward and really showed an interest in this."

Ms Amirtharajah said she had made some fashion discoveries herself.

"I just picked up a brand new pair of Puma pumps, which have never been worn, and I am very excited," she said

Both reported that there had been a large number of items brought in with tags on, which had often been ordered online and didn't fit people when they arrived.

"There are so many stories like that," Ms Amirtharajah said. "It's great that this has provided a platform where people can exchange them and take something in return."

Katja Fiedler, a council youth development officer, said the Green Wardrobe event had been a "massive success" and paid tribute to the "incredibly passionate" members of the youth council who helped make it happen.

Both Ms Amirtharajah and Ms Kumarage said they hoped similar events would be held in the future.

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