Winter, the season of hibernation, is a great time to clean out your closet. (Wes & Kayla think so too - see their post yesterday about how to organize a closet clean-out.) All year long we stockpile our discards in anticipation of a stellar clothing swap hosted by friends of ours...
In case you're new to the idea of a clothing swap, here's how this one worked: Over 20 people brought bags of clothes. Upon entry, they dumped the bags on the living room floor. Mayhem ensued. Well, not really. As control freaks, we were concerned that, by not sorting the pile into shirts, pants, dresses, etc., it would be too difficult to search the heap. But it turns out that the chaotic pile is much more fun and yields terrific surprises. A nice bonus to this clothing swap was a potluck brunch. Granted, we were too obsessed with restocking our tired wardrobe to pause to eat (until after all the swappers had arrived and dumped and we'd assured our greedy selves that we'd exhausted the pile.)
At the end of the swap, our friends were still left with a sizable pile of clothes. Giddy with the high that comes from hosting a wildly successful clothing swap they spontaneously piled on as many layers as possible from the rejects pile and ambled to Boomerangs, a local thrift shop that supports the Aids Action Committee. Needless to say, they were well received by the staff and were photographed as they stripped and tossed the layers into the donation bin. These chicks know how to have fun.
So give it a try - invite a handful of friends over for a clothing swap. We pretty much guarantee that you'll have a good time and you'll get a new wardrobe. For FREE. (Of course, this creates the additional organizational challenge of integrating the new old stuff into your closet but that's for another day...)
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We've been doing this for at least five years now. Everyone brings wine, and it basically becomes drunk shopping. The only problem is that it only works if everyone is the same size.
view kayonyc's profile
I this twice a year and almost everyone leaves with a lot.
I also include shoes, handbags, and now even unused cosmetics (you know those bonus items you'll never use?)
It is wildly successful amongst my friends and people start buggin me months in advance as to when the next one will be.
Next stop-we're hosting a wine & cheese party and I'm going to incorporate a book swap into the deal.
view truenic's profile
I just saw something about clothing swaps on tv....on What Not to Wear
view Donald in Pigtown's profile
WNTW sanctions clothing swaps?! Seems so counter to their message.
view farmhousemoderne's profile
clinton and stacey were appalled at the idea. the person who participated in the swap was nominated to be on the show. yes, i have seen almost every episode.
view robinp's profile
I love it.
If something in too big and no one wants it I would try to reuse the fabric someway.
view Haunted_Studio's profile
My friends and I have done this a few times--we gather at the house of a friend's mum (it's huge), everyone lays out their things in a different area, and we have a quick whirl around the rooms for a brief overview of what everyone's brought. This way works for us as we are a range of different sizes and it's easier to focus on certain rooms than go through huge piles. Everyone ends up running all over the house showing off things they've found and putting together outfits for one another.
Aside from clothes, there's the hallway of shoes, the sofa of handbags, the coffee table of entertainment (books & movies), the sideboard of miscellanea...and the kitchen table of snacks! Our next one should be at the end of this month--I just moved and have a ton of stuff to sort for the big give-away!
view Mlle Kate's profile
what is with that first picture? eesh
view EasilyAmused's profile
Re: sizes. Actually, it's worked fantastic even though we're not all CURRENTLY the same size. Why? Because we all have guilty pieces that are either too big or too small and we're waiting until we "drop that weight" to squeeze into it. Most of my clothes from the last one came from a friend who is now a size 16 but used to be an 6/8. She also swapped clothes with a girl who was a 14 and hey, everyone's shoe sizes tend to be the same no matter what the dress size.
This is why it's alos important to include non-clothing items-so that everyone has a chance at something they love.
view truenic's profile
Clothe swaps are always fun whether people are the same size or not. I remember my mom doing them when I was a kid and I've been participating in them at least once a year for ..golly.. 20 years now. I am never the same size as my friends but somehow there is always something for everyone.
I am hosting a huge public swap April 4th at Phantom Gallery in downtown Santa Rosa, CA.
Talk about chaos!
view little green's profile
I did this a few years ago. I invited a group of ladies that I worked with to my place and told them to each bring any clothing/accessories that they no longer wanted. We had fun putting together new outfits and it gave the pleasure of shopping with none of the expense. After we divvied up the goods we ordered Chinese food and did in a couple of bottles of wine. Any clothes that no one wanted were bagged up and donated to the thrift store down the street.
view Maureen's profile