Dress yourself for free: How to host a clothing swap
I spend almost nothing on clothes. According to Mint, I’ve spent $199.50 to clothe my family of five this year. They say the average U.S. household has spent $1258.62. That’s more than six times my spending.
It’s been years since I walked into a clothing store, tried on styles I liked and bought myself a new pair of jeans. That doesn’t mean I’m content to dress like a slob, or wear the same tried-and-true favorites season after season. I change up my wardrobe every few months with a huge shopping spree — from my friends’ closets.
The Clothing Swap
A clothing swap is a win on several fronts, For example, it decreases clutter in your closet, and gives you a chance to freshen up your wardrobe for free.
I find the selection at a clothing swap is better than I get in most thrift stores. My friends’ tastes in clothes are fairly similar to mine, so I don’t have to wade through rack after rack of 1970s polyester blouses to get to the good stuff. The last swap I was at had an entire business wardrobe of designer-label stuff in my size, a lot of it still with the tags on. I also picked up half a dozen cozy, long-sleeved t-shirts and a pair of great jeans.
I feel free to experiment with my wardrobe. If something fits well but is wildly different from my usual style, I can take it home and see if I like it. If it sits at the back of my closet for six months untouched, I can just return it next time I go to a swap. No harm, no foul. With clothing swap finds, I’ve expanded my staple wardrobe from simple jeans and t-shirts to include a lot more adventurous skirts and dresses.
Clothing swaps are great fun. I’d much rather spend a morning hanging out with a group of friends chatting and laughing while we play dress-up than spend hours trolling a mall for the right ensemble.
I’ve heard these events called “naked lady parties”, but men can play this game, too. I’ve hosted swaps that were just for the ladies and swaps that were co-ed. Do what works for you.
Swapping is simple
Here’s how to host a clothing swap:
- Find a space. If you’re hosting a small event for your friends, your living room is probably ample. If you want to make it bigger, church basements and community centers are often open to this type of thing.
- Decide who to invite. Do you want it to be all women, or co-ed? Just your close friends, or a big group? Will your swap have a theme, like a fancy dress swap or a mother-daughter swap?
- Make your announcement. Giving people a few weeks notice before a clothing swap is a good idea. You want to give your guests time to gather up their unwanted duds, and make sure they have open space on their calendars.
- Set rules for what can be swapped. Decide what you want people to bring, and what should go straight in the Goodwill bin. A good first rule is that everything be clean and in good condition. You may want to prohibit donations of used underthings. Some swaps also exclude kids’ clothing, athletic wear or winter gear, just because there’s so much of it and the appeal is so limited.
- Gather your supplies. You’ll want a ready supply of trash bags for people to take clothes home in. Also handy: sharpie markers and masking tape for making labels. Full length mirrors are a huge bonus. You may also want to put out some light snacks and beverages, in a separate room from where the swap is happening.
- Collect clothing. Encourage people to drop off their donations a few days in advance, so that you have time to set up and sort the loot before the event starts. This helps cut down on chaos. People will bring clothes as they arrive on the day of the swap; it’s human nature to do these things at the last minute. But you can get a head start by taking things early and having piles already going when your first guests arrive.
- Set up the swap. To help people find what they want, sort clothes into based on type. You’ll want a separate heap for shirts, t-shirts, pants, sweaters, jackets, etc.
- Donate the leftovers. When the swap is over, take the leftovers to Goodwill, Planet Aid, or the charity of your choice. It’s best to have a couple of dedicated volunteers on hand to help with this. The job can be overwhelming for one person.
The best reward to hosting a clothing swap? You get first dibs on everything that comes in as you sort through the donations.
Final Thoughts
The biggest risk is bedbugs. Bedbugs are a nightmare to live with and nearly impossible to get rid of. They love to travel in clothes, but can’t survive the heat of a dryer. If you’re hosting a clothing swap, make a very firm rule that everything brought into the house be freshly cleaned.
Hosting a clothing swap is a great way to slash your clothing budget to almost nothing, and it’s a fun way to spend time with your friends. It’s also a way to live green. We don’t usually think of clothes as recyclable in the same way a soda can is, but clothing makes up 5% of the municipal waste in New York City. That’s a lot of clothes going into landfills.
Swapping your unwanted stuff decreases your demand for new manufactured textiles, which can be a drain on natural resources. It also helps keep more clothes out of landfills.
Got any more tips on how to host a clothing swap? Leave ’em in the comments!
For more clothing tips, also see How to Stop Buying Clothes You Never Wear and Embracing the Thrift Store Ethic: 18 Top Tips for Buying Used Clothes. Also welcome Lifehacker readers! Photo by iwona_kellie.
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There are 73 comments to "Dress yourself for free: How to host a clothing swap".
Uh, your math is a little off, that’s only just over six times.
I like swapping for kids but at 6′, and my husband at 6’8″, there aren’t too many people around to swap WITH. I always turn green [with sour grapes envy] when these ‘save money on clothes with second hand’ posts float through because I can never find anything. I can’t even shop most SALES. Woe is me.
Blarg! And I should have caught that math error on editing. Thanks, Shara.
I also should have noticed last night that I had this scheduled to publish Saturday instead of Friday. Oops. Oh well. Mixing up my post times once in a while makes things interesting, right? 🙂
You might want to check with her. It could be a typo and the 1 and 2 are backward.
I’m 6’7″ and I get most of my clothes made to measure from all over the Internet. I guess I’m left out as well.
@Shara: Sadly, I’m the same. I literally have not one friend who is my Salma Hayek-esque size/build. I don’t buy clothes, I HUNT for them. 🙂
It’s also super frustrating for me to spend hours in a thrift store, only to find a few things I like that don’t end up fitting. But I don’t want to hijack this post, just want to say I feel your sour grapes envy!!
I do give away clothing, though, usually to Goodwill or younger cousins without much cash.
I’m in the same boat as commenter #1 (Shara). I’m only 5’11”, but when all of your friends are 5’8″ or under, you can’t swap anything. Dresses are an awkward length, shirt sleeves aren’t long enough, shirt lengths (midriff) are too short, etc. There’s no way I’d be able to swap with anyone on pants or shoes, either. I’ve only recently been able to find women’s pants with a 34 or 36 inseam, and most of my jeans come from Western Wear stores because they size theirs like guys pants – waist and inseam sizes. As for shoes…if any of you wear a 11 womens, I’d love to swap! Many of my shoes (running shoes, even my cowboy boots) are mens’ shoes.
Wow, that sounds like a great idea, especially for toddlers. We often get hand-me-downs from friends because my kids are all generally smaller than all my friend’s kids.
I would much rather if our clothes went to my friends than Salvation Army. The SA by our house is ridiculously over-priced. It is sad because I thought they were supposed to be helping people.
I have been on a mission to de-clutter for almost a year now. Every couple of months, I go into my closet and fill a bag of clothing. In the beginning, I had so much to get rid of! Nowadays, I can usually round half a dozen items that I had trouble parting with previously. But instead of swapping them, I just wait for a hang out session with my girlfriends and I plop down the bag of clothes. My friends pounce on it and next thing I know that gorgeous vintage dress that never fit me right has a new home. It’s more fun to give to your friends than Goodwill and, if you’re like me, giving away is even better than swapping.
My MIL’s gazingus pin is buying clothing for her grandkids. We’ve also benefited from hand-me-downs from colleagues’ kids. We’ve spent money on shoes and a couple of uniforms for them. But if we needed kid’s clothing, I understand there’s a great monthly clothing swap in our area.
@6 Most goodwill-like stores use the profits for their programs. Lower-cost Stuff is not their main mission.
@Emma
http://www.tallwomensclothes.com/ They are pricey, but great for suits and stuff that you just can’t get from Wrangler.
I’m size 11 shoes. I get sneakers from eastbay.com (11 is an odd size and therefore goes on clearance after the regular sizes are gone) and dress shoes from Naturalizer.com.
Harder is my husband. He’s a size 16 shoe. Finding anything but sneakers is very difficult. Luckily basket ball players are big guys so sneakers go up very large, but we usually have to special order anything like slippers or dress shoes.
Might be useful for some but would never work for me: the only clothing swap I have participated in is claiming my mother’s silk sari collection. Great quality, one size fits all.
same problem as many people quoted here…I am (very) tall and thin. I know very few other women with my proportions, and all of my clothes are hard-won prizes found by diligent hunting and, more often than not, alterations by a good tailor. I will often pay above the odds for a pair of slacks that actually fit!
Perhaps there’s a market here – one of us could start a clothing thrift specializing in unusual sizes, have an online website with exact measurements etc.
How do you ensure fairness? I went to a clothing swap once where one woman brought a ton of really nice, high quality clothing. She had had weight loss surgery, and had dropped several sizes. Unfortunately, other people hadn’t brought nearly as many items, or as nice, and she basically ended up giving away her clothes, and came home with nothing new.
Thanks for the suggestions. I am actually just getting ready to host my first uniform swap. In the city where we live all the schools, public and private, have the same dress code. It’s solid polo shirts with khaki or denim bottoms, so I thought why not host a swap so we don’t all have to buy new uniforms for the school year. (We start school first week of Aug. so it’s not that far off.) Hopefully everyone will go home with at least enough things to cut their spending in half and after we’ve done it once more people will be interested in participating.
Just checking in to see if any men had commented on this article. Based on the commenters names, none so far (except J.D, who wasn’t actually talking about the content of the article).
On a related swap idea, I hosted a plant exchange at work. Thirty five employees thinned out their yards and brought perennials such as hosta, astilbe, hydrangea, coneflower, daisies, bee balm, small trees and even raspberries! For each plant donated, a ticket was given. As numbers were called out, participants went around the room to pick out a plant. Nice way to meet people who enjoy gardening, save money and learn about new plants! Any left over plants were donated to local community gardens. By the way our hometown, Buffalo, NY is celebrating National Garden Festival. See attached website.
Good idea, but this assumes that your friends and acquaintances are the same size as you. I’m not tall like some of the other women who have commented. Rather, I am short and much more curvy than most of the women I know who I would feel comfortable doing this with. There’s no way we could share clothes. I think it makes more sense to do this with children.
This also wouldn’t work with my husband, since our friends are all different shapes and have very different wardrobes. In essence, you need carbon copies of yourself both in shape, taste, and lifestyle to make this work.
And, as someone else pointed out – how do you deal with different quality clothes and name brands?
I love the idea, but I don’t know anyone who has successfully had one of these. Everyone I know is different ages, styles and sizes. We usually just pass clothes along if they’ll work.
There are some community-wide swaps in major cities here in Canada, I wonder if that might work for those of us who are hard to shop for?
Unfortunately, after hitting a certain time in my life, I put on weight and grew “out of” all my clothes. A great consignment shop opened up in my neighborhood. I’ve been bringing in all my clothes, selling them and using the proceeds to purchase new consigned clothes in my bigger (sigh) size. My daughter, age 23, who grew up wearing clothes I picked up at yard sales, loves this store, as she has been able to get designer jeans and tops, things she never would be able to afford on her income. I’m also realizing that I can live with less, as I wasn’t wearing half of what was in my closet anyway. No matter what it costs, if I don’t love it, and can’t think of an occasion to wear it, I don’t buy it. The only thing I can’t buy there are shoes, as I wear a wide width and they’re hard to find. Used clothing is also a huge business on Ebay.
I went to a very very large version of this a few years ago in Brooklyn. I can’t remember what the name of the group was that organized it, but I know there are several in the US that organize these events in major cities. It’s probably very easy to find via Google.
The deal is: Bring a bag of clothing and $10. Drop off the clothing which is then sorted for you in categories (pants, t-shirts, bags, etc). You can then take anything you want that’s already been donated by others and sorted out.
The best part about this (and here’s where the taller and more huggable people can take part) is that they get seamstresses to come in with an army of sewing machines where you can get assisted in altering clothing. They won’t necessarily fix anything for you, but will help you fix things yourself. You can mix two short skirts to make a long one. You can open the seams on a shirt and sew in the material of another to make it larger. You can also get creative and create your own styles. The event I attended also had a silk-screening table with designs and, as people had donated beads and patches, there was a whole room dedicated to people sewing doodads onto their new clothes. Really the entire event was fantastic. I found a jacket lining which I immediately sewed into my winter jacket which had not been keeping me warm enough. I also found some cute Doc Martin shoes.
This event took place around when the bed-bug epidemic was just getting started, so I’m not sure how safe it is now. It took place in Williamsburg Brooklyn which is inundated with the critters. Maybe the solution to this is to make a trip to the laundry before going home with your new items.
In Portland, there’s a community swap that offers options for a variety of sizes. They also have a housewares swap twice a year.
http://pdxswap.com/
I know of similar projects in Seattle and San Francisco, but the Portland Swap is the most organized, I think.
I think this approach might work best for kids’ clothes, but not for many adults. I admire the recycling ethic as I try to do that with other things. However, for me the best solution seems to be buying classic styles very carefully, getting things altered, and keeping them a long time. My closet is not cluttered at all, and I have a “dressy” professional job. I have to get everything store bought altered anyway as nothing fits properly, and if you sew your own clothes, as I once did, or are used to Indian tailors, the ill fitting nature of most bought clothes is very annoying. This, at a size 12-14, perfect proportions, and my only figure defect a slightly short waist! Who are the clothes in stores being made FOR? I should hate to take someone’s old clothes to my tailor. It would eliminate all the savings. Saris are the only exception-good ones are usually handed down, and one size fits all. You have to get the blouses tailored anyway, and that is always fun, as the ladies in sari shops are so attentive-a completely different shopping experience from the mall, needless to say. Thats the way I’m trending for evening wear as shopping is so inefficient. Shoes are a major problem as I need a wide fitting but elegant shoe-I mail order from Sofft.
My friends and I host clothing swaps 1-2 times a year, and they are always fun. Most of my friends are similar heights (5’2″ to 5’7″ maybe) but sizes range from 0-14. Somehow it works out, partly because a) try to make sure at least 2 invitees are about the same size because they may end up swapping with each other, b) some people bring things that are too big/too small for their current size so work for others, and c) sometimes the same piece can still work well with different proportioned bodies.
Be prepared both for your friends to strip in front of you and for some to need privacy.
Tami asked about how to keep it fair. I’d suggest focusing more on hanging out, having fun, and cleaning out your closet, and MAYBE find some hidden gems if you think that may be an issue with some of the invitees (although I have not found that to be the case).
Regarding different clothing styles, part of the fun is trying stuff outside your comfort zone. Although, keep in mind that any one piece has numerous pairing options, so you are not looking for the exact outfit your friend wore that you would not be caught dead in, just the shirt/sweater/pants/scarf/etc. to make it something you would wear.
I have been thinking about hosting a small swap amongst friends (all about the same size, same build), but I am trying to figure out how it would work. For example If there are 6 ladies and two of them wanted the same thing from one person, how does that person decide who to give it to? I think that is what has been holding me back from hosting. I am still trying to figure it out. Eventually I would like to make it a bigger event, a community swap but I thought to try it with friends first. The only thing I am trying to figure out is how do you figure out who to give what to if its a small gathering or even if it was 15 people? Any advice? I havent ever attended a swap but would love to one day.
I was in a Mothers of Twins Club and we had clothing/toy/equipment exchanges twice a year. Made friends with a mom of triplets and for years she just brought her clothes to me to buy cheap! It was great, she bought top brands and never let her kids get dirty!!!
I would hazard a guess that this type of thing works best for women, and specifically for women with a need for leisure or business-casual clothes. It seems like it ought to work for men as well, but just based on past comments re: thrift shopping, it seems that men who need business wear tend to be skeeved out by used clothing.
I’ve many times considered hosting a costume swap for the ballroom dancers in our community. Fit is less of an issue when the garment is made of spandex. 🙂
As a man, I would have no interest in this type of activity. First off, my fashions are pretty static. The suit I wore in 1996 to my first job interview still fits me, still looks fine, and was purchased in a neutral charcoal color so it’s acceptable formal business occasions, weddings and funerals. Most of the other clothes that have come through my closet in the time period have been pretty boring, too. For a couple of years I spent nothing on clothes, since I knew I would get gifts at Christmas that would last me another year. So why spend money or go looking for clothes? Even now, I might get an urge to buy clothes maybe once or twice a year. Otherwise, I pretty much grab what’s on top and put it on.
I would also have the same problem with some of the female posters in that I do not choose my friends based on their similarity to my body shape and style. So I would likely not find clothes that fit.
Also, since men’s fashions are generally pretty conservative, especially for work (cough blue shirt and khaki pants) men’s clothes are far more likely to be completely worn out at the end of their life and replaced with a like item, kind of like tires or shock absorbers.
I guess there are men who probably are into fashion, but most men I know are dressed by their mother, sister, girlfriend or wife. I also hang out with a lot of engineers, so my fashion world is pretty well described by Dilbert. I can honestly say in the last decade the only time I’ve complimented my friend’s outfit was when it was an avatar on a video game.
If I’m going to get together with my friends, we aren’t going to waste time swapping outfits, we will be playing video games, drinking beer, watching sports or eating.
We did this as a fundraiser at my place of work…had all the ladies bring in their gently used, clean stuff…charged people $1 per item to take what they wanted, and then donated the rest to the local Goodwill-equivalent. The funds raised went to one of the cancer research charities in our office. Oh, and I got 10 new items of clothing 🙂
i think this is a great idea. if you can find people with styles you like and are your similar size this can work really well.
i have given tons and tons of clothes away to friends over the years and only a few times got stuff in return.
this just might be the gathering i have been looking for.
@ Emma
I wear 11 or 12 too! Payless is the worlds best shoe store in my opinion! 🙂 If you live in FL let me know! haha
Also – my mom, sister, and I will do a jewelry/accessory swap every few years. Most jewlery usually fits everyone and accessories always do. You can do purses, hats, scarves, jewelry, bags, hair ribbons, and anything else you can dig up. Just be sure that you are REALLY okay with parting with it if you come away with nothing.
It’s a good way to try out some new styles and find a good home for those awesome earrings that you never actually wore for some reason.
As far as all these being fair – I think that people have to go in knowing they possibly could go away empty handed. I mean, all they are really getting rid of is clothes they don’t really want – it’s not like they are having to pay to participate.
It would be a bummer – but it wouldn’t really surprise me at a party where people are getting what essentially amounts to ‘leftovers’.
I’ve hosted two of these parties before and they were great fun. I don’t think I could attend more than 1 per year though, as I don’t go through clothes fast enough to have stuff to contribute more often than that.
To the tall ladies: One of the most interesting thing for me was how many different body types fit in the same size. It’s not true for jeans of course, but it was fascinating to see how the same dress looked good on a friend who is tall and thin, and a friend who is tall and curvy and who is average height and uber-athletic. I was shocked how the whole look of the same item could change depending on who was wearing it and how they filled it out.
I loved the idea so much that I and a few women tried this as a churchwide event. It didn’t work out well at all unfortunately. Lots of donators, but only a few takers. I don’t know why. Maybe our church folk just aren’t frugal. Donated a lot of stuff to a thrift store, though, which was nice.
For myself – like others here – this is more of a “great in theory, not so workable in practice” type of deal. Almost none of my friends are my size. I agree with the poster who said that this type of idea would work better with kids clothes.
I’m with most of the other posters. Great idea but I don’t see it working for me as I am taller and thinner than most of my close friends. I keep an eye out for sales, but if I really like and can justify getting something I just buy it new.
I can just picture a bunch of men stripping down to their underwear and trying on each other’s clothes…yeah I think it will probably remain a women’s activity.
Though the women may swap men’s clothes.
This sounds awesome, but I’m going to have to stick to Kohl’s and Goodwill…at 5’2″ and chubby, I’m a much different shape than my friends that range from petite princesses to DAMN darlings (5’4″ – 5’9″ 105-375 pound women). Oh well, good idea anyway! Find a nice sweater with me in mind. 🙂
I’m extremely fussy about my clothes and hard to fit, and many of my friends are much younger or much older. Their styles/coloring wouldn’t work for me. As for used clothes in general, I have to scour thrift stores and it’s too exhausting to do. Accessories work much better for swapping in my world.
Please remember… Goodwill doesn’t want clothes with stains either. Clothes which are donated should be in good condition, too.
I agree with Jason (#26). Asking other men to participate in an “outfit swap” would probably also create the wrong impression. 0_o
I have a female friend that does this all the time but she won’t let me come because 1) my selection of woman’s clothing is rather limited.
2) Women seem to have a hard time undressing in front of me.
Its probably a great spectator sport.
I’m tall too and have problems swapping clothes. I really need to get a suit as I will be graduating soon and could use some advice from the other tall gals out there! I am “only” 5’10”, with measurements 36-28-34. I would really need a size 8 tall or maybe even 6 tall to get tailored, but on all the tall-sized websites I have only found size 10 tall and up for suits. That would be alot of tailoring! Any tips?
I love clothing swaps. I have hosted a few, but I’m not very good at networking/getting the word out, so they were small. But I have a friend who hosts great swaps once or twice a year.
@Tami – there’s no way to enforce fairness, but it’s pretty much a matter of outlook. If I can trade a whole laundry tub of clothes I don’t wear (because I quit my office job, because I gained weight, because they never quite fit right) and get four things I actually wear, then that feels like a win, just as much as if I came home with nothing but the empty space in my closet or an entire tub of new clothes.
People go through phases in their lives – at the swaps I see a lot of women bringing in clubwear and going home with maternity clothes, or office clothes – and somebody else picking up the clubwear because they’re newly single or lost weight or have a younger sister who wants them.
Another good option is trendy thrift stores. The store takes the best of the clothes donated and sends the rest on. The clothes are a bit more expensive, but the selection is AMAZING! Some consignment shops operate the same way.
@Sally
What is your inseam?
If it is >34″ I would suggest Long Elegant Legs (http://www.tallwomensclothes.com/). It looks like they don’t have anything your size in suits right now, but their slacks go down to size 4 and you could easily pair it with a jacket. They carry mostly 36″ inseam with some available in 38″.
If you are comfortable with 34″ inseam I would start trolling through the JCPenny site. It is brand specific and you might have to do some research but a number of brands have extra-tall length of 34″. I seem to remember most tall in store is 32-33″ and regular is 30-32″.
Otherwise I would go talk to someone at Men’s Warehouse. It seems counter intuitive, but they have some very affordable slacks that can look very nice with minor adjustment for your hips and waist. The people there are very helpful so you won’t spend hours going through racks (and I was told they deal with PLENTY of tall women so they shouldn’t give you strange looks). Their tailoring is done on site and you can bring them back for free adjustment if they did the initial modification.
When we graduated I got an LEL suit and DH got a Men’s Warehouse mix/match set that needed a LOT of adjustment (his thighs were huge compared to his waist). We were both very pleased with the outcome. But ultimately to look right you’ll probably have to spend a little or find someone who can offer hand me downs that can be altered. At my smallest I was a 12 (damn my hips) or I’d offer you mine to have adjusted.
Couple comments on this:
– As a guy who works in an office, most of the clothes I need are office attire. Most men wear their office attire until it wears out – I know I do (most shirts last 1-2 years). Not much reuse there.
– Men’s sizes are more specific than women’s sizes (for some irrational reason), so it’s harder to find stuff that fits – even if I go to a big thrift store, I can’t usually find much.
HOWEVER, shopping for kids clothes (especially little kids) at yard sales and consignment sales can save you a bundle. I don’t know why you’d exclude these from your swaps, unless very few of you have kids. My daughter outgrows stuff way faster than it wears out.
I’m glad you mentioned the risk of bedbugs as we have recently had a battle with them and this is the very first thing I thought of. Bedbugs are making a HUGE comeback across the nation and they are really devastating. I definitely agree….make an absolute rule that everything be laundered before coming and then I would even throw the clothes into a hot dryer again when I got home because I’m that paranoid. It’s a great idea if it’s done carefully 🙂
I think we’ve spent about $20 on clothes this year (just the hubby and me). This includes getting new socks, underwear, and undershirts because we actually NEEDED them; we’d used them for years and they were starting to tear and get holes. I honestly can’t remember the last time we bought any “real” clothes; maybe before I started my job in September? We have TONS of clothes built up from over the years and we plan on wearing them out before buying new ones. We just buy classics and basics that don’t go out of style, and we buy stuff that’s quality, but not expensive. Staying away from fashion trends is a big boon to our wallets.
Another thing that has worked well for our family is buying clothes off of eBay for a fraction of the new price.
This has mostly worked with our younger children, who don’t really care if they try the stuff on first.
ugh, not for me. I have a ‘thing’ about my cloths fitting just-so, my hems hitting right-there…Nope. No swaps for me. I bet I’ve spend less that $200 this year on clothes also, but the trick is to buy quality pieces and take care of them so that they really last. I spent $300 on boots almost 7 years ago and aside from a re-healing they are still going strong
For people raising size issues (or “man” issues) – why not take this idea but use it for something like an accessories swap (purses, scarves, jewelry) or a home decor swap? Tools, sports equipment, etc… I know there are bike swaps in my city. Just because this specific application doesn’t work for you, doesn’t mean it can’t provide inspiration for another cool idea.
I’ve had great experiences being a part of two swap networks. I go with the attitude of getting rid of stuff, so anything I get is a bonus. Sometimes I get nothing, sometimes score. Trying stuff I wouldn’t spend money on has been fun. While I don’t get all my clothes this way, it’s a great supplement.
If you live near a university many host an annual “dump and run”. When all the dorms empty in May it is insane the amount of stuff students leave behind that they simply can’t or don’t want to fit in their car. All these items are collected and then just before fall semester starts back up there is an enormous yard sale, like gymnasium sized with everything from furniture to computers to clothes, etc.
We lived near an Ivy League for awhile and you wouldn’t believe the things students left behind. Prices were inexpensive, comparable to a yard sale and depending on the university proceeds are used for different things, I think typically charities.
Anyways, check your local university website. I would think most host them around mid-late Aug. when students return, but before classes start so they can do back to school shopping there. Arrive early though, often the line forms hours before the sale starts.
My daughter simply posts on her mother’s group board when her son needs the next size. Usually within two days a bag of that size arrives! She gives the outgrown clothing away to others on her board. Everyone wins eventually (except the shopaholics who still insist on new).
My nieces store all of their baby clothes at my SIL’s house. As their boy/girl grows into the next size—-off to Grandma’s to look at “new clothes”.
In both cases clothes have been gently used and stored correctly.
I give my things to a store that helps women get back into the business world. It is fun to see my clothing around my small town.
That is a great great idea.
Better even than donating, becuase you get something, hopefully more useful, in return.
well that sounds like a good idea but not for me, I don’t like used clothes, plus I don’t really own that many clothes to begin with, just enough for two weeks, that’s it
we all do what works for us =)
That sounds like a lot of fun, but impractical in my case. In the past five years or so, I’ve only bought my wedding outfit, a couple of T-shirts and a swimsuit. I have absolutely nothing to swap and I would feel bad if I was just going to take stuff and not contribute any.
But just because it wouldn’t work for me doesn’t mean it’s a bad idea, and I’m sure it will be of more use to other people. I have to admit though, my friends tend to either not be my size at all, or not have the same tastes at all (or both).
But hey, I really like the idea. If people have clothes they don’t wear, might as well let the friends share 🙂
@38 “Goodwill doesn’t want clothes with stains either. Clothes which are donated should be in good condition, too.”
Our local Goodwill WILL take stained, damaged clothing – just make it as “Salvage” to save them the time of sorting. I do this a few times a year!
My biggest challenge is finding Secular thrift and consignment stores. We had a children’s consignment store locally that many Moms raved about that I just couldn’t shop at because of the owner’s beliefs. My first and last time in the store I overheard the owner stating that God created the Earth and all it resources for humans to use up completely and quickly, before the coming Rapture. I really wanted to ask “Ok, then why are you running and profiting from a resale store?”
I’m not sure why people seem to think the swap can only work in your circle of friends. Don’t your friends know other folks? I’ve never organized a swap, but I’ve been to one or two. They were massive events — my friend had a week long one in her living room. She invited every lady she knew, and she told them all to invite people. We dropped by whenever we could during the week, put our clothes in the appropriate piles, and took what we wanted. It worked out really nicely. I certainly didn’t get clothes from anyone I personally knew. It was still awesome 🙂
Sounds like a lot of fun! But unless all your friends look alike, it’s hard to imagine how you could get enough people together who wear the same size.
A neighbor of mine did a riff on this. She was a killer sale shopper–I never knew anyone who could find nice clothes at 80% off the way that lady could!
First, she’d go through everyone in her family’s closets and cull out everything she’d bought the previous season. These, she would take to Buffalo Exchange, where would collect a handful of cash for the lightly used clothes. Anything B.E. wouldn’t take, she would donate to Hadassah for a tax deduction.
With fresh money in her purse, she would head for the last-chance sales, where she bought all new stuff for herself, her husband, and her kids. She said she effectively paid nothing for the family’s clothing.
Everyone in the family always looked nice.
It just doesn’t work for me. I dislike shopping in sales, especially off the bottom-of-the-barrel racks where she gravitated. All I can see there is the purple, black, and green polka-dotted nylon dresses. The stuff’s on sale for a reason! Same thing with thrift shops: if you find something you like and that appears to be clean and unstained, it doesn’t fit. You need to have a LOT of patience to shop this way!
I’m with S – I would be extremely interested in hearing of any secular thrift stores!
I looove clothing swaps! Some of my favourite clothes that I wear all the time are from swaps.
Everytime I wear those clothes, I feel good inside because I know it was FREE. =)
I haven’t hosted one myself yet, but went to one. Thanks for the tips!
I’ve been to lots of swaps, and loved them all. It’s always great to get rid of stuff I don’t want, and to poke through and see what goodies I can find. I’ve gotten a number of really great cardigans and necklaces this way.
I’d be interested in hearing how other people have set up their swaps. I’ve always found it a bit manic when people start pulling through the different piles.
Secular thrift stores: DAV (disabled American veterans), ARC, in a lot of cities there’s a women’s organization store (like Junior League or Women’s Crisis Center). Goodwill is secular, as is OxFam.
We have some local charity shops – People for Pride in Living, Silver Angel (which despite the name benefits a local neighborhood organization elderly services program).
And then there are for-profit chain thrifts like Unique, Savers, ReNew.
eeeeeeek… bedbugs.
I live in a large city and a friend of mine organized a Plus-Size women’s clothing swap last year. I hear that it went fabulously well. The organizers requested that attendees bring a small donation for the non-profit which offered the free use of the space. The extra clothes were donated to a local thrift store.
DeeBee
I’ve attended and hosted two swaps with mixed results.
One I attended was at a coworker’s friend’s, full of gorgeous women, whose style and bodies I envied … and not one person was anywhere near my plus size. I made off with a great purse and necklace, so I wasn’t terribly disappointed. The second I attended had tables labeled for each size, so it was a breeze browsing. They also charged 50 cents for anything you took, and it went to charity, so people were less grabby and more selective.
The first one I hosted was invite-only, and everyone reported success finding at least something — we had plenty of purses, scarves, and jewelry for the people who didn’t have a match in size (I wear 22/24, one friend is a 0, lol)
The 2nd however was a disaster. We opened it more to the public (friends of friends of coworkers, etc) and the quality of clothing was awful — stuff that wouldn’t even sell at Goodwill. Some women grabbed all the expensive things to sell at their garage sales, instead of the original purpose of helping friends refresh their wardrobe. I was furious!
Furthermore, I had people drop off donations early so I could put them in different corners of the room according to size, so it would be easier for groups of S/M/L/Plus to find their treasures. It took me two hours to set up, and when everyone had left, it took 8 people over an hour to box it all up and fill my station wagon for the Goodwill (there was soooo much that nobody wanted! 🙁
For all that work and stress, I didn’t find a single thing I wanted. The women my size weren’t my style, and the purses/jewelry got scooped away before I could even look through it. Some low-life brought nearly-empty bottles of cheap body spray, like the Christmas crap you get from KMart.
What I learned is to keep it friends-only so people don’t feel like they can anonymously screw everyone else. I’ll be adding other rules, like: If you wouldn’t give it to a friend, it doesn’t belong here (nice stuff only!) No taking things to sell, it must be for your personal enjoyment (until everyone’s had a chance, then the leftovers are free to take.) Please try to take a fair amount compared to what you brought (one lady brought a couple ugly t-shirts from various casino give-aways and walked away with a dozen of my nice work blouses.) No kids clothes, and you must bring a dish for potluck dinner.
Third time might be the charm, and I’ll do it closer to fall when the wardrobes change for the season and closets are due for a refresh. 🙂
Cynthia, you sound awesome. I wish you lived in Houston so I could participate in your next swap. Lowlifes tick me off and your new “rules” should solve a lot of problems. Good luck!
Our family tries to stay away from buying retail. Overpriced and most of the clothes shrink by the time you wash them the first time…..buying used, you will never have that problem. Thanks Sierra for your insight….
I get 80% of my clothes this way. My friends and I host swaps about twice a year. We are all different sizes, people gain and lose weight, and somehow it all works out. People only bring stuff they want to get rid of anyway; there is no expectation that everyone will go home with a bunch of great stuff. Doing this regularly, however, we find that eventually everyone will find something that they LOVE.
I can relate to the tall chicks who can’t have swaps with their shorter friends. I’m 6’2 with a size 14 shoe – trading jeans with my 5’6 best friend isn’t an option! It was out of my frustration of hunting for clothes that I started tallchicksrule.com. I hope you’ll check it out the next time you’re shopping for longer lengths. Sounds like we need to organize a TallChicksRule swap!
@Shara: Have you tried shopping for shoes online? Zappos.com has sizes up to 22. Yeah, you have to pay for shipping and perhaps deal with exchanges if a pair turns out not to fit, but you do get a pretty big selection to choose from. There are also sites that specialize in big shoes, like (no surprise) bigshoes.com.
I have been running a community swap for 10 years now. I started with children’s clothing and expanded to women & men clothing too. I have one every may & Sept. I have also help start 5 other ones in the area. I am tall and do find clothes for me. Not a ton but who needs more then a week or two of clothes? I have gotten 90% of my family clothes through these swaps.
Some families are looking to clean out the clothes they no longer use, and they bring boxes of clothes in, sometimes leaving with just one or two “special” things. Other families are really in need of clothes, and come with little or nothing, but leave with bags of clothes. Others bring what they took last season, for another family to take this time, and bring home another seasons worth themselves to start the process again.
And it is fun to look forward to seeing everyone and saying hi to new folks who join us.
Our clothing swaps were featured on June 5, 2009 on NBC Nightly News – Making a Difference. It is a short video. Here is the link
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/31131921#31131921
A web page to teach you how to start swaps of your own. http://swap.nobucks.net/
It is so fun listening to kids ask their mom “Can I buy this?” knowing mom can easily say yes.
I have had a great time hosting these swaps for the last ten years.