| Swap It Out! By: Sara Fagley There’s a new trend sweeping the nation, and it happens to be a great way to spice up your wardrobe without spending big bucks. The trend is clothing swaps. A clothing swap is where a group of people get together with items from their closets that they no longer wear and exchange them for “new” items from some else’s closet. It’s basically like going shopping, only the only cost to you is clothes you don’t wear anymore anyways. Hosting a clothing swap is relatively easy and can be very rewarding. First things first is creating a guest list. Don’t feel restricted by age or styles. Even though your Aunt Mildred is 20 years older than you, doesn’t mean she won’t have some old clothes stuffed in the back of her closet that you would love to get your hands on. Age or style might not matter, but size does and it’s something to be considerate about. Everyone doesn’t have to be the same size, but make sure there are not a lot of girls who are a size six and only one who’s a size 14. Also encourage guests to bring items where size doesn’t matter, like accessories and purses. There is no need for fancy invitations, a simple email or evite will work just fine. Plan for around 10-15 girls so it’s not to crowed, but there are enough girls to get a good variety of clothing. Give guests at least three weeks of advanced notice so they will have plenty of time to go through their closets and decide what to bring. Make sure and explain briefly in the invitation what a clothing swap is in case it is a new concept to some people. Also make sure to include on the invitation a suggested minimum number of items to bring (it wouldn’t be fair if someone only brought one pair of shoes but left with an armful of clothing) and specify what is NOT ok to bring (e.g. clothes with stains or tears). Have guests arrive an hour or so before the actual swapping of clothes starts so everyone has time to set up their clothes. Tables or any kind of flat surface will be needed so people can easily display and look at all the items. It’s a good idea to designate “dressing room” areas so girls will have a place to try stuff on. Make sure the dressing room area has a mirror. The great thing about clothing swaps, besides enhancing your wardrobe, is anything that’s not taken can be donated to a charity. Decide in advance what charity you will donate all the leftover clothes to so you can let your guest know. Then the day after your party just box everything up and make your donation, it’s that easy. Clothing swaps are a fun way to shop without having to spend any money. Plus think of how fun it would be having all your girlfriends over for a night of entertainment and fashion. Not to mention the good feeling that always comes from donating to charity. It’s a win, win, win situation. Sarah Chaisson Warner |
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