I organized my first clothing swap back in 2007, when such things were a very new trend. I am generally not an early adopter, but the idea appealed to me right away. I love knowing that my clothes can get a new lease on life, and I love getting clothes for free – it’s a win/win. A lot has changed in my life over the last decade, but my annual clothing swap tradition is going strong.
Well, one thing that has changed is the amount of effort I put into the planning. I used to spend a fair bit of time each year devising a theme for my party, choosing appropriate decorations, planning the food & drinks menu. Alas, my life is now too hectic to allow for all of that … or I’ve gotten lazier with the years (entirely plausible). This year’s party was pulled together in one morning, most of which was devoted to cleaning the downstairs of my house. For the decorations, I decided to put my Anthro flower vase collection to use; the bright and cheerful carnations I chose complemented my colourful living room decor nicely. If I can call the resulting “vibe” anything, it would probably be Longing For Spring. Sigh.
With years of practice I’ve also learned to simplify my approach to the menu. Gone are the days of making delicate little cucumber sandwiches by hand (a surprisingly labour-intensive option, by the way); now catering is courtesy of Costco. A cheese plate, a meat plate, chips and dips, veggie tray, fresh fruit, squares and macarons (also from Costco, and a huge hit) were the snacks choices this time around, and they were a hit. I find that finger foods work best for a mid-afternoon party like this; easy to set up, easy to eat without requiring utensils or making a mess, and easy to clean up afterwards. And you can never go wrong with cheese, in my experience. For beverages, we had virgin sangria (sparkling non-alcoholic wine, Sprite, and orange juice, mixed with fresh blood oranges and raspberries) and virgin mimosas.
But you guys want to hear about the clothes. Every year, I say that I won’t have anything for the next swap, and every year I am proven wrong. This year, my contribution consisted of 2 huge bags and a half dozen pairs of shoes. A few friends who couldn’t make it to the party dropped off their “swap pile” ahead of time, which meant that I had a little mountain going before the guests even arrived. There were 8 of us in total this year, which is a smaller than usual gathering, but everyone found plenty of stuff to love and there were lots of leftovers for donation as well. I got so swept up in the fun that I didn’t even take proper photos to document the party. Bad blogger!
But here’s what I ended up keeping for myself: two bags (Linea Pelle and Anthropologie), a pair of cat-print leggings (amazing), a Theory top, a Gap light wash denim jacket (not 100% sure of it, but I am going to experiment with it), a F21 striped bodysuit (ditto), and the most amazing marble-print patent Dr. Martens boots.
I want to talk a little bit about my approach to clothing swaps, because this year my guests included a couple of “newbies” and I found their perspective on it an interesting contrast to mine. Keep in mind that I don’t think there is a right way or a wrong way to approach a clothing swap; you gotta do whatever works for you. While I try to be selective about the items I pick from the swap, I see it also as an opportunity to take some calculated risks. That Gap jacket and the bodysuit? They might not work out. They’re not similar to pieces that I currently own or have owned before, and I’m not 100% sure if they will seamlessly integrate into my existing wardrobe. But I saw some potential there, and decided to give it a try because … well, it’s all free. To a lesser extent, the Docs were a risk too – I’m not sure if I’m cool enough to wear them, but I want to give it a good try because, well, I would like to be.
If you’ve attended a clothing swap before, what is your typical approach? And if you haven’t, what things would you like to know about them?
Yes! I am thinking of doing this with a group of local friends. Do you organize things when people arrive (e.g. shirts over there, shoes over here, etc.). I feel like ideally one would have garment racks out and everything would be visible and organized, but I don’t have one. Also, I worry that I only have one portable full length mirror downstairs…
No, we are much more informal. Everyone takes turns showing the others their stuff — you say the brand, size, and other pertinent info, and then whoever is interested “claims” it. Every so often, we take breaks to try stuff on. If something doesn’t work out for one person, someone else usually tries it, and so on. It’s very hectic and fun!
I’ve been to more formal swaps and those are fun too, but because I host my swaps in my house, I can’t do stuff like rolling racks, etc. There is no room. One full length mirror is usually enough for 8-12 people to take turns. People spread all over the house to change if they want privacy.
I usually do set aside a display area for shoes, bags and other accessories.
I love the Docs. I bought my first pair last fall. I definitely don’t think I am cool enough to wear them but I am doing it anyway!
I’ve read so much about Docs over the years, I’m glad I finally got the chance to experiment with my own pair.
I think you look great in the Docs! 🙂
Thanks! I like that they’re making me try out a more streetwear-influenced vibe. I will have to see if I can make that work, it’s outside my comfort zone.
It sounds like you got a couple of fun pieces this round – I love the marble docs! Props for continuing to organize the swaps. We had one once at my old office a while back. It made me feel these would only be effective if most of the people invited were into fashion as a hobby (so it’s not just like, worn-out basics) and had overlap in sizing. Most of the items at the swap ended up being donated to Goodwill as hardly anything was taken
I’ve been lucky that we always have at least 2 people of the same size, plus some overlap (people bringing clothes that are too big or too small for them). I don’t think it matters as much if everyone is into fashion as a hobby, as long as some are. We got a mix of low, middle and high end brands. Some people bring more stuff, others less but it all evens out. Some of my fave pieces I’ve picked up have been things like loungewear because I rarely buy those for myself.