I Swap Clothes: 2025 Edition

My annual clothing swap is one of the highlights of my social calendar and the official start of the summer season. This year was no exception, on either score. A fun time was had by all, on a gorgeous afternoon in my blooming garden. It was, in fact, a scorcher of a day; luckily, I’d put up the canopy again this year – not aesthetic, but very handy for extra shade. After 18 years, I’ve got the whole programming down to a science. The actual event, on the other hand, is always a delightful surprise.

Every year, the guest list is slightly different and so, of course, are the things we swap. This year, there were 11 of us – including one “swap newbie” and my daughter. My daughter started hanging out with us at swap a couple of years ago, but this was the first time she was a full participant in every sense; she brought her own things to swap and everything. As a sidebar, while I don’t include kids’ clothing specifically in my swaps, I always encourage my guests to pick up things for their (older) kids, if they see something they think might work. My daughter turns 12 this year, which might seem a bit young to participate in an adult clothing swap, but the reality is that she’s already 5’4 and wears the same shoe size as me; she fits right in, no pun intended. I can’t express how happy it makes me to see her embrace the secondhand ethos – thrifting with me, doing clothing swaps, etc. For her, this is simply ‘normal’ life, much as going to the mall was ‘normal’ for me when I was growing up. I don’t think I need to explain why I think this is a Very Cool Thing. I’m not the type of parent who pats herself on the back very often – the proof of whether I’m doing a good job is still years away, and it’ll be my kids who decide the final verdict – but this is one instance where I feel like I do deserve one.

(Further sidebar, but I also love to see my daughter confidently explore her personal style – without the hangups I had at her age – and I think that has a lot to do with her exposure to thrifting. I’ve always believed that shopping secondhand pushes/helps people to develop their own “eye” / point of view, rather than follow what others dictate is cool, interesting, etc.)

Ok, back to the swap. This year, I had about 5 bags of clothing and accessories to contribute to the swap. Going forward, I think I will have less. A couple of (interconnected) reasons for that: (1) my shopping has slowed down a lot; and (2) I’m buying with a narrower focus and doing less experimenting. This is a good thing, and an extension of my having reached a place where I’m happy/confident/comfortable in my own style. It will mean that I have less to contribute to future swaps, but that’s ok; I know that there will always be more than enough. Case in point: this year, even though I ended up picking up more pieces than I expected or intended, and even though everyone else took lots as well, we still had several bags’ worth of leftovers to be donated.

Let me digress again. Clothing swaps involve a tricky balance. You want to have enough supply so everyone can find something they love (and fit). Style being subjective, this means that for someone to end up with 3 pieces, you might need 10 pieces for them to choose from. Those are not exact numbers, by the way. But you get my point. It’s why I don’t limit the number of items people can bring to my swap; better to have extra, than not enough. It’s also why I save a lot of my unwanted clothing over the course of the year to bring to the swap so that, regardless of what others contribute, there is a good “baseline” of options. Obviously, I can’t do that in an extended size range, but I try my best. It’s something I might not be able to do in the future … but we will figure it out.

I came away from the swap with about 2 (very full) bags of stuff, for both me and my daughter. Here’s what I picked up:

I love picking up miscellaneous items because they can be just as fun, not to mention functional, as clothes. To wit, this year I got: skincare and hair products for curly/wavy hair (including a cool hairbrush). I’ve been on a journey to find my perfect wavy hair routine, and getting products for free is extremely convenient for that. I also got a trinket dish … and dontcha know, I collect Blue Mountain pottery. The book was for my husband, so he wouldn’t feel left out, LOL!

I also love picking up functional items, like: workout leggings (with pockets, which are a must for me), vintage bloomers (to wear under skirts), and socks.

Got two pairs of shoes. I’m obsessed with the loafers. I have been wanting a brown pair of loafers for ages – score! The J. Crew sandals were also a score for me; I’ve had the black version for 6+ years now, and still wear them non-stop every summer. It’s my fave style of sandals. It goes with everything. This silver pair is brand new.

Got some fun accessories: amazonite necklace, cute polymer clay earrings, a sweet locket, and a leather wrap belt.

These are the pieces my daughter chose for herself. She was very discriminating in her picks, and I love that for her. These are items that suit her style really well.

I got 2 swimsuits. I don’t swim often, but I still end up needing a swimsuit a few times a year. I hate buying new ones, so it’s handy to have a few options on hand. These were both brand new.

I got three tops, including 2 basics that will be good for summer, and a vintage Escada cardigan.

I got 2 pairs of pants, including the vintage Guess khakis. You know I can’t pass that up … much as I can’t pass up a pair of wide leg cropped jeans.

But my fave picks from the swap were these two skirts: vintage Laura Ashley plaid, and vintage Orvis floral. OBSESSED. I’ve worn the red skirt twice already. Can’t wait to do it again. Summer, here I come!

Alright, this has been an incredibly chaotic post … which is somehow appropriate because my clothing swaps are a bit chaotic, in the best way possible. We chat, we laugh, we try on clothes, we cheer each other on, we make a big ol’ mess – it’s like a girls’ slumber party in the middle of the afternoon, with snacks and “free” shopping and zero judgment.

Can’t wait to do it all again next year!