As long time readers know, I’ve been hosting clothing swaps since 2007. The last one was supposed to happen on March 14, 2020 … and well, we all know what happened. I ended up deciding to postpone it again over last summer, and this spring yet again. Since then, vaccinations have been rolled out, and life is slowly returning to a more social groove (though Delta may have other plans for us), so it seemed like a better time to host the swap again.
I decided to do things slightly differently this year, and hold it in my back yard. This worked out really, really well – so much so, that I am considering doing the same again next time (perhaps earlier in the summer so it’s not quite as hot). The yard gave us a lot more room to spread out and mingle in a safer way. Plus, doing “canned drinks and packaged ice cream” only catering made things infinitely easier for me. I also had more room to set up a more boutique-like background, which worked well:
The deck was reserved for accessories, books and home decor items to be displayed, with room for people to walk around and browse. As before, each person showed off the clothing items they brought, giving information on brand, sizing, fit and so on. I like doing it this way before it gives the swap a more intimate and personal feeling; it’s like being in a girlfriend’s closet and picking out things.
One of the most common questions I got when I posted about the swap on IG was “how do you make sure it’s fair” meaning both in terms of how much people bring and take, but also the quality of items exchanged. My stance on that has always been: people bring whatever they can, and take whatever they want. I don’t enforce rules around that. Some people (myself included) may simply want to give their old clothes away, and if they end up taking anything, it’s a bonus not a must-have. Quality-wise, my rule is “bring clothes that you would be happy to find”; it doesn’t all have to be designer, but it should be cute, in good condition, and clean. In all my experience, I find that there always ends up being a good mix. This year’s swap was a good example.
Personally, my approach with my own clothes is that, once I decide to get rid of something from my closet, I first determine if it’s worth selling and, if so, I try to do that. If it doesn’t sell after 6 months or so, I set it aside for the swap. Doesn’t matter if it’s designer or not. If something isn’t worth selling (not enough resale value, for example) but it’s cute and in good condition, then it goes straight into the swap pile. Anything that’s still in good condition but not especially cute or special (or generally something I think one of my friends might like), I donate. Anything left over after the swap is also donated.
Prior to the swap, I always go through the swap pile and if it’s too large, I edit down a bit to only include the “creme de la creme” so to speak. This year, in particular, I had to do that because it had been 2 years since my last swap and a lot of things had accumulated. I still ended up having 3 large bags of clothing, plus some purses and accessories. Here’s a sampling of what was in one of these bags, as an example of the stuff I contributed to the swap:
- Iris Setlakwe dress (this is a pricey Canadian designer)
- COS top
- Eileen Fisher top
- Banana Republic skirt
- BCBG shirt
- Anthropologie Postmark top
- Iris Setlakwe pants
- By Malene Birger sweater tunic
- J. Crew tank top
- Anthropologie Daughters of the Liberation jacket
- Ports maxi dress
- Closet dress (I believe this is an ASOS house brand or at least sold on their website)
- DVF top
- Merona maxi dress
As you can see, it was a mix of higher and lower end brands. This was generally representative of the stuff most people brought.
Another common question I received was “who do you invite and how do you make sure everyone finds stuff in their size”. This is another good question. For a private, at-home swap, I find that a group of anywhere from 8-12 people is ideal. You can probably host one with fewer people, but then you would need to make sure everyone has similar sizing. If your swap is larger, things can become a bit chaotic, but this also depends on the size of the space and how much stuff everyone brings (for example, you could limit everyone to bringing only a certain number of items). Of my circle of friends and acquaintances, I typically invite people whom I know to be interested in fashion; they are more likely to have extra clothing they don’t need anymore, and generally likely to have interesting pieces. [Side bar: you could definitely host a casual clothes/athleisure only swap if that’s something that would appeal more to your friend group.] I try to make it so there is a variety of styles and sizes represented in the group.
A few words on sizing. There are a few factors to keep in mind here. One, most people typically wear a range of sizes, plus there are natural fluctuations over time. Sizing is also inconsistent in the fashion industry. People might bring things that are too big or too small for them. So, if you have a group of 8-12 people, the swap can probably accommodate a range of sizes quite naturally. I visualize this as a series of Venn circles overlapping. For example, I wear anything from a size 2 to a size 10 or up. So my clothes can overlap with plenty of folks who don’t have my exact dimensions. And vice versa. Having a swap that includes accessories and other items also helps expand options available to everyone.
However, if you do have guests who are at one end of the size spectrum or the other (or are petites when no one else is, for example), then you have to be a bit more intentional with your invite list — you don’t want anyone who comes to feel left out. Of course, not every person who is the same size will have the same taste in clothing, but having at least one or two others at the swap who share the same size range will give everyone a better chance to participate.
This year, I feel like our group did quite well in terms of finding stuff we all liked; everyone went home with lots of pieces, all new to them. We still ended up with 2 garbage bags of clothing that went unclaimed, but this is actually somewhat less than in the past. We usually donate unclaimed pieces, but this year we gave them to my friend Jenn who hosts a public, city-wide swap (which happened to take place the following day). There were also a couple of bags of accessories, books and decor pieces that we did end up donating.
I ended up with far more clothes than I expected, or have taken in the past. It was just a good swap, you guys! I couldn’t resist. Here is a peek at what I got:
I looooove vintage boxes, and this one is so me – love the colour and the butterflies. Have used this to consolidate my beading supplies into one container.
I couldn’t resist this cute ceramic birdie. It’s sitting on my mantle now.
Bailey44 silk top – love the colour.
You can see why I couldn’t resist this 1901 blazer – all those colours!
I have been coveting this Maeve skirt for years. Sadly, this one is a bit snug on me (I only ended up taking it because no one else wanted it) so I need to decide whether I can make it work (as a skirt or otherwise). If not, I will either bring it to the next swap or upcycle it. I love the fabric so much, I would love to keep it in some fashion.
This Obakki jacket is so me, style-wise. It’s a gorgeous heavy linen and lined. Wonderful!
Not sure how I’m going to style this vintage Club Monaco top, but I was drawn to it as a style challenge.
These Everlane jeans fit like a dream!
Ditto for these Frank & Oak culottes — and you know how much I love culottes.
This J. Crew shirt was a bit of a wildcard for me, but the group insisted that it was “me” and I bowed to peer pressure, haha!
This Philosophy di Alberta Ferretti dress is a bit of a style experiment also, but I love this brand and the fabric (linen silk blend) is to die for.
This was the most incredible piece – photos don’t do it justice. It’s a NWT Self Portrait dress in gorgeous fuchsia pink. I love the colour, the bodice, the pleats, everything. I have always wanted to own a Self Portrait piece, so I can’t believe how lucky I am.
All in all, one of the most fun swaps I’ve ever had, and a nice way to reconnect with friends. We are all looking forward to the next one already!
