Ever thought about hosting a swap party? No... we aren't talking about... ah hem... those "private" parties rumored to happen once a month at the house at the end of the block with the high fence and dark curtains; we are talking a party where you exchange clothes, shoes and accessories! Invite your best dressed and most fun pals. Have them comb through their closets and bring stuff they want to swap—it’s a great way to update your wardrobe for FREE!
Dominique DiCarlo Anderson of Boston just attended one and got some hot stuff! “A Club Monaco jacket, some great tops, a purse, and even a pair of earrings! I would highly recommend doing swaps with others and, in fact, I would go every month if they were done more often.”
How do you pull off the perfect swap? Sustainable style experts Amy Chase and Melissa Massello host large scale clothing and beauty swaps across the U.S. They’ve been featured in USA Today, the LA Times, and on ABC Nightline News for their efforts to spread the cost-savvy and eco-friendly mantra of “swapping before shopping”.
The pair says this is how you set up an excellent exchange:
Picking the Perfect Swappers
The bigger & more diverse your group, the greater the clothes selection and the better the chances are that there will be something for everyone and everyone will go home happy. Make sure to specify how much and what kinds of stuff you expect your guests to bring to the swap, and be clear & concise about how the swap will work. Pick your rules: the most popular include a one-for-one exchange, a monetary charitable donation per item, or a complete free for all.
How to Shop Your Closet
If you haven't worn it in a year, then chances are you're not going to, and for good reason: It might be too tight, too big, too unflattering, or just not your style. Only keep clothes that you love and that make you feel beautiful. Let someone else love the things that are just taking up space. Bring the best of the best to the swap -- the things you know someone else might get excited about -- and send the rest straight to Goodwill.
Create a Theme for Your Swap
The best swaps aren't just about the act of swapping, they're about connecting with your friends and meeting new ones through a good old fashioned girl's night in. Have a book swap with your book club, have a wine & cheese party and clothing swap with your fashionable friends, maybe even hire someone to do mani-pedi's while you swap beauty products. You can swap, snack, have a great time just hanging out, and everyone goes home happy with new-to-them stuff.
Setting up your Swap Boutique
It's important to make your swap feel like a classy shopping experience, not a rummage sale. Make signs to organize swap donations by type, set up racks or bins for organizing swappables, and designate a dressing room if you're swapping clothes. Make sure there is a table for every major type of clothing (pants, t-shirts, shoes, etc.), and label them with a sign so your friends know where to stack their stuff once they start arriving. Also make sure to keep all non-swappables in a separate room, so no one accidentally goes home with your purse and coat!
Designate a Charity for Donations
If there is any clothing left over at the end of the clothing swap, call Goodwill and arrange a pick up, or hire a runner to do the donation pick-up and delivery for you very inexpensively through TaskRabbit.com. If you've decided to have each swapper donate $1 or $2 per item swapped to a kitty, announce to the group how much money was raised in an event thank-you and send the check immediately to the designated charity.
Before you swap, experts say make sure you set up some ground rules, you want to avoid ending up with a pile of junk or worn clothing, so be specific. PayPal's consumer expert and shopping specialist Claudia Lombana says, "Give your guests a minimum and maximum amount of items they should bring so you don't end up with too few or too many items for swapping. The best way to invite people is to ask around to see who is interested and who might have the kinds of items you want to swap. PTA groups, church groups and the workplace are all great places to gauge interest. Even high school girls are getting into swaps for revamping their wardrobes, while men and boys might swap sporting equipment or video games."
Money expert Juliette Fairley also suggests using social media to advertise your party. Put it on Facebook, and don’t limit the gathering to just stuff you wear! “Swap parties are good because one woman's trash is another woman's treasure. That goes not only for husbands but also for coupons, clothing and even food.” And food is an important point to remember, since you don’t want everyone swapping on low blood sugar! Fairley says you can swap that, too. “Feed Your Friends by asking guests to bring a snack food to share. If you provide the drinks, plates, plastic ware, etc. then you can go so far as to make it a pot luck. This will lighten your load up a bit. Ordering pizza is a last minute emergency measure for small turnouts.”
Have you ever hosted or attended an exchange party? Tell us about it, what worked and what didn’t!
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