Who doesn’t love shopping? Even if I don’t buy anything, I still find it relaxing to go window shopping once in a while.
Thing is…my wallet doesn’t love shopping. And the more I spend on clothes I don’t need the less I can spend on other things. And there’s the dreaded moment when you absolutely need something but it’s nowhere to be found because the fashion has changed (whoever decided this season was all about ankle pants-I have mixed feelings about you. My penny pinching side thanks you because I shall not be buying any pants this season).
My friend Kristy told me about clothing swaps a couple of years ago. At first, my instinct said ‘blech-no’. I’m an immigrant kid. When we first moved to North America, I had just started middle school and I had to wear a generous cousin’s (perfectly good) hand me downs in the winter. My parents felt horrible about it and never made me wear hand me downs after that first winter. But the aversion to other people’s used clothes remained.
Last year Kristy invited me to a clothing swap and it was an eye opener (and a really great process to get that ‘I was a struggling immigrant kid once’ chip off my shoulder). I’m a massive fan of clothing swaps now. They’re a great way to save a few bucks, give some of your beloved clothes (that you’re honestly never going to wear again) a home, and to pick up someone else’s beloved clothes to enjoy for yourself.
How it works:
You pick a host. The host has everyone over (it’s a good idea to have a few shopping bags or garbage bags handy). Everyone brings clothes that are still good enough to wear, and clean (if it’s too tattered or stained for you to wear, it’s too tattered/stained to swap). Everyone puts their clothes in a pile (generally helps to sort tops/bottoms/etc.). And you shop. You can try things on, get opinions, find something you like, take it home. No money exchanges hands.
The swap isn’t limited to clothing-people can bring accessories if they want (I once gave away a perfectly good hair flat-iron. Don’t ask me why but I had two).
At the end of the evening, if you want to take back stuff of yours that others didn’t pick up, cool. If not, gather what no one wants to take back and donate it (remember you’ve brought stuff that’s good to swap, so it should be good to donate).
Why I love clothing swaps now:
They build community: The process of helping a friend, or a friend of a friend find a beautiful new piece of clothing to wear from the common pile creates an ease in connecting. At the last clothing swap I was drawn to a cardigan that two of my friends had used, and that had originally belonged to another beloved friend of theirs.
They build generosity: No matter how many swaps I go to, I find some more things to give away, and I find that more people want me to have nice things. It helps us all let go and open our hearts.
They’re great for the planet: We’re essentially using our resources (clothing, accessories) as much as possible. Whatever doesn’t get swapped gets donated.
I’d love to learn from others about how you do clothing swaps or other such things to create community, and also honestly, the financial space for what you need.
love,
Karimah
phenomenalness 