By Caroline Harmon
07th January 2010
When I was a child, my mum spent some time volunteering in a charity shop. She and the other volunteers got first pick of the clothes that were donated and as a result I had some beautiful outfits that hardly cost anything. But her amazing finds were also guilty secrets – I was always warned not to tell anyone these clothes came from the charity shop. If anyone asked, I was to say they came from the shop whose label they had on. I can still remember how clammy my palms got as I tried to explain to a teacher who complimented my new dress, that we had visited a certain shop the previous Saturday, when really we had spent the day playing in the garden. I’m still not sure why my mum was so embarrassed by these great clothes. As an adult I have learned to be proud of my love of second-hand bargains, not least because I now understand the environmental benefits. In Britain alone we send 500,000 tonnes of unwanted clothing to landfill each year. Non-organic cotton production accounts for 11% of worldwide pesticide use, despite taking up only 3% of our planet’s agricultural land. Just recently, I have had extra reason to smile every time someone compliments a second hand item of clothing I am wearing. I have discovered the delights of clothes swap parties.
In fact, I have had so many comments from work colleagues who are envious of the ‘new’ clothes I regularly appear in, that I organised an office clothes swap, also known as a swishing party during our lunch break.
“Clothes swap parties have recently become a bit of a trend”
What is swishing?
It’s simple – a party where you swap clothes – a group of friends gather in someone’s home with all the clothes they don’t wear anymore and swap them with each other. Clothes which once languished at the back of your wardrobe find a new lease of life on your friends and you gain new outfits without spending a penny. Although I have been attending clothes swap parties for around two years now, they have recently become a bit of a trend. Club Favela in London has hosted pass-the-parcel-style evenings where every time the music stops you must swap an item of clothing you are wearing with the person stood next to you. Swapstyle.com is full of posts from people looking for the latest designer handbag for free and those who are willing to give away that bag because they’re after something even more fashionable. But if you don’t fancy showing an entire nightclub your underwear while you change clothing and you’re not really interested in a ‘must have’ handbag, then why not take clothes swap parties back to their roots and host one in your own home?
Who are they for?
Clothes swap parties are ideal if there are people amongst your friendship groups who have recently gained or lost weight, maybe after giving birth; or have returned to or stopped working outside of the home and find that they need different kinds of clothing for their new lifestyle. Alternatively, maybe you’re just fed up of wearing the same old clothes but don’t have much money to spend, can’t face the thought of a busy high street or are worried about the environmental impact of buying even more things. You can also extend what you swap. Why not take along the clothes your children have outgrown before they’ve outworn them and swap them for larger children’s clothes? What my mum never minded hiding (or had little choice about revealing) is that she also sold, bought and swapped lots of second hand children’s clothes among colleagues and neighbours. My brother and I regularly spent an hour or two trying on bags of second hand clothes. We thought of it as playing at dressing up and she thought of it as an easy way to find a bargain – everyone was happy! If you’re attending a party in the evening for adults, take home the items you think will be suitable for your children and donate any that don’t fit to the charity shop. You could also opt for a daytime event and include children so that they can try on the clothes there and then. I have also attended women-only clothes swaps where we have exchanged our husbands’ and partners’ clothing on their behalf. Of course this depends on how much your partner minds you choosing his clothes for him!
This year it’s the first ever International Day of Swish on 9th January, a chance to avoid the rampant consumerism of the sales and pick yourself up a new wardrobe for free. Visit swishing.org to find events near you.
Read more including tips and ideas on how to organise your own swishing party in issue 18 of The Green Parent magazine
