For Earth Day 2016, with Fashion Revolution in mind, I hosted a Frock Swap/Clothing Swap with some of my friends! What is a Clothing Swap, you ask? Simple! A frock or clothing swap is a method of trading clothes with a group of people for free or for a low fee (usually larger swaps charge fees to cover the location rental fee and to provide refreshments). It is a way to get rid of clothes you no longer use, and gain new clothes that are pre-loved, but just as awesome. Trading or swapping clothes allows you to bypass the consumeristic need to go to the store and buy things just because you feel like you have nothing to wear. It also allows you to refresh your closet on a budget, and through a new lens. You’ll get to shop other people’s styles, thus you might leave with things you thought you’d never wear simply because you actually took the time to try them on while at the swap. Swaps are so much fun, and it falls right in line with our Sustainable Tips Series as the third tier in how to be a sustainable consumer. Read more Sustainable Living Tips like this third phase in the series here: Phase 1 and Phase 2. 
How To Host A Clothing Swap
- Choose an event location and set an attendee limit.
- If hosting at your home, don’t go too big unless you have the space for it. I opted for a maximum of 12 people at the swap hosted at my home.
- If hosting at a public location, ensure that this type of event is allowed and determine if you need a permit for selling (even though you are swapping),
- Gather your necessary equipment
- Clothes racks and/or tables to display swap clothes
- Hangers
- Optional:
- refreshments
- props for fun moments photos
- a photo booth
- a camera to document your
- Invite friends that love fashion or want to be more fashionable
- Each attendee should bring like-new clothes to swap.
- set a minimum and maximum amount of clothes to bring with them in order to participate in the swap
- Set aside a time to hang and organize the clothes that everyone brings at the beginning of the event.
- If it is a small event, this can be done at the beginning by one person, or everyone can hang their own clothes as they arrive.
- If at a larger event, this can be done during refreshments and a live chat or fashion Q&A, with a few select helpers/volunteers.
- Start the swap!
- For a small event, each lady will take turns in a round trying on clothes and choosing a piece.
- For added fun, make it a fashion show! When each person tries something on, dance to some Beyonce or Rihanna.
- For a larger event, set a limit on how many articles people can leave with, or specify a bag size to fill up.
- For a small event, each lady will take turns in a round trying on clothes and choosing a piece.
In the end, everyone leaves with things that are new to them without having to shop at big retail stores, and you usually meet some pretty awesome people that you can share thrift store and style stories with! This is a sustainable way to both get rid of old clothes that you don’t wear much anymore and to increase your wardrobe with clothes that are old to your friends, but new to you. Let me know if you host a swap, I’d love to chat about it and see the results. Everyone at our swap left super happy with clothes and accessories that were new to us. I’d love to see you all be sustainable and do the same!
All photos and event co-hosting by: Gernelle Nelson
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What a great article! Can’t wait to organize another one!