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Too Many Clothes? Swap 'Em!
by Marcia Passos Duffy
by Marcia Passos Duffy
I bumped into a friend at the supermarket the other day. She eyed my sweater
a bit too enviously. “Love that color,” she said. “Do you want to get rid of it?”
We both laughed and I politely told her to take her paws off. It wasn’t ready to
be swapped – not yet.
We, along with about a half-dozen other friends, are clothes swappers. We
meet every so often with our bags of unwanted clothing after a spring (or fall)
cleaning frenzy to, well, swap clothing. I’m not sure when this ritual started – I
was invited to a clothes swap two years ago after a friend (who probably
realized we were about the same dress size) invited me to a clothes swap she
organized at her house.
At first, I was skeptical on what kind of clothing I could get, and, frankly, a bit
embarrassed over the hopeless clothes I lugged along that nobody in their right
mind would want.
But, what ensued was a cross between a slumber party and an open fitting
room at Filene’s Basement. There were about 8 of us at my first clothes swap.
Veteran clothes-swappers immediately told us to dump our goods on the bed,
and dig in. It was finder’s keepers – but you had to try it on first! One hand
pulled out my awful maroon wool dress (that previously belonged to my
mother-in-law and fit too snug and short on me). I had to admit it was mine. It
was gingerly picked up by a petite woman who I only knew in passing. Was
she just trying to humor me by trying it on? When she emerged from the
bathroom it was like was tailor-designed just for her. It was snug in all the right
places; the hem hit just above the knee, where it should have. “I’ll take it,” she
said and quietly folded it up into a growing pile she was gathering at her feet.
Wow. Hey, maybe this wasn’t so bad after all! One woman threw a very loud
flowered dress at me. “This is YOU,” she said. Huh? Me, who wears muted
greens, grays and black? It was not a dress I would ever try on, never mind
wear. But, with prodding from the group, I did try it on and sheepishly
modeled it. Claps, cheers. “Take it!” “Oh, it IS you!” I laughed and kept it, I
mean, what did I have to lose? (I’ve since worn it several times. A special notice
to all my friend swappers: I’m now tired of it and it will emerge again at our
next clothes swap).
Which brings me to the point of a clothes swap. There is nothing to lose! I
have come home with the most amazing clothing that I could not believe
women would want to part with: a genuine pea coat, an Alpaca sweater, t-
shirts & turtlenecks in every color, an elegant purple dress. The clothing also
carries a special significance. While casually flinging a silk scarf around my
neck, the owner of the article said it used to belong to her mother. I think of the
history of that scarf whenever I wear it. In turn, I often see my clothing on
friends. “Hey, that’s mine!” I’ll say jokingly. “But it looks better on you,” I
add, sincerely. It’s nice to know where my clothes are. And it’s nice to know
where they came from.
After the end of 2 or 3 hours, the group of clothes swappers reaches the end of
the pile on the bed. There is an unbelievably deep sense of satisfaction knowing
that your clothing has found a new – and appreciative – owner. And, you leave
with a pile of clothes that you want to wear! And it’s free!
So before you dump your clothes in the Goodwill box, think of your friends!
a bit too enviously. “Love that color,” she said. “Do you want to get rid of it?”
We both laughed and I politely told her to take her paws off. It wasn’t ready to
be swapped – not yet.
We, along with about a half-dozen other friends, are clothes swappers. We
meet every so often with our bags of unwanted clothing after a spring (or fall)
cleaning frenzy to, well, swap clothing. I’m not sure when this ritual started – I
was invited to a clothes swap two years ago after a friend (who probably
realized we were about the same dress size) invited me to a clothes swap she
organized at her house.
At first, I was skeptical on what kind of clothing I could get, and, frankly, a bit
embarrassed over the hopeless clothes I lugged along that nobody in their right
mind would want.
But, what ensued was a cross between a slumber party and an open fitting
room at Filene’s Basement. There were about 8 of us at my first clothes swap.
Veteran clothes-swappers immediately told us to dump our goods on the bed,
and dig in. It was finder’s keepers – but you had to try it on first! One hand
pulled out my awful maroon wool dress (that previously belonged to my
mother-in-law and fit too snug and short on me). I had to admit it was mine. It
was gingerly picked up by a petite woman who I only knew in passing. Was
she just trying to humor me by trying it on? When she emerged from the
bathroom it was like was tailor-designed just for her. It was snug in all the right
places; the hem hit just above the knee, where it should have. “I’ll take it,” she
said and quietly folded it up into a growing pile she was gathering at her feet.
Wow. Hey, maybe this wasn’t so bad after all! One woman threw a very loud
flowered dress at me. “This is YOU,” she said. Huh? Me, who wears muted
greens, grays and black? It was not a dress I would ever try on, never mind
wear. But, with prodding from the group, I did try it on and sheepishly
modeled it. Claps, cheers. “Take it!” “Oh, it IS you!” I laughed and kept it, I
mean, what did I have to lose? (I’ve since worn it several times. A special notice
to all my friend swappers: I’m now tired of it and it will emerge again at our
next clothes swap).
Which brings me to the point of a clothes swap. There is nothing to lose! I
have come home with the most amazing clothing that I could not believe
women would want to part with: a genuine pea coat, an Alpaca sweater, t-
shirts & turtlenecks in every color, an elegant purple dress. The clothing also
carries a special significance. While casually flinging a silk scarf around my
neck, the owner of the article said it used to belong to her mother. I think of the
history of that scarf whenever I wear it. In turn, I often see my clothing on
friends. “Hey, that’s mine!” I’ll say jokingly. “But it looks better on you,” I
add, sincerely. It’s nice to know where my clothes are. And it’s nice to know
where they came from.
After the end of 2 or 3 hours, the group of clothes swappers reaches the end of
the pile on the bed. There is an unbelievably deep sense of satisfaction knowing
that your clothing has found a new – and appreciative – owner. And, you leave
with a pile of clothes that you want to wear! And it’s free!
So before you dump your clothes in the Goodwill box, think of your friends!
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Clothes Swapping Tips
=> Invite your friends & ask your friends to invite their friends
=> About 10-15 people is the goal – aim for all shapes & sizes
=> If you are hosting the swap at your house, make sure you have at least two
full-length mirrors available
=> For those of us who are modest, make sure there are other rooms available
to dress and undress. If this isn't
possible, remind people they can wear a body suit or bathing suit underneath
their clothing if they wish.
=> Clothes swaps can be seasonal, but they don’t have to be: The best clothes
swaps have all seasons clothing.
=> If two people want the same item, you can have fun with this by either a
coin toss, or having each person model
the item of clothing and have a vote (do this only if you’re sure there won’t be
hard feelings).
=> If you have second thoughts about an item you have up for grabs – speak
up quickly. A simple “Hmm, I’m not so
sure I’m ready to give that up yet,” should suffice, before someone else gets too
attached to the item.
=> Be prepared – for a good time! You’ll be surprised how much fun you’ll
have with a group of women trying on clothing!
About the author:
Marcia Passos Duffy (now a veteran clothes-swapper) is the publisher of The
Heart of New England, an online magazine that celebrates the unique character
of northern New England. Subscribe to her weekly newsletter by sending a
blank email to HEART.
=> Invite your friends & ask your friends to invite their friends
=> About 10-15 people is the goal – aim for all shapes & sizes
=> If you are hosting the swap at your house, make sure you have at least two
full-length mirrors available
=> For those of us who are modest, make sure there are other rooms available
to dress and undress. If this isn't
possible, remind people they can wear a body suit or bathing suit underneath
their clothing if they wish.
=> Clothes swaps can be seasonal, but they don’t have to be: The best clothes
swaps have all seasons clothing.
=> If two people want the same item, you can have fun with this by either a
coin toss, or having each person model
the item of clothing and have a vote (do this only if you’re sure there won’t be
hard feelings).
=> If you have second thoughts about an item you have up for grabs – speak
up quickly. A simple “Hmm, I’m not so
sure I’m ready to give that up yet,” should suffice, before someone else gets too
attached to the item.
=> Be prepared – for a good time! You’ll be surprised how much fun you’ll
have with a group of women trying on clothing!
About the author:
Marcia Passos Duffy (now a veteran clothes-swapper) is the publisher of The
Heart of New England, an online magazine that celebrates the unique character
of northern New England. Subscribe to her weekly newsletter by sending a
blank email to HEART.
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