I've always been really bad at treating myself. No matter how hard I work, I can't justify spending my money on clothes and it doesn't help that I have fantastic taste. $280 for jeans? Can I be buried in them?
I like shopping about as much as I enjoy looking for parking spaces, but when a friend told me about a Clothes Swap, I was on it!! Its a simple premise - trading clothes with friends - but there were so many benefits. I had a reason to purge my clothes and do some reminiscing (my hot girl shorts, killer jeans) while finding old favorites and making room for new ones. When the swap had finished, I met and bonded with great women (because of our body shapes, three of us basically traded wardrobes) and scored big time with the outfits (3 shoes, 2 jeans, tops, skirts, dresses, 2 bags, even rollerblades!). Everything left over when to a Women's Community House and my closet has never looked better.
Purging each season is a great way to keep the clutter down and check your intake of "stuff". Is there a closet with a majority of the tags still on? What are you saving things for? Why do you buy so much in the first place? Can you afford it? We all need to take internal and external inventories from time to time. Twice a year in your closet is a fantastic start.
A clothes swap is a win-win if you ask me! You'll wonder why you didn't do one earlier!
Google "Clothes Swap" and you'll find tons of links and tips for a successful one.
Here are the basics.
Step1
Send out invitations to all of your friends. The more friends you invite, the greater the clothes selection. Be clear on your invitation to let everyone know how many garments to bring. Of course, everyone is welcome to bring as many items as they want, but set a minimum.
Step2
Go through your own closet to pull out the clothes you no longer wear. Include only clothing that someone can still wear in your clothes swap pile.
Step3
Wash, press and hang the garments. Tell your friends to do the same so everyone can easily see the clothes for swapping.
Step4
Set up tables and garment racks. When your friends arrive, take their clothes and display them just as you would if you owned a store.
Step5
Take turns picking items from the collection. Each person chooses one item. Continue taking turns picking clothes until every piece of clothing has been claimed. Donate any unwanted items to a women's charity.
Step6
Bring accessories to the clothes swap party, too. Everyone can swap purses, shoes, belts and jewelry. You can leave with a completely new outfit without spending a dime.
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