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Sit down in a comfy chair, wrap a cozy blanket around yourself and close your eyes. Now, imagine being in a room filled with clothes, shoes, belts, purses, jewelry, hats and scarves. Imagine walking around this room with a glass of wine in your hand, a good friend at your side with an abundance of pleasant conversation. You stop at the accessory table to choose which ones you like best. And you know what? Once you’ve picked out the ones that you like, you can shove them into a bag and move on to the next table that’s piled with clothes that are FREE for the taking. That’s right, ladies… I said free.

On and on it goes…. pick out items to your liking and put them into a bag. Refill your wine, chat with your friends, shop a little more. No, this isn’t a dream or a fantasy world that I’m describing. It’s a clothing swap.

Have I lost you? Stay with me now.

Clothing swaps are a very good idea. I tried to think of another way of saying it that makes it sound better but that pretty much sums it up.

I like it because I can clean out my closet and get new clothes for free. The clothing that I think is outdated may be just right for someone else’s wardrobe. Plus, it’s a lot of fun to get together with a group of ladies, have a sip of wine while being in good company. It does the environment good because we are reusing instead of throwing out and buying new. It’s easy on our pocketbooks in a time when we should all be a little more conscious of where our money’s going. It allows you to revamp your wardrobe without spending a dime. A very good idea, indeed. Don’t you agree?

I’m always thrilled when I find a real bargain, so I’m really digging this idea. I’ve done a little reading up on swaps and have found some websites that have been created to aid in all of your swapping needs. Swap-o-Rama-Rama has some suggestions on what to bring to a clothing swap, while SwapStyle has been established as an online swap alternative to swapping in person.

If you’re interested in hosting, there are several sites that can help you create some basic guidelines and rules for the swappers to follow. The following were guidelines that were sent to me with an invitation for a swap that I recently went to:

1. No holes or stains
2. No stinky, moldy items
3. No under garments (nightgowns/pj's acceptable)
4. Light wear and tear for shoes/boots
5. Must contribute at least one item to participate in swap
6. Swap will start at 3:30pm, please arrive by 3pm to set up
7. Bring a box or bag to house your items
8. Remaining items may be piled up in my truck and will be donated
that day.

Our hostess served wine, cheese and crackers, chocolate and grapes. Simple, elegant and not too much on her budget. By organizing a swap, you have the ability to arrange it to your liking and your capabilities. There are no set rules… other than having a great time while getting some “new old clothes”. The possibilities are endless!

Look for LiveMom’s first city-wide Naked Mama Swap to happen in the spring of next year! If you’re interested in helping me organize it, PLEASE send an email telling me what you are able to help with. I would love and appreciate all the help I can get. And tell me what you think about swaps. Have you hosted one? Have you been to one? Tell us what you liked or disliked about it.

Posted by livemom on Monday, December 1st, 2008 at 10:27 pm | 1 Comment » You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.