|
|
Too Many Clothes? Swap 'Em With
Friends!
by Marcia Passos Duffy
I bumped into a friend at the supermarket the other day. She eyed my
sweater just a tad too enviously. "Love that color," she said. "Do you
want to get rid of it?" I recoiled in mock horror. We both laughed and I
politely told her to keep her paws off. It wasn't ready to be swapped -
not just yet.
This friend -- along with about a half-dozen or more of us -- are
clothing swappers. We meet every so often with our bags of unwanted
clothing after a fall (or spring) cleaning frenzy to, well, swap
clothing. My first clothes swap was two years when a friend (who
probably realized we were about the same dress size) invited me to a
clothes swap she organized at her house.
During my first clothing swap, I was more than a bit skeptical about
what kind of clothing I could get, and, frankly, embarrassed over the
hopeless threads I lugged along in a black garbage bag that nobody in
their right mind could possibly want.
But, what ensued was a cross between a slumber party and an open fitting
room at Filene's Basement. 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 woman pulled out my awful maroon wool
dress (that previously belonged to my mother-in-law and fit too snug and
short on me). I sheepishly admitted I had brought it. The petite woman,
who I only knew in passing, said she'd try it on. I grew suspicious: Was
she just trying to humor me? However, when she emerged from the bathroom
it was like the dress 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.
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 roup, I did try it on and shyly
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 fellow 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: it's a win-win. 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, a purple dress I wore to a wedding. The
clothing you gain 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.
In about two hours our clothes-swapping group will have picked over the
last item. Regardless of our height or size or weight, everyone
participating manages to bring home cherished items of clothing. And,
for the clothing that we've given away it feels unbelievably good to
find a new home with an owner. And we know we're not really saying
goodbye to our old clothes - after all, most likely we'll see them again
on our friends while grocery shopping!
How to organize a successful clothes swap:
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 atyour 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 -- and
laughs -- you'll have with a group of women trying on clothing!
About the author
Marcia Passos Duffy is a freelance writer and the publisher/editor of
The Heart
of New England.com, a free weekly online magazine publication that
celebrates the unique character of the northern New England states of
Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont.
|
|
