(1) Get free clothes (2) Make new friends (3) Save the planet (4) World domination?!
Hosting your own clothing swap is so much easier than you think
We have just ten days left here in Italy. (Who’s counting?) With our departure staring back at us from the calendar, it’s at least nice to be part of a university community here at Johns Hopkins SAIS Europe. It’s a communally bittersweet experience of graduating, celebrating, and hoping we’ll cross paths again.
Since this is a satellite campus for an international program, it’s not surprising that packing, luggage, and money are front of mind for all of us. We’re collectively trying to figure out how to lighten our loads. Naturally, that comes with a closet cleanout. Thankfully, a group of climate-conscious students put together a fantastic clothing swap to make it easy for everyone.
As a frequent secondhand shopper, I’ve always loved the idea of a clothing swap, but never participated in one. They’re not terribly common, and I always hesitated to create one myself. I imagined the logistics would be too complex. Specifically, I thought it would be difficult to make sure things were fair for everyone. How would I make sure no one left empty-handed?
What I hadn’t considered was that in general, most people have more clothes than they need or want. For some people, this was a swap; for others, it was an easy way to give their sweaters a new life without having to research donation sites and lug clothing across town.
Our swap was extremely relaxed. There were no rules, no fees, no tickets, and no limits. You could take clothing without contributing anything. At the end of the swap, you could pick up your leftover items or leave them to be donated. And no one left disappointed. I know, because we all gathered for drinks afterward—many of us wearing new outfits made from one another’s wardrobes!
Equally important is the fact that no money was invested into this swap. We draped clothes over the backs of chairs and hung them from the existing coat rack outside an auditorium. We tried things on in the bathroom. There were no snacks or even mirrors. And yet, it was enormously fun.
Hosting a successful clothing swap does require preparation and organization, but don’t be intimidated—with the right checklist, you can create an inviting atmosphere that will guarantee everyone has a great time. In this blog post, I’ve gathered all the tools you need to host the perfect clothing swap, from choosing the right guests to proper disposal of leftover items. You can even download a printable checklist to help you make one happen in your own community.
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Clothing Swaps: an unlikely community-building exercise
Clothing swaps are inclusive, eco-friendly, and open doors for new relationships with like-minded people. They're basically irresistible to earth-conscious creative types. The best part is that they’re never the same twice, and they always reflect the personality of the group that shows up to participate.
That said—are you wondering if anyone really will show up? Your community might be more open to a clothing swap than you think. According to OfferUp’s Recommerce Report, Americans are increasingly turning to secondhand shopping to save money in the face of inflation. And more than 70 percent of the people they surveyed even said they’d be open to receiving a secondhand gift at the holidays, which represents significant growth.
Swapping clothes has a lot of benefits beyond just getting access to new clothes. Not only does it help reduce the amount of clothing that ends up in landfills—the average American consumer throws away more than 80 lbs of clothing every year!—but it also allows for greater self-expression and creativity. With a wide variety of colors and textures at your disposal, you can create unique looks and experiment with fashion trends without breaking the bank.
At our clothing swap last week, I left with all kinds of items I wouldn’t have otherwise been drawn to. Right now I’m wearing a long-line blazer with gold buttons that I wouldn’t have been confident enough to buy, but it’s easy to take risks when you’re rescuing clothes from the landfill!
On top of all that, hosting a clothing swap provides an opportunity to meet people from different backgrounds and opens up the doors for potential collaborations. Whether it’s among university students or members of your community, clothing swaps bring people together in an inclusive environment where everyone can be free to express themselves—and get to know each other better—through their style choices.
So if you’re looking for a fun way to refresh your wardrobe while also building relationships and reducing waste—clothing swaps are the perfect solution.
Clothing Swap Planning 101
First, consider whether you want to host the swap in public or in private. If you choose to hold it in a public space, such as a park or store, make sure that you have permission to do so and that the space is suitable for the size of swap you're planning. On the other hand, if you opt to host the swap in a private venue like someone's house or an apartment building, be mindful of how much space is available and plan accordingly.
Choosing the right guests for your clothing swap is essential. Decide which of your social circles would be most receptive and excited about a clothing swap. Consider inviting friends from different walks of life who may not necessarily know each other but share common interests or values. Or, for a more comfortable experience, invite a group that’s already familiar and arrange to go for dinner or drinks afterward.
Then, create an online sign-up form or send out invitations so you can estimate how many people will show up on the day of the event. It doesn’t have to be formal. For our swap, everyone who was planning to attend was asked to “like” a message in the group chat. Worked like a charm.
Working Out the Details
Once you’ve figured out the who, where, and when of your swap, it’s time to get into the details. Consider when you want people to drop off their clothes, how you will set up the clothing, and how long the swap will be. For our swap, people were allowed to drop off bags of clothes starting the morning of the event. The swap itself was four hours long, and at the end, everyone pitched in to gather up leftover clothes and package them for donation.
Don't forget to let people know what kinds of clothing you're looking for. Will you limit contributions to one style or season? Are kids' clothes welcome? How about shoes and even non-clothes items?
Communication is Key
A clothing swap takes a little more effort to attend than a typical social gathering, so make sure to communicate regularly and plan several weeks in advance. Set up a group chat, email list, or another way to regularly remind people about the swap so they can prepare their items.
Remind people to bring only gently-used items that are clean and cared for. Nothing should have stains, holes, pet hair, or other defects.
Establishing Ground Rules
Hosting a clothing swap can be a fun and creative way to build community and reduce waste. But to make sure everyone has a great time, it’s important to set some rules before the exchange begins.
First, determine how many items each person can take. This will help make sure that everyone gets an equal chance at finding something they love, while also helping keep the event organized and on track. Some swaps place requirements for taking items – such as people must contribute an item to take one – to make sure that there is enough clothing for everyone. However, as I mentioned, our clothing swap didn’t require anyone to contribute, and everything worked out just fine!
Be sure to have dedicated volunteers on hand who can help keep things neat and orderly, as well as support those who may have never been to a clothing swap before by providing guidance. If you’re organizing alone, just ask a couple of friends to help out so you don’t become overwhelmed by all the clothes and questions.
It should be easy and fun for people to try on items if needed. Some ideas include setting up dressing rooms and having long mirrors available so guests can check out their new-to-them clothes without leaving the area or creating extra messes. Depending on how comfortable your guests are with each other, you can even hang a sheet in the corner of a room for an impromptu changing corner.
(At our swap, we didn’t have any mirrors, so we just tried things on in the bathroom and took pictures of each other so we could see how we looked. Everything works out!)
Finally, encourage people to bring their own bags so they don’t have too many items spilling out of their arms by the end of the event. After all, it’s going to be wildly popular!
Clear Out The Clutter
At the end of a clothing swap, it is important to properly dispose of any leftover items so that nothing goes to waste. This may be the toughest part of your clothing swap, since not every item will be good enough to bring to your local thrift store, and textile recycling can be a little complicated.
After the swap, sort what’s left into piles. The best items should be donated to local charities, which usually happily accept any gently used clothing in good condition. Inevitably, there may be some items that are damaged. Those can be upcycled or recycled.
Many companies offer mail-in programs for recycling damaged textiles that are not suitable for donation or reuse. This helps keep them out of landfills, and sometimes you can even receive rewards for recycling—a nice gift to yourself for all your hard work.
By following all these steps, you can guarantee that nothing goes to waste after the clothing swap is over.
Follow Up, Rinse and Repeat
After hosting a successful clothing swap, take time to reflect on what went well. Gathering feedback from participants is essential for this process, as their comments can help identify areas in which the swap could be improved. No need for a formal survey—just ask the group chat or email list what they thought.
Don’t forget to thank everyone for coming and let them know what a great job they did. Send photos of the donations you contributed to local charities, and let them know how much textile waste was recycled.
So, if you’re looking for an eco-friendly way to get new clothes while also building community and having fun? Consider hosting your own clothing swap. Clothing swaps are a great way to express creativity, reduce waste, and discover new fashion pieces in your wardrobe.
So, who do you want to help you host your first clothing swap?