How to Host A Clothing Swap Party Like a Boss

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Last updated on April 8th, 2022 at 12:02 am

You decluttered your closet. You’re letting go of some really awesome pieces that you don’t want to let go to just anyone. Before putting them in the donation pile, do this: a clothing swap party.

A clothing swap is a perfect opportunity to shop your girlfriends’ closets and reuse items in great condition without needing to take out your wallet. Personally, I’ve found it is easier to let go of items I loved or spent money on when I give them to friends and loved ones. It’s great to give things to charity, but somehow it makes my heart happier when I can give my clothes to a friend who loves them. Making money is good for your wallet, but charity is great for your soul.

This weekend I hosted my friends for our second clothing swap. Many ladies got away with some really great stuff. The whole event was low-key and laid back, just how I like it. Today I’m sharing my tips for hosting a clothing swap.

How to Host a Clothing Swap Party Like a Boss

1 | Send out an invitation at least 3 weeks ahead

Send an invitation to any ladies who might be interested in participating and give ample time for everyone to get around to cleaning out their closets.

We have a women’s fellowship that gets together every month to do a different activity, so this month we had a clothing swap. In the invitation, I included the rules on what items can be swapped (clothes, purses, shoes, accessories) and a resource for purging their closets.

2 | Include ladies of all shapes and sizes.

You never know what might work. A piece that might have been a dress on a shorter person can work as a tunic on someone taller. It totally happened at our swap.

3 | Establish the rules

Basic rules to establish for a clothing swap are:

– Only swap items that are in good condition (no pilling, tears, stains).

– Don’t take home more than what you brought.

– Be courteous of other swappers (if you have a lot of people, you could draw straws for groups of people to shop at a certain time, or do it based on arrival time).

– Bring a shopping bag.

You can set a minimum or maximum of items to bring but since we wanted everyone in our group to participate, I asked those ladies not bringing items to bring a snack to share instead.

4 | Set a deadline

I decided to give everyone an hour to arrive and set up. The doors opened at 9:30 and I told everyone the swap would begin at 10:30. I encouraged everyone to get there early to set out their items and see what everyone else brought.

5 | Have refreshments

I provided drinks and many ladies brought other snacks like pumpkin bread, cinnamon rolls, and bagels.

6 | Organize clothing and accessories by item type

You don’t need fancy clothing racks to keep things organized. I designated different areas of the living room for different pieces by laying them out on the table or on the couch. It worked out just fine.

7 | Let your guests try on their finds

I made sure to have a full-length mirror accessible for trying on clothes. You wouldn’t want to bring something home from the store without trying it on first, right?

8 | Donate whatever is leftover

Not everything is going home with someone…and not everything should! Choose a charity where you can donate all the remaining items.

Since my group of friends all met at our church, we donated everything to the second-hand store affiliated with the parish. I’ll be dropping off the 3 leftover bags this week.

What are you waiting for? Send out that invitation and get ready to get some “new” clothes! I promise you will find joy in watching people you care about enjoy the items you no longer need. Plus, we all need a reason to have some time with the girls.

Need more help cleaning out your closet? Grab the free Closet Organizing Cheat Sheet from the RNL Resource Vault here >>>