The Great Canadian Clothing Exchange

I recently attended my very first clothing exchange party, and let me say, it was a huge success! Who knew that one woman's trash could be another woman's treasure? It was a small intimate gathering with a few close work friends. We all managed to put together a big bag (or two, or three, or in some cases five!) of unwanted clothes to exchange at the party for someone else's unwanted clothes. Hence the name - The Great Clothing Exchange! And in the end, we all got to walk away with a new(ish) wardrobe. But it wasn't just clothes; purses, hats, and shoes we also thrown into the mix - we had it all!

So if you're thinking of hosting your own clothing exchange party, follow some of these tips to ensure your party will be a huge success!

The Plan


1) Send out an invitation - invite those who you know will have unwanted/unworn clothes that they would want to get rid of. Try to invite people with similar tastes and dress sizes. That way, everyone is sure to walk away with someone "new".

2) Encourage people to bring anything and everything (except the kitchen sink!) Hats, scarves, heels, jewelry, even a ripped up t-shirt (Flashdance styles) anything is fair game!


The Day Of


2) Have snacks and wine kicking around. Or better yet, make it a small potluck style gathering/BYOB.


3) Play music. It'll surely make your party a lively, and fun one!


4) Have a full-length mirror (or two) handy in the room so people can see what they're trying on.


5) Most importantly, have a camera standing by. Memories last a lifetime and you don't want to miss out on some great and embarrassing moments :)


The Exchange


4) You may wish to set some ground rules, but it's up to you. There are a few ways to conduct this party successfully and efficiently. Whatever you choose, make sure it'll fit the setting of the party and your guests.

Here are some options:


A) Have everyone divide their stuff into allocated, separate piles (t-shirts, sweaters, jeans, shoes, etc). Once that's all set up, divide people up into small groups (2-3 depending on size of party) and have them start at a certain pile, eventually moving on to the next pile. When everyone has had their chance to peruse through all the piles, people can start trying on their clothes. Remember to take pictures! If some of the clothes don't get taken, it can be put back in the piles for someone else to grab.

B) Everything in the pool! Once your guests arrive, have them pour all of their clothes into one big pile in the middle of the room. Your guests can begin to go through them, making sure they make their own small piles on the side of what they want to try on. Clothes can be put back in the main pile if someone doesn't want it anymore, which will be up for grabs again. People can then start trying on clothes.

C) If it's a small party, have everyone individually take out each piece from their bag(s) to show each other. If one garment is wanted, someone should yell "dibs" so they can have it. Otherwise, begin putting it all in one big pile. As I said, this should be done in smaller groups. It would take forever for everyone to individually take out piece by piece to show everyone, especially if there are TONS of clothes and TONS of guests!


The last option is what we decided to do, mainly because it was a smaller gathering. And let me tell you, there were a lot of laughs! Everything from ripped t-shirts, stained dresses, and hideous pants, we all had our fair share of making fun of each other. We posed and took tons of pics; it was definitely fun times all around!


The Aftermath


5) Whatever doesn't get taken at the end of the night should be given to Charity. Call a local Clothing Donation business so they can come pick it up from your house, especially if it was like our party - we had 7 full garbage bags left over from the party!

Girls, definitely think about planning a clothing exchange party in the New Year. It's such a great alternative that kills two birds with one stone (or should I say three birds) - you get to see your friends and party, you're able to get rid of an unwanted wardrobe, and best of all, you get to walk away with something new! What more can you ask for :)