Want some new clothes but don’t want to spend a lot of money – or any at all? Love a good party? Why not arrange a clothing swap party? In this article, I’ll go over the details of how to arrange the ultimate clothing swap party. As a frugal living expert and lover of shopping for and finding new clothes on a budget, I’ll share my top tips on:
- Why a clothing swap is a good idea
- How to make your clothing swap fun with extra activities
- Other benefits of a clothing swap on your general frugal life
Read on to learn about how to arrange a clothing swap party.
What is a Clothing Swap Party?
A clothing swap party is a special event where people exchange used clothing, shoes, and accessories. Ideally, everyone attending the clothing swap party should bring at least five items with them. Clothing swaps can be as simple or sophisticated as you want. For example, they can be as simple as just gathering in a community center room to as fancy as hosting a high tea and swapping formal wear. Personally, my favorite types of clothing swaps are outdoors with BBQ food, games and music. They’re a casual way to host guests who may just want to be there for food or games – a great way to maximize your chance to meet others!
Why Host a Clothing Swap Party?
Swap-Related Reasons
Saving Money for Other Goals
The first and most obvious reason why you should host a clothing swap party: help you and others save money! Clothing swaps generally mean giving away and receiving items for absolutely free. Over time, those savings can be redirected towards other goals such as paying off debt, saving for a house, investing, or taking a vacation.
Decluttering Your Home
Let’s face it – most of us have tons of clothing we don’t wear. In fact, research shows that most people only wear around 50% of their wardrobe. Think about what’s in your closet. How many clothing items have been sitting in the back for months. Those clothing items can instead be put to good use – whether swapped in an exchange, repurposed into a new clothing item or donated to a shelter or thrift store.
When I started decluttering my home – especially my bedroom – my anxiety levels went way down. Additionally, I was better able to concentrate. When I don’t have a pile of clothing spilling out of my closet, I can better focus on tasks when working at my desk in my room.
Finding a New Style
I don’t know about you, but I have a general ‘sense’ of my sense of style. However, from time to time, I find a hat, jacket or pair of shoes that I wouldn’t normally wear but look good on me. For example, I’m not a huge wearer of the color yellow. However, I have a blouse and bucket hat that look fantastic on me. When you go to a clothing swap, you’ll have an opportunity to try on different clothing, shoes and accessories from family members and friends with differing style. You never know what item you end up falling in love with and taking home!
Contributing to the Ethical Fashion Movement
What is ethical fashion? Ethical fashion refers to the process of manufacturing, buying and wearing clothing that reduces harm to people, animals and nature. While one of the most popular and best ways you can reduce damage is to buy from ethical stores, it’s not always financially feasible. Ethical stores often charge a higher rate for their clothing as they pay sustainable wages to workers and use higher-quality materials. If you’re on a budget, clothing swaps are a fantastic way to participate in the ethical fashion movement. If you swap clothes instead of buying brand new ones, you’re reducing demand on factories to produce fast fashion and contribute to sweatshop labor.
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Other Reasons for Arranging a Clothing Swap Party
Meeting New People
A clothing swap party is an opportunity to meet new people if you decide to open the event to community members and friends-of-friends. When I’ve attended clothing swaps, I’ve made friends who have other common interests such as thrift shopping and frugal grocery shopping and cooking. Keep an open mind and get ready to meet a variety of people – you never know who you may end up meeting!
Focusing on the Important People in Your Life
In our consumer-driven society, it’s so easy to focus on working, making money, eating, shopping and other pressing concerns. A social event that’s focused on meeting people and exchanging items is a fantastic way to reconnect with loved ones and help each other find new clothing items without spending any money. Additionally, clothing swaps are a fun way to bond over games and food.
Combining Parties to Cut Down on Summer Hosting Obligations
For many, summer is a time of relaxation. However, it can also mean increased hosting obligations. From summer backyard BBQs to graduation parties and family events, hosting events can be overwhelming and tiring. Why not combine a BBQ and a clothing swap into one event?
Becoming Inspired to Integrate Other Frugal Practices Into Your Life
When I started doing clothing swaps and buying secondhand, I got a high. I was saving money, having fun and discovering new styles – all amazing benefits that made me feel great! This amazing feeling inspired me to start integrating more frugal practices into my life. Below are some of the top frugal practices I started undertaking:
Comparing Prices
I invest the time to compare prices on everything: groceries, restaurant prices, housewares, airline tickets and more. An hour or two of time invested can equal huge savings. I’ve saved an average of 20-30% on prices simply by comparing prices of the same or similar items at 2-3 stores. If you have a vehicle or live in a densely populated area with a decent public transportation system, it’s a good idea to shop around and buy the cheapest item at each respective store.
Traveling in the Shoulder Season
Believe it or not, travel can fit into a frugal person’s life! Everyone has stuff or experiences they want to indulge in. For me, I enjoy travel. I try my best to book in the shoulder or off-season when prices are cheaper. Shoulder season is generally a great time to go. I recently came back from a holiday to Phu Quoc Island in Vietnam. I went at the end of April which was the perfect time to go. Prices were decent and the weather was still great (right before the start of rainy season in May).
Doing Beauty Routines at Home
We all love to pamper ourselves. I love a good massage and manicure. While you can’t get a family member or friend to do the same great job your masseuse does, you can do other stuff at home to save money. Invest in a nail care kit and do your own nails at home. Be sure to invest in quality nail polishes that will last a longer time so you save time and money. If your hair is low maintenance, cut your own hair.
Batch Cooking
Cooking your meals all at once will save you time, but it also saves you money. If you choose a meal or several meals with the same ingredients, you can buy larger packages at the grocery store which are generally cheaper than smaller packages. Some common examples include canned beans, pasta and rice.
How to Throw a Clothing Swap Party
Planning and Preparation When Arranging a Clothing Swap
Choose a Location
Firstly, you’ll need to choose where you’ll host your party. Do you have a decent-sized backyard? Weather permitting, this is a great location. Alternatively, rent a party room at a community center or library.
Set the Rules
In order to host a successful event, you’ll need to set some clothing swap rules surrounding:
- The minimum number of clothing, shoes and accessory items each party needs to bring
- If you’re hosting a party, what food or drink items each person should bring
- The minimum age limit of the party – will children be invited, teens and up or will it be an adults-only affair?
Invite Guests
Next, time to invite your guests! Decide if you’ll keep it to just family or friends only or make it a larger community event. If it’s your first time, I suggest starting small. If all goes well, expand your invite list for the next party.
When you choose family members or friends based on your relationship, you’re accepting the fact that different people have different styles. Therefore, not everyone may be comfortable exchanging clothes with everyone. However, if the aim of your event is to just have fun, don’t worry too much about that! The guests can also enjoy the food and games at your swap party. However, if the main goal of the event is to maximize swapping, choose family members or friends whose styles are similar. In summary, choose guests based on the feel of the party you want to have.
Set Up
Next, set up for the party. Have fun decorating the backyard with any posters, balloons or other items to make the event memorable. Get the games and food ready for your guests to enjoy.
Executing the Party
Opening and Ongoing Activities
Start the party by laying out the rules: for example, how long the swap will go on and how many items each person is allowed to exchange.
Food and Drinks
Depending on if it’s an ongoing buffet or a sit-down dinner, start serving the food and drinks.
Swapping Time
Start the swap time! Make it more exciting by displaying a countdown timer on a TV or laptop.
Donating Unwanted or Leftover Items
After the timer goes off, collect all the items that weren’t swapped and the owners don’t want to take home. Donate them to a shelter or thrift store.
Alternatives to Arranging a Clothing Swap Party
Don’t have the time or energy to arrange a party? No worries! Here are several alternatives:
Attend a Clothing Swap Party
Instead of doing the legwork and arranging a party yourself, attend one in your area. Check with family or friends if they’re arranging an event. Additionally, look for events at your library or community center.
Host a Garage Sale
The classic way to get rid of items you don’t need while keeping some profit! If you live in a rural area or live in an apartment building, check with family members or friends living in a busier area to see if you can hold your garage sale on their lawn.
Shop at Thrift Stores
If you can’t find any clothing swap events in your area or want more selection, buy clothing secondhand. While you’ll need to spend money, you’ll still be shopping ethically and paying a fraction of the cost you would if you were to buy retail.
Additional Resources for Arranging a Clothing Swap Party
- Stocking a Minimalist Capsule Wardrobe by Frugal Fun Finance
- Minimalist Capsule Wardrobe Tips by Frugal Fun Finance
- How to Declutter Your Clothes by Frugal Fun Finance
- How to Get Clothing for Free by Frugal Fun Finance
- How to Organize a Clothing Swap by Sustain Your Style
- 9 Ways to Host the Perfect Clothes Swap Party by The Ethicalist
- How to Host a Clothing Swap Party by Project Cece
- How to Build a Capsule Wardrobe by Modern Minimalism
- 9 Legit Ways to Get Clothes for Free Online by DollarSprout
- How to Get Free Clothing Online & Near You by Make Sense of Cents
A Final Word on Clothing Swap Party Tips and Tricks
There you have it – my guide to arranging a clothing swap party. I hope you’re excited about throwing the ultimate party this summer! Grab a few friends to help you with the planning process, choose food and games everyone will love and have fun! Remember: there is no one correct way to arrange clothing swaps. Pick a party style that works for you.
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Janita is a frugal living expert and owner of Frugal Fun Finance. With over five years of personal experience finding and trying out the best ways to make and save more money, she's eager to share her knowledge. Janita's strategies have helped her save thousands of dollars for funding investments and traveling to over 20 countries.
Janita completed training in personal finance at The University of Western Ontario and McGill University, two prestigious Canadian universities. Her expertise has been shared on GoBankingRates, Yahoo Finance, and NASDAQ.com.
