Cheap Fun: Clothing Exchange

I’ve been doing a little pre-emptive spring cleaning in the new year and coming across so many clothes I just don’t wear.  Not just old, raggedy clothes, but nice, quality shirts, pants, and dresses that just never seem to make the final cut when it’s time to get dressed and head out. 

After having failed at my first attempt at selling items on eBay and not having the energy for craigslist I found myself in a bind.  I wanted to get rid of the things I wasn’t wearing, but I also wanted some kind of return.  After all, some of the clothes still had tags on them!

Well last weekend I found my answer.  I participated in my first ever clothing exchange party.

My girlfriends and I met up, each with our respective bags of “reject” outfits.  We proceeded to go through each article of eachother’s clothing one by one, trying things on, deciding what to keep and what to give away. 

I had arrived with two bags of clothing  and by the end of the night I’d say about 75% of those items had been claimed by others.  I also walked away with a full bag of new outfits.  [Many of which I’ve already worn this week.] And everything that went unclaimed got donated at the end of the night.

It was the perfect solution.  Exchanging AND donating.  Cost effective AND humanitarian.  Not to mention, the night itself was a total blast.  Drinking wine, trying on clothes, and friendly fighting over who gets to claim that fabulous blue dress or pair of brown boots.