A Guide to Hosting and Participating in Clothing Swaps

Swapping clothes and wearing "hand-me-downs" is not a new concept by any means. Families and friends have been swapping clothes for centuries. As a younger sibling, it was the norm for me to wear my older sister's clothes as she grew out of them. 

In recent years, more people have been hosting official clothing swaps as a way for people to give a new life to clothes they rarely wear. These are more formal than just giving your younger sibling the clothes you grew out of or don't wear. These are organized events with guidelines and guest lists. 

This guide will walk you through the benefits of clothing swaps, tips on hosting your own clothing swap, and advice on what to bring as an attendee. We will also share advice from members of the CONQUERing community on clothing swaps they've hosted and attended. 

What are the Benefits of Clothing Swaps? 

A clothing swap is a gathering where people get together to swap clothes, shoes, accessories, and more. 

They've become so popular in recent years because of the major benefits:

• Good for the environment. One of the biggest benefits clothing swaps offer are that they're good for the environment. They keep unwanted clothes out of the landfill and give them a new life. They also discourage you from going out and buying new from brands that promote fast fashion. 
• Community builders. Clothing swaps are massive community builders. They create opportunities for people to gather and make new connections. You might go to a swap only knowing the host and leave with tons of new friends. 
• They are usually free. Some people will encourage you to give a donation to a local charity for the swap but usually they're completely free. It's a great way to update your wardrobe without breaking the bank. 
• Great for decluttering. Clothing swaps help you declutter and let go of clothes you never wear anymore. It can help you make new space in your wardrobe and clean up your personal space. 
• Encourages experimentation with your wardrobe. Finally, clothing swaps encourage you to try new things with your wardrobe. It's not like shopping in a store where everything is based on trends. This is a chance to shop unique styles and try new things. 

There are many other benefits to clothing swaps that you might uncover as you host or attend. The only way to find out is to give it a go! 

How to Host a Clothing Swap? Five Tips for Organizing a Swap

How you host a clothing swap will depend on your personal tastes and the preferences of the people you invite. 

If it's your first time hosting, you might be looking for some general guidelines to ensure your swap runs smoothly. We put together five tips that can help you prepare for your first swap: 

1. Send out invites. Determine the date and time of your swap and send out invites to your friends. You could encourage them to bring their friends as well to meet new people at the swap. Ask that everyone RSVPs by a certain date so you know how many people are coming to the swap. You don't have to host it at your home, however, that's usually the easiest place to have it. If you don't have it at your home, make sure you have the location secured before sending out the invites. 
2. Decide what you'll be swapping. Give people guidelines so they don't show up with a bag of random clothes. Certain garments, shoes, accessories, and more are all options. It's easier to get people to take from what's brought if it's similar to what they're donating. Also, suggest a number of items to bring to make sure you aren't left with a bunch of extra to donate. 
3. Set up the swap. While not necessary, it is nice to offer light snacks or beverages for people coming to the swap. You don't need to break the bank, but it can make the experience a bit more fun when it feels like a party. Decide where you'll have people put the clothes they brought and consider having racks available for coats, dresses, and more. Designate an area for people to try on clothes if they want to see how things fit. 
4. Explain the rules to attendees. It's best practice to have some structure to your swap to keep things fair. We've shared some common rules many have implemented for their swaps further down in this post. 
5. Donate what's left over. Take what no one chose and donate it to a local charity or thrift store. Try to do this as close to the end of the swap as possible so the extra items don't sit in your home and contribute to clutter. 

What's most important is that you and everyone in attendance has a good time. You might run into some hiccups but try not to be too hard on yourself. Take note of what went well and what didn't to influence your next swap. 

What are the Rules for a Clothing Swap? 

There aren't set rules that you absolutely have to follow for your swap. How strict or flexible it is will depend on your preferences and the size of the swap. If you invited a lot of people you don't know too well, it might be good to have more structure to ensure everything goes well. If you're hosting a few close friends, you can keep the swap pretty loose. 

If you want to have some rules in pace for the swap, here are a few suggestions as a starting point: 

1. Set up a structure. This doesn't have to be super rigid, however, having some structure to your swap ensures it stays fair and runs well. Decide if you'll do the swap in rounds or if you'll have it as a free-for-all. If you do it in rounds, figure out what that looks like and how you know when a round starts/ends. For a free-for-all, have some guidelines in place to make sure no one feels like they need to rush in and grab everything at once. 
2. Limit what people can take. You don't necessarily have to do this, but if you have a lot of people coming to the swap, it can be a good idea to set a limit on how much everyone takes. This guarantees that everyone walks away with an adequate number of things they like. A good limit to set is one for one. This means if a person brought 4 items, they can only leave with 4 items. 
3. Come up with a start and end time. Figure out when the swap will start and end to keep it fair for everyone involved. A good way to determine a start time could be when everyone who RSVP'd arrives. An end time can be when everyone is satisfied when what they've received from the swap. 
4. Ask people to try on as they go. To keep things moving, ask that people try things on as they go instead of waiting until the end. This way, if something doesn't fit, it goes back into the swap and has a chance for someone else to pick it up. 
5. Have fun. The most important rule is to have fun. This is supposed to be a community building event, it doesn't need to be high-stress. Tell everyone to be respectful, to keep an open mind, and to enjoy themselves. 

There are other rules you can implement depending on the scope of your swap. Again, there's no right way to host this type of event. As long as you and your guests are happy, that's how you know you hosted a successful swap. 

What Types of Clothes are Typically Accepted at a Clothing Swap? 

The types of clothes you bring to a swap should be clean and in relatively good condition.

Beyond that, there are a few parameters to consider when you're choosing what to bring to the swap: 

• Bring what the host asked. The best way to determine what clothes to bring is to go off of what the host asked you to bring. They might suggest a number and specific item for you to bring. Make sure you pay close attention to what is requested for the best experience at the swap. 
• Choose new and gently used clothes. Don't bring something with a bunch of rips or stains. You'll want to bring clothes that just need a second life, not clothes that no one is able to wear. 
• Wash everything before you come. Make sure you run clothes through the wash, clean off any jewelry, and wipe off any scuffs on shoes before you bring them. People will likely wash what they pick on their own, however, it's respectful to bring clean items to a swap. 
• Don't bring what you want donated. Avoid bringing a bag of unwanted clothes that you just want donated. Unless you clear it with the host, it's not fair to them to dump all your unwanted clothes to donate on your behalf. Stick to what the host asked you to bring and donate any other unwanted clothes on your own time. 

When you're a guest at someone else's swap, it's important to be respectful and stick to the rules they set. Swaps are a really fun event to attend and you'll want to be invited back or invited to others. 

Advice from the CONQUERing Community 

We asked the CONQUERing community to share their tips on hosting clothing swaps. They shared set-ups that have worked for them and helpful tools to have on the day of the swap. 

A few people suggested designating spaces for each attendee to make it easier to shop and trade. This keeps the swap fair and ensures everyone ends up with pieces they actually want. Diane C. suggested setting up tables with name cards to make it clear who you should be going to if you're interested in one of their items. 

Elle M. shared some tips and tools to have when you're planning to host a swap: 

• Provide plenty of spaces for people to try things on and look at themselves in the mirror. 
• Try to have at least two people that are similar in size when you put together the invite list. This guarantees that everyone has a chance to walk home with something new. Asking attendees to bring jewelry or accessories is a great way to bypass size differences. 
• Be clear about what happens to the items that weren't swapped. You can decide if you want attendees to take back what wasn't swapped or if you'll donate on everyone's behalf. 
• Set a rule for how trades will go. Do you want it to be one for one or are you okay with the swap being more loose. There's no right way to do it—what's most important is that everything is clearly defined and no one goes into the swap with questions. 

Host Your Own Clothing Swap

Now it's your turn! Start sending out invites and going through your closet to get your first swap going. If all goes well, you could have a recurring event on your hands!