Two weekends ago I went to my first ever vintage and gently used clothing swap, hosted by an indie boutique in the area where I work.
It was only by chance that the pink flyer stuck to the telephone pole caught my eye and after a quick scan I knew that I would find myself there first thing Saturday morning. The way it works is that you bring one bag worth of clothes, shoes and accessories and are able to leave with one large bag of clothes, shoes and accessories. There’s an entrance fee of $5.
It’s funny, I didn’t realize this until I got there, but there’s strategy and method to the way you ‘shop‘ at a clothing swap. Some things came intrinsically and others came as I walked through, sorted, engaged and observed.
My 'new' earrings from the Clothing Swap
Here’s what I learned:
Whatever item of clothing you see and have an interest in, pick it up!
There was this gorgeous royal blue with white stitch trim, London Fog trench coat that I saw. I looked at it, thought “oh, that’s nice!” and then walked away. Ten minutes later, in my mind I caught a glimpse of myself roaming the streets in it, rocking a pair of cherry red pumps. So, I decided go back to nab it. When I made it back to the other side of the room, I saw it walking away in the arms of another fashionista. Boo hoo!
You snooze, you loose…
Be ready to sort through racks and piles of clothes to find the gems that are definitely there.
Clothes, clothes, clothes and more clothes! Mountains and piles of clothes! Yes, there are tons of clothes, some fantastic and some…ummm, not so fantastic. But the key to a successful swap is to approach it like a treasure hunt. There are definitely jewels to discover that are well suited to your style and body shape. You just have to be patient and willing to search for them.
Shop, then edit, then shop some more
This is the fraternal twin of the first strategy: pick up whatever you have an interest in and when you experience sensory overload from the mountains of material, take a break and edit down what you have in your stock pile. Yes, take out and put back that fluorescent green dress that you know you would never EVER wear, but adore the cut… but still know you’ll never wear….
…yes, girl ya don’t need it, ya just don’t…
Meeting new people
Clothing exchanges are great places to meet people and gain style inspiration. I saw a few hair cuts and outfits that I would love to make an attempt at sometime in the future. For some, fashion is an outward expression of personality and creativity and it’s always great to have a quick moment to interact with the person behind the expression. In the midst of all the clothes and clutter, there’s definitely room for interesting conversation.
I understand that for some, vintage and gently used is not their thing, but I have to say, it opened me up to being a bit more adventurous with my personal style. I took a few steps outside of my fashion comfort zone and left with a bagful of gorgeous goodies, some of which I have already worn!
Here’s to trying something new!
Have you ever been to a gently used/vintage clothing swap?
