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"  My friends and I all love clothes. We love talking about them. We love showcasing our latest finds. We love sharing the triumphs of a satisfying bargain hunt or sample sale. When visiting one another, we&amp;#039;re likely to end up spending at least a few minutes in the closet for a little sartorial show-and-tell. And all of us wish we could afford to spend more money on them-and perhaps take more fashion risks. Four years ago, I decided to take our shared passion to a new level and throw a style swap, a now-annual event my friends and I look forward to and &amp;quot;save up for&amp;quot;-not our dollars, but our spiffiest castoffs. Here&amp;#039;s how it works: I invite friends whose style I admire to bring over clothes and accessories they never wear (but would hate to throw out) and swap them for new stuff they&amp;#039;ll love. Everyone browses and tries everything on together. And once each guest is armed with her pile of new threads, whatever has gone unclaimed is sent to charity. A style swap is a way to make shopping an event, not an errand-and to give your clothes another shot at life before they hit the landfill. It is eco-friendly, inspiring, and fulfilling. It&amp;#039;s fashion... for free. It&amp;#039;s so much fun that the last two years, my friend Holly has joined me as cohost, making the four-hour trip from Washington, DC, to New York City with her bag of discards. We keep it intimate \u2014 under a dozen people \u2014 and try to set a collaborative (not grabby) vibe, encouraging each guest to channel her inner Rachel Zoe and act as a personal stylist to the others. At first, most of us are shy about pawing through other people&amp;#039;s stuff and trying clothes on in front of people we do not know. But then we begin to share the stories of each item (&amp;quot;That used to be my &amp;#039;first date&amp;#039; skirt!&amp;quot;). Before you know it, folks who have never met before are racing around half-naked and begging one another to try on colors and styles they might not usually consider (as well as broadcasting any potential liabilities: itchy collars, flats that &amp;quot;feel too flat&amp;quot;). Still, as much as we love the thrill of new clothes, my guests and I are not merely material girls. We&amp;#039;re all thrilled to give our old duds a chance at new love and appreciation, instead of just letting them accumulate in &amp;quot;an accusing pile,&amp;quot; as my friend Joanna puts it, on the floor of the closet. A style swap isn&amp;#039;t only a cheap and fun way to refresh our wardrobes, however; it&amp;#039;s also a body-image rehab session. One year I donated a pair of Western-style Lucky jeans that made me feel like a flat-butted cowboy carrying water balloons in my pockets. My friend Amy is an avid runner, someone I think of as way more fit than I will ever be. When she slipped into my jeans, they cupped her in all the right places. Meanwhile, Holly urged me into a pair of white pants that made me feel leggy and trim, and her dancer legs and tush gave new life to a pair of my old wool trousers. Our bodies may be shaped differently, but we all felt giddy preening about in our new Sisterhood of the Those-Look-So-Much-Better-On-You Pants. The loot tends to be a lot of basics from all the stores we know and frequent: the Gap, Club Monaco, plus some no-name boutiques \u2014 jeans, sweaters, plain black skirts, with some trendy stuff from H&amp;amp;amp;M or BCBG and athletic wear from Lululemon often thrown in as well. Somehow, though, every year a handful of luxuries surface. This year, there was the colorful Missoni sweater \u2014 donated by Alison \u2014 which became the one thing everyone had to try on before it found a good home. And the vibrant Herm\u00E8s scarf, which Kim&amp;#039;s cranky colleague had given her out of guilt for being so difficult to work with. (Emme wore it home guilt-free.) And my cobalt-blue motocross-style jacket, which made me look too boyish, like Speed Racer, but which turned Kim into Speed&amp;#039;s cutie-pie friend Trixie.  Truth is, there&amp;#039;s as much thrill in seeing someone fall in love with a piece you brought to the party as there is in finding something you can&amp;#039;t wait to wear. And when two people want the same item (which happens more than once every year), instead of a catfight, we end up with an arms race of politeness \u2014 &amp;quot;You take it!&amp;quot; &amp;quot;No, you take it!&amp;quot; \u2014 until finally others chime in and say whom the item suits best. At a style swap, all that self-talk about what will and will not look good on you gets drowned out by the gleeful exhortations of others. That&amp;#039;s how Holly found herself being talked into taking a flowing floral skirt to wear as a strapless top over leggings. And how Christine got Alison, Deva, and Holly to try on and take home vintage &amp;#039;60s hostess dresses. (Christine herself came away with a boho-chic pile including fur-trimmed boots, a green suede jacket, and a paisley Diane von Furstenberg dress). The whole party turns the nightmarish dynamic of the high school girls&amp;#039; locker room on its head.  And did I mention the free clothes? Successful swap secrets 1. Swap between seasons. During transitional periods like early spring or fall, people tend to sort through their closets as they switch out their wardrobes for the next season, so it&amp;#039;s a good time to gather and exchange castoffs.  2. Round up a good crew. Cast a wide net by inviting more than just your closest friends. If you have an acquaintance whose style you admire, tell her so and invite her. She&amp;#039;ll be flattered, and you&amp;#039;ll get to add her offerings to the mix. Encourage guests to invite their stylish friends too.  3. Set expectations. Ask people to bring five to 25 quality pieces that are in good condition and stain-free \u2014 items you would be proud to give a friend. Encourage not only clothes but coats, shoes, handbags, fragrances, and unopened cosmetics. Invite guests two to three weeks in advance so everyone has time to sort through her closet. 4. Viva variety! Invite a broad enough group so that every guest will find clothes in her size range. No one wants to be the only petite or the only size 14. 5. Watch your timing. Choose a time of day when people won&amp;#039;t expect a full meal so you can all stay focused on the swap itself. Consider a tea from 3 to 5 p.m., wine and cheese from 4 to 6 p.m., or a light brunch.  6. Build a buzz. When you send your invitation, lay out a few guidelines for how your swap will work so guests know exactly what to expect. Not everyone is comfortable with the idea of wearing used items \u2014 or undressing in front of strangers! Be sure to highlight one or two offerings from your own pile to get folks in the mood (&amp;quot;I&amp;#039;m looking for a taker on my shearling peacoat, unworn Banana Republic wedges, and two cute tops from DKNY&amp;quot;). 7. Grab and go. Remind everyone to bring a bag to tote their &amp;quot;new&amp;quot; items home. 8. Rack &amp;#039;em up. Have on hand: hangers (ask guests to bring a few extra), one or two clothes racks, a shoe rack, and sturdy garbage bags or boxes to pack unclaimed items for charity. Your local dry cleaner might lend you a clothes rack on wheels. "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.redbookmag.com/fashion/how-to/a5982/swap-clothes/>