An excess in clothes is a problem many face—so many, in fact, that there are businesses built upon donations of these items. Hosting a clothing swap for your community or customers is a great way to connect and reduce textile waste!

The Event Basics:

Nail down the number of invitees to a manageable amount, keeping in mind roughly a third will RSVP no, and another third that said “yes” will not end up coming. 

Select a venue. Your home could be suitable for a smaller gathering, or a community center or school for larger groups. 

Remember to feed people! Smaller food items such as snacks and finger foods is preferable when trying on clothing. 

The Clothing Swap Essentials:

You must keep in mind the sizes, heights, and styles of your guest list. This isn’t meant to be exclusive but inclusive. Imagine coming with clothes to exchange only to see not a single other guest is your size and leaving empty handed. For our clothing swap, we invited a wide range of sizes but ensured there were at least three people in similar size groups. 

Limit the number of items guests may bring. 10 items is manageable, but if your group is smaller than ten, 20 items is a great place to start. The goal is to encourage people to bring items that are used but not broken, ripped, or stained. 

Set up the space. Hanging signs with categories such as pants, tops, dresses, shoes, etc. can help guests correctly organize once they arrive. Leveraging clothing racks such as these Z racks or even shelves can keep things tidy. It can also help to have someone take their clothes upon arrival and organize them on their behalf. 

This is meant to be a free event—that’s not to say you couldn’t charge a door fee— so no clothing should cost your guests. It is an exchange of good quality items that are just not fitting or wanted anymore. 

Narrow the groups— is this a women’s clothing swap? A children’s clothing swap for families? Is this genderfluid? Be intentional with who you invite and how you present the swap so to avoid confusion. 

Time your shopping. If your event is smaller, this may not be necessary. If your event is larger, you may want to divide people (either by size, age, name, or some other division) to take turns shopping. If you create a relaxed space with snacks and drinks your guests won’t mind hanging out while other shop before them. 

Find a worthy cause to donate to post-event. Inevitably, you will be left with additional clothing items. Be sure to comb through and get rid of any damaged or too-worn items before donating. We chose to donate to The Gathering Place, which provides low-barrier, trauma-informed care to women, gender-diverse people, and children facing homelessness and instability.

All in all, a clothing swap event is typically a low cost and easy event. Start out small with your friends and family and build up to a larger scale event. This is a great repeat event, as clothing is something many people tend to over purchase and it can be seasonal. It’s an easy way to stay in touch with people, have fun, reduce waste, and donate to a good cause!

Need help planning an upcoming event? That's what we are here for! Email your event inquiry to maddy@magpiemarketingllc.com to get started. We are so excited to see how you grow!