How to Throw a Clothes Swap Party

Every two months or so, my girlfriends from college (Rock Chalk!) like to get together and catch up. This month, we decided to do something a little different and throw a clothes swap party.

Because we are constantly asking each other things like “Where did you get that cute blouse?” we decided it would be great to go through our closets, find clothes we no longer wear, bring them to our next get-together and swap. We rifled through blouses, skirts, pants, jewelry, belts, shoes and purses, and we each walked away with a tote bag filled with free clothes. We are so smart.

If you, too, want to throw a clothes swap party, follow these simple rules.

Rules for a Clothes Swap Party

1. Invite a group of friends over to your house who have similar tastes. (Especially the friends in your life who love to shop.)

2. Set a few ground rules: no torn or tattered clothing; bring anything you no longer like, even if you think the item is out-of-date; and bring a minimum set number of items. We didn’t actually include that last rule at our party, but I think we would next time…I’m looking at you Laura. 😉

3. Also ask everyone to bring a couple of tote bags to use to lug home their scored goods.

4. Provide light, non-messy snacks. Our hostess, miss Kimberlyloc, shelled out quite the spread, including popcorn, nuts, chocolate and a chili feast. Serve lighter snacks such as popcorn and nuts before and during the swapping, and save the heavier foods, i.e. chili, for after (as reward for a job well-swapped).

5. Designate a room for wardrobe changes. You will want to try everything on before committing.

6. Also designate a space for showcasing clothes. We spread all of our clothes on a bed (see picture above).

7. Make a clear shopping plan. Here was ours:

Each person showcases what they brought. If you’re interested in it, you say so. A lot of the times, only one person will be interested in an item (granted, there were only four of us), but for cases that more than one person is interested in an item, put it in the communal pile.

Once everyone has showcased what they brought, takes turns trying on what interests you. Sometimes you won’t end up liking what you were initially interested in. Other times you will LOVE what you scored.

If more than one person still ends up loving what they tried on, then you have to “fight” over it. And by fight, I mean rock-paper-scissors. We’re so tough.

8. Finally, have fun! Then donate whatever clothes no one wanted to charity.

What I Scored

From left to right: a cheetah-print top; a basic brown T-shirt; a green and blue striped button-up blouse

From left to right: A blue and white striped blouse with buttons up the back; an orange, white and black striped sweater with pleather elbow patches

From left to right: A black cardigan with sequined pockets; a black and snakeskin peplum top; a pair of studded hoop earrings

From left to right: black and grey tuxedo pants from Banana Republic; a blue and white printed peasant top

I’m Always The Hostess: Brunch-Themed Bridal Shower

This past weekend I had the opportunity to throw a bridal shower in honor of my younger cousin, April. And as someone who loves any chance to throw a good party, I started pinning ideas right away.

The Decorations

For ambiance, pastels like light pinks and pale blues took center stage: I crafted a homemade flag banner with leftover cardstock from my scrapbook collection and filled my home with peonies, zinnias and rose of Sharon from the Lawrence farmer’s market and my very own garden.

 

The Food

I wanted to keep everything simple, so I put together a menu that featured all brunch-themed foods. Here is what I included on my brunch-themed menu:

+ Quiche Lorraine (Thanks for the delicious sausage quiches, mom! They were yummy!)
+ Crustless Zucchini & Basil Quiche
+ Maple Bacon
+ Biscuits with jam (Shortcake recipe courtesy Rustic Fruit Desserts.)
+ Donut and fruit skewers (This adorable idea is courtesy Val So Cal.)
+ French Toast Cupcakes

The Drinks

I also put together a mimosa bar. This is the best idea ever, in my opinion. I want one ready for me at all times throughout the day. To create a mimosa bar, simply buy two kinds of juice (I chose orange juice and cranberry-raspberry juice), pour them into decorative pitchers, flank them on either side of a bottle of champagne, and top the bar off with fruit garnishes. This was my favorite thing about the party (aside from the donut and fruit skewers). It was there for the party to make their own mimosa as strong (or as weak) as they like. And the kids loved sneaking away with some of the orange slices.

The Fun & Games

For entertainment I put together a couple of games for the party to delight in: One little game called “The Groom Says,” which is essentially a fill-in-the-blank game that includes statements made by the groom, and another game that involved toilet paper. This one produced lots of laughs and was definitely the favorite of the afternoon. We adorned the bride-to-be and another one of our cousins in toilet paper in an attempt to turn the toilet paper into a beautiful wedding dress. As you can tell, we failed. 🙂

Then of course, we ate, opened presents, and celebrated April’s happiness.

 

So that’s a wrap everyone! Everyone seemed to have a great time, and I had a fabulous time planning the whole thing. I can’t wait to throw another party sometime soon. And here’s my advice to anyone throwing a bridal shower: Keep the menu simple and don’t get lost in all the endless food options. Pick a few key dishes and let them really shine. Also, enlist the help of someone special. My husband kept me sane by helping me clean the house and my mom helped out in every possible way. Thanks you guys!

Leave me a comment and let me know what you think!