Tired Of Your Wardrobe? Swap It

Getting rid of old clothes can suck.  Donating stuff is always nice, but everyone’s got those pieces they just can’t bear to toss into a Goodwill dumpster.  Enter: swapping.

Guardian reports:

Welcome to 2007′s hottest fashion trend: swapping instead of shopping.
Clothes swapping parties, which have been bubbling under for several
years, are set to leap on to the radar with next month’s launch of the
first large-scale, user-friendly swapshop, Visa Swap. The credit card
company Visa and TRAID (Textile Recycling for Aid and International
Development) have honed the woolly notion of swapping clothes with
friends into a high-fashion swapping event. The idea works like this:
from May 31, swappers will be able to drop off clothes at a
central-London location, where they will be assessed for value and the
swapper given points on a "credit card" in return. Two weeks later, the
doors to the swapshop will open, and swappers can return to spend their
points on each other’s clothes.

Great concept.  I picture the madness of a sample sale with some community-bonding nostalgia and consignment store vibes tossed in.   The article mentions that message board communities have been swapping for a while, but without the hassle of shipping, and the added bonus of meeting some like minded people face to face, swap events could further diminish the boundaries of the fashion world.

How’s the hype?

Visa Swap aims to overturn the image of swapping as one step up from
jumble sales. The pop-up store where participants will be able to spend
the points they have earned will be "very beautifully designed, a
boutique environment", says Sarah Bunter of Fashion East, who has been
recruited as store manager. Celebrities such as Mischa Barton, Naomi
Campbell, Peaches Geldof, Sadie Frost, Lily Cole and Kelly Osborne are
donating clothes; style advisors will be on hand to help with
alterations and customisation.

Seems like a manageable blend; celebs and tailors are like the ying and yang of fashion.

[via] Guardian