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How to get new fashions for your closet without spending any money: Organize a clothing swap -- or just go to your nearest Swap-O-Rama-Rama event!
For those who always MEAN to organize a clothing swap but never quite get around to it, Swap-O-Rama-Rama's a fun, organized-for-you, economical and eco-friendly fashion event -- and a great way to meet eco-fashionistas beyond your existing circle of friends.
In essence, Swap-O-Rama-Rama's a huge clothing swap. Show up with a bag of unwanted clothes and you'll be granted admittance to the event, where you can dig through everyone else's pre-loved clothes and select the treasures that'll work for you.
The new-to-you duds a bit too big or small? DIY stations -- with sewing machines, silk-screening tools, or even glitter -- will help you re-size or re-fashion your newly-acquired pieces to your heart's desire. Oh, and the Swap's got no mirrors -- a tactic to encourage interaction and intimacy -- so you'll need to ask newly-made friends how you look when you try on the clothes. A fashion runway at the event also lets you show off your new finds and creations to fellow swappers.
The Swap was started by Wendy Tremayne, who was experimenting with living currency free for a year. "There is no creativity in consumerism," says Wendy. "The consumer is largely asked to express their uniqueness by being selectors.... Makers don’t make good consumers. The less you know, the less you can make, the more you’re going to buy." Learn more about how Swap-O-Rama-Rama came about in this short video interview with Wendy Tremayne, created by Ryanne Hodson at Ryan is Hungry:
Swap-O-Rama-Rama's a Creative Commons event -- which means you can organize your own! Contact Wendy, and she'll be able to hook you up with Swap-o-Rama-Rama sponsors who provide sewing machines silk screen making machines, plus help with your event organizing.
Megan Nicolay at Generation T went to a Swap-O-Rama Rama in Brooklyn, which she describes as "a fascinating whirlwind of recycling, spring wardrobe shopping, screen-printing, sewing, and composting galore":
A fellow from the Botanic Gardens taught us about composting your textiles. (So, next time you’re wondering what to do with the T-shirt scraps ... and you’ve exhausted the smaller accessories projects, don’t throw them away! You could help fertilize a garden come spring!)
The Scrap Exchange has great photos of the Swap-O-Rama-Rama in Durham earlier this month:
Of course the main point of our Swap-O-Rama Ramas is to put clothes that are languising in closets back into circulation -- so all of us can get new (to us) stuff! But it’s also to promote “creativity over consumerism.”
Ready to start creating? Find a swap near you! Swaps are coming up in Milwaukee, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, and even Huntsville, Alabama.
Image via Swap-O-Rama-Rama
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BlogHer Contributing Editor Siel also blogs at greenLAgirl.com.
Patti http://brigidsgarden.bl
pattipitch September 21, 2009 - 7:09am
Patti
http://brigidsgarden.blogspot.com
That is so cool...my kids and friends have been having these parties on a small scale for years...they call them Naked Lady Parties because of all the trying on of clothes leading to naked ladies walking around the room. But this is so cool to have sewing machines and silk screens to take the almost perfect "new" shirt and send it over the top. Thanks for sharing.