A clothing swap is a type of swapmeet wherein participants exchange their valued but no longer used clothing for clothing they will use. Clothing swaps are considered not only a good way to declutter and refill one's wardrobe, but also are considered an act of environmentalism.
The notion of swapping is not a new concept however, many groups and organizations exist that hold clothing swaps, in a variety of sizes, to raise money and clothes for charitable donations.
Clothes swapping originated in the United States in the late nineties. The Clothing Swap, in San Francisco, has hosted more than 175 Clothing swap events over the past 15 years. The founder, Suzanne Agasi, began hosting clothing swaps in 1994 with friends in her apartment. The events grew and now the swaps average 150–200 swappers.
In Australia, The Clothing Exchange was launched in 2004. Developed as part of an RMIT master's thesis by Kate Luckins (née Pears), The Clothing Exchange is now run as a social enterprise by Kate Luckins and Juliette Anich
A Canadian non-profit organization called The S.W.A.P. Team organizes and facilitates large-scale clothing swaps partnered with charities that accept the leftover clothing at the end of the swap.
Online clothes swapping has also become popular, with websites offering an environmentally friendly and frugal alternative to shopping.
Famous quotes containing the words clothing and/or swap:
“You will feel that you are no longer clothing yourself, you are dressing a public monument.”
—Eleanor Roosevelt (1884–1962)
“If we should swap a good library for a second-rate stump speech and not ask for boot, it would be thoroughly in tune with our hearts. For deep within each of us lies politics. It is our football, baseball, and tennis rolled into one. We enjoy it; we will hitch up and drive for miles in order to hear and applaud the vitriolic phrases of a candidate we have already reckoned we’ll vote against.”
—Federal Writers’ Project Of The Wor, U.S. public relief program (1935-1943)