Clothing swaps in DC area?

[Anonymous]

Have any of you heard of clothing swaps that go on in this area? I know several of friends in California regularly do so, but I haven't really heard of any here. If you have any info of any upcoming clothing swaps, please fill me in! Or would any Moms be interested in one? Especially in this economy, I can't justify spending much money on new clothing and I'm sure many of us have loads of clothing that we no longer wear/fit into! Thanks in advance!

[Anonymous]

Some good friends of mine did this on a semi-regular basis a few years ago, but all of the organizers have now left town. I'm only aware of these as informal gatherings among friends; in this area I've never seen a public, open clothing swap.

I really love the idea. I will say that it's a fair amount of work. My friends would receive most of the clothing a few days ahead of time and spend several hours sorting and arranging. Once the swap is over, there's always a ton of clothing left over; the usual thing is to take it to a shelter but this, too, takes time (particularly since I think that shelters are getting pickier and pickier--you can't just drop off a plastic bag of random clothes; they only want stuff that's in season and folded/hung appropriately).

Part of me wants to volunteer to help organize a swap (I'm reasonably sure we could use space in my church, for example), but I also know that I'm crazy-busy this spring. Another good alternative is thrift shops. At the Village Thrift at MD 197 & MD 198 in Laurel, I can usually get several new outfits for $30; I also can get the tax writeoff for donating my used clothes. Not as much fun as a clothing swap, but it does serve the purpose of keeping me clothed.

[Anonymous]

Thanks for the info PP!