Swap your garms and save those golden nuggests; style on a budget #1

Clothes swapping events are booming as fashionistas are exchanging garments with pals and strangers in response to the credit crunch and heightened eco awareness.

Swapping fever is sweeping the cash strapped fashion conscious with organized swaps taking place in cities across the UK and like those who attend them, are coming in all shapes and sizes. Private parties, swaps at local pubs, ‘eco-glam’ events (complete fizzy pop of course), exclusive designer label only bashes, guerrilla style swaps in busy areas, websites dedicating themselves to connecting unworn clothes to new owners and even a cheeky club nights where revellers swap apparel on the sound of a klaxon. Phew!

“I saw it happening in New York and thought it would work really well here. It’s really the response to the ‘Primark Effect’ that has seen us bulk buying clothes we wear once and then bin" said Lori Wiechec, co-founder of Hybird a company that pioneered clothes swapping in the UK in 2007.

In light of the credit crunch sales of couture and designer basics are actually showing increased profits. Combined with the clothes swapping boom this shows a gentle backlash to discount retailers occurring, especially in light of the apparent sweatshop conditions and low quality of garments they provide.
“Most people can’t afford to pay modern designers prices for good quality but loads of people have wonderful unworn pieces they can bring to swaps” said Lucy Wills who recently organized a recent flash mob style clothes swap outside Top Shop in Oxford Circus. “Apart from anything it builds really great communities and connects you with new people around you”.

Lucy founded the company We All Reuse to raise awareness of the fashion industries wastefulness and promote clothes swaps. To date she’s worked with Camden Council, Friends of the Earth and The Big Issue and today is keeping very hush-hush about a potential high street store collaboration in the pipeline. With Girls Aloud’s Nadine and Nicola recently admitting being partial to a clothes exchange and the credit crunch refusing to blow over, it looks like she’s on to a good thing.