The Art of Swishing - For women who love to swap

The latest trend from the UK hits the USA.
Want a new outfit but loath to splash out when every penny counts? A swishing party is a swap shop for the smart set.
"Everyone's swapping now, darling - it's so....... fashionable".

Swishing is a growing trend, where a gaggle of fashion-loving women get together, feast on nibbles, guzzle wine and swap their clothes.
Eco-fabulous recycling at its best.

It says on the invitation that everyone must bring at least one clean, good quality item of clothing to donate to the rails, but people can leave with as many items as they wish. Is this fair if someone brings just one item but sashays away with a handful of designer clothes?
Worn again

The dictionary defines swishing as "to rustle, as silk" but Lucy Shea, strategy director of green PR firm Futerra, has applied the term to clothes swapping parties - similar in concept to Tupperware parties of yore.

RULES OF THE RAIL

Bring at least one item of clothing
No claiming items before the swish opens
No fighting over clothes
Women have swapped clothes for eons, and the success of eBay shows that women will happily bid for someone else's cast-offs.
But that costs, and swishing is free.

After an hour of browsing - "of course I don't mind if you try this on," says more than one woman through gritted teeth - it's time to swish. Everyone steps away from the rails as the host repeats the rules: "Remember ladies: no scratching, no spitting, no biting. Three, two, one - SWISH."

Everyone surges forward, a steely glint in many an eye. Several people make a grab for the same item; another two swap high-fives as they clutch their chosen items; and one woman looks devastated as another snatches an item from within her grasp.

But mostly the party-goers bond as they haggle over clothes.

Reduce, reuse
Why not recycle - it's like passing good energy on. Not only are you saving the planet but you get a new wardrobe.

900,000 tonnes of shoes and clothing are thrown away every year in the UK. A clothes swapping party - whether an official swishing event or a DIY affair - can go some way to reducing this total.

Although women love to shop, many feel guilty about splashing out on new clothes.

Swishing parties are particularly significant in the current economic climate - why spend $100’s on a new outfit when you can come to a swishing party and get one for free? And, the best thing is you can have some glasses of wine, nibbles and make new friends who like you love fashion.

Swishing parties have been held in New York as well as London, and the Americans are more ruthless than the mild-mannered Brits.

While some leave the party having hit the fashion jackpot, others come away empty-handed - much like a trawl around the High Street, but with the advantage of no cash outlay.

If you are interested in coming to the first swishing party in Indianapolis to update your wardrobe both in an economic and eco-friendly way for this Autumn, the call Tina Jesson on 317 564 4619