A few years back when I was still living in NYC my friends and I would go out constantly and were always photographing our events. The downside to going out 3-4 times a week was that we didn't want to be photographed wearing the same outfits within a month of eachother. Life in NYC is pricey and fashion isn't cheap so my friend Maria, the founder of The Closet Fashionista, started to invite a bunch of ladies over for clothing swaps.

We picked a Sunday everyone 2-3 seasons and got together at her place with wine, light food and bags of clothes. It was the definition of girlfriends. It was not limited to just the ones in NYC or even by specific sizes. We had a girl that came from Philly with her almost 6 ft model type body. Me, who stood at 5'4 (okay 5'3!) that was super curvy and had a pinup type rack, others that were barely 5 foot and teeny....different bodies, different styles, yet we always came and left with bags full of 'new to us clothes'.

Since a new season is approaching and we're very into the idea of shopping without spending we think all groups of women should have a clothing swap at least once a year. They are always fun ways to get together with a group of friends that you maybe don't get to see all the time because of the circles you run in all the while going home with a couple of new items to wear to work or at an event.

Here is best formula for any hostess of a swap. This always seemed to work for us:

1. Send out feeler dates and have everyone vote on the date that works best. Sundays work great because they are usually lazy days for everyone.

2. Set a menu. Of course as the hostess you should always plan a few dishes but always encourage others to bring/make a dish and of course their favorite bottle (or two) of wine.

Finger foods and wine are a must for any Sunday event. Superbowl excluded ;-)

3. Create the space. If you have coffee tables in the way just make sure to set every aside because when the swap begins everything gets dumped into a pile and the grabbing begins.

4. Always have extra bags in case someone gets lucky enough to go home with more than they brought.

5. Do it again in a few seasons!

If you want to host a clothing swap in NYC or LA and want some tips and/or personalized attention feel free to contact us at diane@theclosetfashionista.com (LA) or maria@theclosetfashionista.com (NYC) and we can help you host a swap that ladies will be dying to attend season after season.