Swapping Parties: Get Drunk And Trade Clothes … What Could Be Better?

They’re the hottest thing to hit Chicago this season, and I don’t mean the sweater dresses or shooties that everyone is coveting. They’re swapping parties, and so far I’ve received invitations to three of them. I’d like to think it’s because everyone else loves my style, but I think it has more to do with the recessionista surge.

A swapping party is where a group of about 15 to 20 women gather to swap clothes. They bring three items, all recently dry cleaned and in good condition plus a bottle of wine… and leave with five items that are different than what they brought. Sounds like fun, right?

I recently scored an Ann Taylor cashmere cardi, a French Connection pencil skirt, and an obi leather belt (all similar to the ones above). I traded away a Nine West cropped cardigan, Ralph Lauren sweater dress, and pair of Kenneth Cole wedge boots. Nothing is super trendy, but none of it is way out of style either… and I now have three new faves in my closet!

Interested in hosting a swapping party of your own? Let us know how it goes in the comments section below.

And you can always scour our Deals of the Day for great markdowns on seasonal styles, as well as the insider info on what's going fast on our favorite sample sale sites.