How many times have you stood in front of an overflowing closet, whining that you have nothing to wear? Probably too often. For Melissa Massello, co-host of Swapaholics, the answer is simple: “Swapping is the new shopping,” she says.
Instead of buying clothes, swappers pay a small entry fee to bring their unwanted clothing to a central location. What follows is a mass frenzy to snap up the best finds and bring them home – for free! Swapping is eco-friendly and budget-smart, which means it’s an especially good choice for collegiettes. Melissa calls it “retail therapy meets recycling.”
In February 2009, Valerie Fox of Design Hive Market brought together Melissa Massello, editor-in-chief of Shoestring, and “Punky” Amy Chase, writer of Punky Style. Prior to meeting, Melissa and Punky were avid swappers; they had each thrown swaps attended by up to 75 people. Their first collaboration was an instant success, attended by 275 people.
The best part about swapping, Melissa says, is “watching someone’s style evolve and become more adventurous with fashion.” Sounds good to us!
Swapaholics recently held a swap on August 1 in Worcester, MA. They will be holding two upcoming swaps in September; a beauty swap at StudioWed in Denver and a “sip ‘n swap” wine tasting in conjunction with Second Glass during Boston Fashion Week.
If you’d like to attend a swap, keep an eye out on Swapaholics event page. If you’d like to host a swap, email Melissa at Melissa.Massello@gmail.com or Punky at PunkyStyle@gmail.com.
Happy swapping!