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I am a swishing convert! I went to my first ever swishing party this Friday and thought it was fabulous! Always having been a fan of charity shops since my mum worked in the Good As New Boutique in Singapore, I have considered myself a bit of an expert when it comes to sniffing out second hand bargains, and I am amazed I have only just discovered the fulfilling and surprising world of swishing!
For those of you who haven't heard of swishing or who aren't quite sure what it's all about...it's an informal but organized get together/event where everyone brings at least one item of quality to 'swish' which basically means to swop. And yes it does have to be a quality item. There wasn't anyone checking through the bag of goodies I brought to swish and vetting them - but it's just not part of the spirit of swishing to bring rubbish along. One of the ladies whose cute Rasco designer clip on earrings I swished up summarized it perfectly in that swishing makes you feel really good. As well as finding amazing goodies for free that you can take home, you do also get a real buzz from seeing someone else’s eyes light up when they spot the shoes you brought along. E-baying just isn't as much fun.
Need I mention the fact that over 1 million tonnes of clothing ends up in UK landfills every year - and swishing can help you cut your contribution to that in half! So if you are looking to revamp your wardrobe and cut your carbon footprint this is a great way to start.
For my first swishing experience, I took along a two pairs of shoes that I had only worn a handful of times. One pair that just didn't suit me at all, and the other pair were too big. If you are a woman reading this post, I am certain you don't need to ask why I bought them in the first place as you have no doubt done exactly the same at some stage - they looked great in the shop! And both were snapped up by eager swishers, so somewhere someone is wearing them with pride. And I now have space on my shoe rack for my swished treasures: a pair of silver
Kenneth Coles and gorgeous and environmentally friendly
Terra Plana pumps. I also found a great pair of Gingham clip-on earrings that turned out to be by New York designer 'Rasco'. Result!
I did almost mistakenly swish my Cacharel perfume away, that I had forgotten was in the bottom of my carrier bag, and had to disappoint the organizers slightly who had thought it was a very cute swishing gesture - woops! I did however take along lots of pretty belts and necklaces as well as the shoes that didn't fit me - so hopefully I contributed as much to the evening as I gained.
The swishing party I went to was the first ever accessories swishing party, organized by
Futerra's Helen Spoor, and although the organizers said they were nervous about handbags being brought into the competitive environment, the evening turned out to be a real success.
I also met some great people, like-minded and all embracing a new and fun way to be stylish and sustainable. All in all it was a great evening and not only do I intend to keep in touch with some of the new friends I made, I plan to host some swishing parties of my own - so ladies of Richmond and Kingston, get rooting through those wardrobes and get ready for a summer of Swish!
For more details about swishing visit
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