The Clothing Swap is a Baltimore tradition. Founded in 2013 by Anna Grothe, this semi-annual
event has become a community of cool people swapping clothes. From fabulous forest frocks to vintage 60's pieces, most of my wardrobe since moving to the east coast has come from this swap.
event has become a community of cool people swapping clothes. From fabulous forest frocks to vintage 60's pieces, most of my wardrobe since moving to the east coast has come from this swap.
When I first came to Baltimore four years ago I attended the Clothing
Swap in a park off Keswick Road in the Hampden neighborhood. I ran
into friends, coworkers, and all sorts of interesting people swapping
clothing of all colors, sizes, and shapes!
I recently attended the first Clothing Swap of 2019 and came back with a lot of wonderful pieces: a black literary witch dress covered in the text from a dictionary page, a handmade hemp renaissance dress dyed purple, gratuitous green garments , an Andrew Jihad Jackson band tee, shirts with the covers of my favorite books printed on them, vintage 60's florals, a corset belt, a red velvet mini dress, lingerie, and so much more! I can't wait to share some of these clothes in my upcoming daily outfit posts...
Now for my Clothing Swap strategy: I usually go through my closet a week before the event. I sort, organize and get my clothes in order while purging many items to make room for the new goods! I wash a load of donations and fold them up into a box. Then the day of the swap, I load that box into my cart and walk to the swap. I usually arrive early, sort clothes into their respective sections. Then I start to make my rounds with the cart, tossing in any green or brown basics while keeping my eyes peeled for cute dresses. I usually stay throughout the whole event as people show up at all times to bring their old clothes. Like a bird of prey, I stalk the stylin' folks to see what they put down then swoop in to grab it. It's also fun seeing friends from the community and catching up. I can't tell you how many friendships I've struck up just by pointing out a cute color or pattern and telling some stranger "This is so you!" or "Look it's in your color!"
If you live in or near Baltimore, I highly encourage taking advantage of this swap. If not, why not start your own swap in your city?
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