More space for more clothes next time please!

In this recession filled world we find ourselves, what better way to get a new wardrobe than to swap yours for someone else’s. Welcome to the world of ‘swishing’.

It was like a flashback to Christmas morning, walking into the venue with every nook and cranny packed full of treasures galore. A fever was pulsing through me as I navigated through the masses of women who were all there for one purpose.

Now to the untrained eye (initially including myself here) it could be mistaken for a massive jumble sale. But with so many women in one place; so many clothes piled high and many glasses of bubbly being ‘necked’ I was engrossed in the rapturous riot of voices all discussing a certain dress hanging up in the corner! ‘See that red dress with white spots – I’m having that!’ A brief moment of ‘what have I got myself into?’ ran through me. It’s been three months since my last fashion fix so I was literally bursting to get in and have a good old rummage; I suddenly realised it wasn’t going to be that easy!

After a brief welcome from Daisy Green it was obvious to all that an unbelievable amount of people and clothing had arrived on the evening – far outweighing all expectations. I think it’s fair to say a slight moment of panic may have ensued had the organisers not been fortunate enough to have many hands on deck.

But before the swish took place everyone was able to peruse the delights on offer from Karina’s Bags; get some great style advice from Bowler Hat Vintage; receive a free hand massage from Natural Empathy and discuss ethical shopping with Ethic Boutique. A friend who took up the offer of a free hand massage was delighted ‘Beautiful!’ she swooned, ‘I feel really relaxed and it’s eased a lot of tension.’ Even taking part in the raffle with the chance to win a meal for two at ‘As You Like It’; a fabulous Karina Bag worth £150 or a Matt & Nat purse from Ethic Boutique made the whole experience more exciting, even if I didn’t win.

Now I can’t report that all is fair in the world of swishing. A logical order for the swap of clothes and accessories had been established. However, a massive free-for-all ensued when the organisers realised there was more than enough to go around. I overheard one girl saying ‘Well I got my bagful!’ as she tottered away with her stuffed oversized handbag. I even heard reports of one lady making her escape with a suitcase full of second hand lovelies!

I managed to find a beautiful little brown clasp bag that I have every intention of sewing beads and buttons onto; a black and white stripey top (no reference to local football teams should be inferred); a long flowing skirt for summer; a pair of black slip on shoes and a long black necklace that I’ll remake into bracelets; all in all, a good result.

Plans have already been released for the next swish and learning from experience I believe the organisers will make it work out a little fairer for all involved. Some feedback I received from fellow swishers included ‘Maybe they could sort clothes into sizes first and then you can look in your relevant section.’ Now I definitely like that idea.

Whatever you make of ‘swishing’ I believe it’s something you have to experience; even if like me you are adverse to jumble sale fever, you’ll surely change your mind and find some beautiful treasures.