Clothing swaps are one of my favorite activities to do by myself and with friends. They allow you to donate clothing items you no longer need, and in return you can get other items that people donate. Free clothing swap events are essentially a free thrift shop.
Why Attend Clothing Swaps?
Clothing swaps are beneficial to both your wallet and the environment because you are essentially recycling clothes. Unfortunately, the fashion industry is known to destroy unsold clothes, and pump out more carbon dioxide than international flights and shipping combined.
Event Details (Costs, Things to Bring, Laundromat)
It varies from event to event, but some require you to donate a specific number of items, and some do not require you to donate any items at all. At times, there are also clothing swaps tailored towards women, baby, or men. Some clothing swaps also charge entrance fees, and I usually attend the free ones. Most unclaimed items at clothing swaps are usually donated to charity. I would recommend double-checking the description and contacting the event organizer if you have any questions.
Please note, for safety reasons I would recommend washing and drying your clothes in hot water and high heat. No one ever wants to leave with dirty clothes and to risk getting bedbugs. The laundromat near my house costs $1.75 to wash, and $0.25 to dry for 8 minutes. I usually dry for 56 minutes ($1.75 = $0.25 * 7). I can also buy laundry soap for $1 at the laundromat. Paying $4.50 for laundry to get clothes for my wardrobe is quite the bargain for me.
How to Find Clothing Swaps
To find clothing swaps, I follow my usual routine of checking Instagram, Newsletters, Goldstar, Eventbrite, and Facebook.
For demonstration purposes, please see my screenshot below of how I find clothing swaps on Facebook. I use the search bar to look up “Clothing Swap New York” and I use the Events tab to find a list of events.
Luckily I made it to the clothing swap that was hosted by Daya Yoga Studio on Friday, March 29, 2019. Clothing swaps are also known to be social gatherings, since people seek feedback on items and people even look for items together. At this event, I left with a nice big bag of items.
Upcoming NYC Clothing Swaps
If you are in New York City, the 3 upcoming clothing swaps (from my screenshot) are listed below. Please note, the second and third clothing swaps below are at the same location, but were made by 2 different event organizers.
- Clothing Swap! (Saturday, April 27, 2019 at 1pm -4pm)
- Sara and the Sea at Moto Distillery (Sunday, April 14, 2019 at 3pm-6pm)
- Bushwick Clothing Swap (Sunday, April 14, 2019 at 3pm-6pm)
Daya Yoga Studio Information
- Train: L Train to Jefferson Street
- Address: 360 Jefferson St, Brooklyn, NY 11237
- Phone: (718) 406-7912
- Hours: Monday – Sunday 7am-10pm
- Class Sign up: MINDBODY / ClassPass
Daya Yoga Studio is also currently offering New Student Specials for $50 for 4 weeks of unlimited classes, and they have 6 classes for $40. A normal price per yoga class is $18. In addition, they have a list of upcoming retreats on their website. The next retreat will be on Friday, May 17, 2019 – Sunday, May 19, 2019 in upstate New York, with price ranges from $150-300.
To learn how I was able to find a free wellness day retreat in NYC please go here.