Credit Crunch Clobber

If you love designer clothes but only have the funds to look longingly into shop windows, then read on to find out how to fill your wardrobe with designer clothes without breaking the bank! Last weekend I got around £700 worth of designer clothes and no, I’m not rich, (I wish)! My stylish garments include a pair of Dolce & Gabbana Jeans worth around £100, a stunning £200 Nicole Farhi dress and a smart Jaeger top worth around £150. How much did I pay for these stunning items? Just the price of a train ticket from Dartford station to London! That’s right-the clothes themselves were absolutely FREE!

It’s a new trend called ‘swishing’. It’s Karma for your clothes and it works like this: You go through your wardrobe and take the things that no longer fit or flatter you along to a swishing party. The more fabulous the items you take, the more gorgeous the items you’ll receive in return. You then have space in your wardrobe to put your stylish new clobber in!

What’s more, it’s an eco-friendly way to enhance your wardrobe. In the UK 900,000 tonnes of fabulous shoes and clothing is thrown into landfills unnecessarily every year. Swishing keeps you, and the planet looking fabulous. So whether you’re ethically chic, a fashionista with an eye for style or just strapped for cash, then dig out whatever is lurking unloved at the back of your wardrobe and swish it for something you adore!

Swishing is an exciting way to restyle your wardrobe and try out a whole new look. It enables you to experiment with different styles without running up your credit card bill! Don't think jumble sale, think unrestricted access to a stylist's wardrobe (complete with stylists and tailors) but with added wine, nibbles and new friends! Swishing is like the best shopping trip you've ever been on, but without the price tag and that knot of guilt you get in your stomach when you've impulsively decided to flash the cash.

Most swishes take place in London and other major cities, but if you’re interested in a swish more locally then get in touch with me at theoriginalbargainhunter@hotmail.com

Take a look at these sites and the video from the bbc:

www.swishing.com, www.swishing.org http://www.meetup.com/swishandswap/

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/7563318.stm

by

Laura Whitehead