How to Have a Designer-Clothes Swap Party

Looking for a great deal on designer clothes? Instead of spending thousands of dollars on pricey Louis Vuitton, Fendi, Gucci or Prada, have a designer-clothes swap party with your friends. In addition to saving you money, such parties can be a lot of fun, with games like "guess the designer."

Instructions

1. Decide the swap party's theme. Party themes can range from vintage-only to shoes and accessories. Once you decide the type of clothing that invited guests should bring, buy decorations, printed napkins, food and beverage choices inspired by the swap party. Clothing swaps can be seasonal only. However, the best swap parties provide a variety of clothing options.

2. Invite friends. Select a maximum of 15 friends for the party. Too many women swapping designer clothes would be difficult to organize and control. Ask friends to recommend and invite other friends to the designer swap party to build your guest list. Ask guests to bring a minimum of one shopping bag filled with designer clothes and/or accessories for the swap party.

3. Set up dressing rooms. Identify one large room as the temporary dressing area. For those women who desire privacy, create three small rooms for private dressing areas. Put a minimum of two full-length mirrors in the temporary dressing area for the swap party participants. If possible purchase two inexpensive rolling clothing racks on which to hang the designer clothes.

4. Start the designer-clothes swap. Ask each participant to hang her clothes on the clothing racks in the temporary dressing room. Or drape the items over a couch or bed to see the items before the swap. After all clothing is revealed, the party begins. The only rule of the swap party is that each woman must try on the item before she claims it as her own.

5. Play swap party games. Ask each guest to select one item for a designer-clothes makeover. Ask participants to guess the name of the designer without taking a peek at the label. Encourage guests to interact with each other to make the party fun and enjoyable.

Tips & Warnings

• A few swap party participants might not feel comfortable disrobing in front of strangers. Ask these guests to wear body suits or one-piece bathing suits to try on clothes. Use a free email service like Evite.com (see Resources below) to send fun and colorful swap party invitations. If two women want the same item, have a coin toss to determine who wins the designer goods. Require each woman to dry clean or wash the clothes before participating in the clothing swap. Donate any leftover clothing to charity.

Resources

• Throw a Clothing Swap Party
• How to Host a Clothes Swap Party
• Host a Clothing Swap Party
• Send Free Party Invitation with Evite