One Thursday night, I ventured to Madrone Studios in SOMA for Swap Lulu’s, an event hosted by The Swapaholics and sponsored by Lulu’s. In a quiet non-descript location, the only indication of this clothing swap were a couple of balloons floating by the front door. If you weren’t looking for it, you’d surely miss the signage.
I cautiously walked inside, not knowing what to expect.
Upon entering, I was greeted by a welcoming smile at the check-in booth and directed to drop off my bag of donated items. Then, I proceeded down the gallery corridor where a few photos lined the walls as I followed the trail of female voices and never-ending laughter. I grabbed a handful of Pretzel Chips and a sip of wine as I scoured the crowd for some familiar faces.
I was a little late so I missed the stampede for free Lulu’s clothing and accessories but I saw the aftermath. Several people picked up some really cute items and I guess the early bird really does get the worm. I chatted with a few bloggers and fellow swappers, picking up tips and tricks along the way. Who knew there was a strategy to the ensuing madness?
Promptly at 8 PM, the curtains parted and I deftly darted between flying clothes and discarded shoes as I made my way through the racks and piles of clothing and accessories. I got in the zone using my fingers to distinguish between silk and polyester, pushing away the cheap and pulling for the more luxurious items. Surprisingly, I found a lot of petite and smaller-sized clothing.
As the light started to fade, so did my sight as I relied on my gut instinct to decipher the goods. After several rounds, I stopped sifting and spent the rest of the evening looking over other people’s finds as they modeled their best newly-acquired items.
I picked up about 16 items during the first run, but after editing I only kept half the pieces. Quality over quantity right? I left my house with a big bag of gently-used clothes that I no longer wear and I came back with a smaller bag of “new-to-me” items. For me, that’s a little victory in and of itself.
Would I swap again? You bet.
{ 12 comments… read them below or add one }
Wow, that sounds totally cool! I’ve never been to a swap before but I’m sure there are a lot of nice stuff to find. I typically don’t do well with too much eye-candy and time constraints to boot (that’s why H&M and Forever 21 leave me dizzy all the time!) but it’d be nice to go to a swap meet…
At first it was overwhelming with all those people and clothes, but after a while, I got used to it and focused on one section at a time and found some really nice things. =)
Sounds like fun! (Can’t wait to see what you made it home with
This is a great recap of the event! Love it! Too bad we didn’t get a chance to meet, you’re such a doll!
xo.Adiel
A swap looks like a lot of fun! I can’t wait to see all the things you got! It seems like a great way to recycle your unwanted clothing and still get something out of it for yourself
Definitely! Instead of just donating items to Goodwill or selling items back to a consignment store, a swap is a great alternative. I try to leave with less items than I brought, but I know some people take the opposite approach and come back with more goodies. lol
Sounds like an awesome time! I wonder if there are any swaps in my area… maybe I’ll have to organize one
There should be some swaps in your area or coordinate with your friends! =)
Looks like a great time, can’t wait to see your new goodies!
oh this looks like so much fun! i’ve only gone to 1 swap event before and i would totally go again. it looks like you had so much fun!
cute & little
Oooh, I wish I could have gone!
It seems like a win-win situation here. =P Can’t wait to see the items you got from the swap!
Wow, this sounds like an awesome event! I’m excited to see what you got. Glad to see that you had a fun and successful evening! If you ever find yourself in Seattle we should definitely go to these sorts of events together.