A few years back I had the opportunity to participate in a unique gathering that brought together all the elements for a terrific night out: good friends, fine wine, great food, and a massive pile of clothes. The evening was part of a seasonal gathering called the "clothing exchange," where women swap their unwanted clothes and have a bit of a social at the same time.

In order to find out how to organize one, I went to one of the more seasoned veterans of this process: Suzanne Jean. She has been involved with clothing exchanges, sometimes called "the games," for over 12 years and continues to love this process. "It is the best thing," she says. "You take a bag of stuff you no longer want and/or have outgrown and come home with a bag of amazing new finds - all without spending a dime."

The social aspect is above all central, but the added benefits are many. Not only do you get to clean out your closets, you also get to see some of your stuff go to a good home and the rest to charity. There is no waste and the process is fun with just the right amount of sport to keep it interesting. And, you get to go home with some great new clothes.

Hosting a "clothing exchange" party is easy and fun. Suzanne jokingly says that there are no rules - but there are a few to keep in mind. Below are Suzanne's tips for having the best "Great Canadian Clothing Exchange Party."

The basics:

1. Need between 9 - 15 women for it to really work.
2. Good to invite a variety of women (different sizes) with a mixture of tastes and styles. It also helps to mix social circles.
3. Everyone should come with at least one large bag of clothes and accessories (shoes, hats, belts, etc.).
4. Provide refreshments and snacks or make it a potluck. (Trying on all those clothes can make a person hungry)
5. If you plan on doing this more than once, create a core group of four to five women who will always be invited...keeping "the games alive."
6. Need to alternate the other people you invite so as not to keep getting the same stuff each time.
7. Good to offer these parties seasonally.
8. Whatever is left over at the end of the evening gets donated to charity by the party host.

Planning Process:

1. Make sure your home can accommodate 9-15 women trying on clothes. If not, consider using a friend's home that may have more space.
2. Set the date a few weeks in advance. It is generally better to offer it during the week, but if you want more of a social...the weekend is best.
3. Invite people over at around 7:30. This allows some time for socializing before "the games" begin, which should promptly start at 8:00 and go to about 10.00.
4. Invite your core group and the rest. You need at least 9 women to make it work, but up to 15 is ideal. Always a good idea to invite a few more as some people may cancel.
5. Good to call a few days in advance to confirm, making sure you have enough time to invite others if you need to.
6. When choosing the group, make sure you are inviting people who enjoy secondhand clothes and this type of event.

The night of:

1. Clear a space in your home that will comfortably fit up to 15 women and one massive pile of clothes.
2. Make sure that you have enough mirrors handy so that people can check to see that things fit properly. You might even ask a few people to bring over some stand up mirrors. Spread the mirrors in different rooms, allowing privacy for those who need it.
3. Because of how everyone will be trying on clothes, possibly stripping to their knickers in the open, best to not have husbands/boyfriends and children around. This could make some people feel a bit uncomfortable.
4. As people arrive have them dump their clothes in the pile and quickly cover it so no one gets the "advantage." You need to make sure that you have a few large blankets handy to cover the pile adequately.

Let "the games" begin:

• There are really no rules, BUT...
• Have fun, first and foremost
• Everyone is to create a circle around the pile
• The host counts to three and then everyone helps to remove the blankets together
• Each person grabs the clothes and accessories that she is interested in and creates a personal pile. No one can take from that pile, but they can call "dibs" just in case you decide you that don't want it. If no one has called dibs, it goes back into the pile as "incoming" or "seconds" so that people know to go and check it out.
• There should be several stations set up where people can try things on.

• Good to go in with both a playful and assertive attitude
• Know what you like, especially in terms of colours and textures
• Make quick assessments
• Move quickly, don't dawdle
• Grab everything that is of interest to you and place it in your pile--you can always throw it back in if you don't want it
• Don't take it personally when people aren't going after the clothes you brought

At the end:

Once everyone is done creating her own pile, all the clothes that are left over are sent to charity. The host usually deals with this aspect, but can ask if people have some favourite charities that they like to donate clothes to. Always a good idea to call the charities ahead of time to make sure they are in need of the clothes.

You can also click into the Online Directory and check out some of the charities listed here. Many have outlined what they need and how they accept clothes. Some will even pick them up like the Canadian Diabetes Association, Big Brothers, and Canadian Mental Health.

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