Children’s fashion is big business. Worldwide, it is set to be worth around £220 billion by 2032, compared to £25 billion for the entire, global sustainable fashion market. 

Despite this, the slow fashion movement is gathering momentum. Faced with the appalling environmental impact of fast fashion, more consumers than ever are looking for alternative ways to fill their children’s wardrobes. 

It’s not just parents driving this change: youngsters too are getting in on the act. 

We see it every day on the Swoperz site, a secure, age-verified platform where kids aged six to 16 can swap their clothes, including school uniforms. 

In this blog, we’ll examine the benefits of swapping clothes, offer a guide to organising a clothes swap event for charity, and reveal why signing up to Swoperz empowers every child to find their own style.      

The environmental impact of fast fashion

Swapping clothes is not a new trend; it’s been going on for centuries.

However, in recent years clothes swapping has taken on a different aspect, thanks to the impact buying new clothes has on the environment. 

Around the world, almost 200 billion items of clothing are made every year, of which around 92 million tonnes – worth £385 billion – are thrown away rather than being reused or recycled. 

Garments made of polyester and nylon shed around half a million tons of microplastics that end up in the world’s oceans. 

The fashion industry uses around 93 billion cubic metres of water. As if that wasn’t bad enough, wastewater from textile dyeing is often contaminated with toxic chemicals that can leach into rivers and seas, causing havoc. 

The benefits of clothes swaps

The most important advantage swapping clothes has is it can help reduce the damage being done to the planet – but it doesn’t end there. 

Handing over our unwanted items to someone who wants to wear them creates a sustainable, virtuous circle. 

Swapping our unwanted clothes also helps people save money, one of the most important things for families when times are tight.  

Clearing out our old clothes or items we’ve outgrown also creates space for new outfits that each person receives as part of the exchange process. 

Not only will they look stylish in their second-hand threads, they will feel great too, knowing they haven’t contributed to the fast fashion machine. 

Organising a clothing swap party

Fashion isn’t just about what we wear, it can also define what people do. At the moment, clothing swaps are very much in vogue! 

Both in the UK and the US, lots of people are getting in on the action, gathering family and friends together for a few hours for a clothing swap party. 

Clothes swaps can be a great way to raise money for your local community or charities too. If you want to organise your own clothing swap event, read on for our quick guide to making it a roaring success. 

Invite your guests

Who you invite to your clothes swap is most often determined by why you’re holding the event in the first place. 

If this is your first swap event, it may be wise to stick to close friends and family, so you don’t feel overwhelmed. 

However, if you’re raising funds for a local or community project, try to make sure everyone associated with it can come along. 

Pick a venue

Again, the venue you need will depend on what size you decide the clothing swap party will be. 

A clothing swap between family and friends can be great fun done at home. You could even decide to hold it regularly, circulating round the homes of guests who attend. 

For bigger, community-based clothing swaps, it’s worth asking if you can use your local community centre, church or school gym as a venue. 

Don’t forget: you’ll need to provide a signposted changing room or changing area for people to try on potential new outfits during the clothes swap. 

Advertise your clothes swap party 

When you’ve finalised the guest list and decided on a venue, it’s time to let everyone know your clothes swap event is happening. 

For smaller gatherings you can text or call your friends and loved ones directly, but bigger clothes swap events may need more of an advertising push. 

Social media is the most obvious first port of call, but be aware of posting outside any private groups or communities. You could end up with more people eager to swap clothes than you imagined!

Tell people what to bring

When letting people know about your clothes swap event, make sure they all know what to bring along. 

Make sure everyone is aware clothes to be swapped should be clean and in good condition, free of stains or damage, and all shoes should be paired up. 

If you have any particular requests for your clothing swap party, such as bringing your own hangers or saying yes or no to bags and accessories, now’s the time to flag them up. 

Set up the event space

On the day of your clothes swap, it’s important to set up the space well, so everyone has access to the items up for grabs. 

Put as many clothes on hangers to make browsing easier, and create a changing area to give people privacy if there is no separate room. 

If you’re hosting friends and family, you can offer a glass of wine and snacks and make the clothing swap event more fun. 

Hand out tokens

If your clothes swap is a bigger community affair, it’s a good idea to give tokens to people as they arrive. 

Hand them out at the door, and explain that one piece of clothing can be swapped for one token. It’s a good way to encourage people to swap more clothes. 

Encourage browsing

It’s important that as many clothes are swapped as possible, especially for community or fundraising events, so it’s worth encouraging guests to have a good rummage. 

If clothes are on hangers, it’s easier to browse through and makes people who have perhaps never swapped before feel as though they are shopping as usual. 

Donate all the clothes leftover 

When your event ends, if there are any items left, don’t get rid of them! 

If you’re not planning other clothing swap events any time soon, and there are children’s clothes among them, we’ve got a idea. Bring them to Swoperz!

Our preloved platform

We said at the start of this blog that children’s fashion is big business, but we are determined to revolutionise the industry. 

Swoperz allows children aged six to 16 to swap their clothes in a safe, age-verified environment. 

It’s a place where sustainability and style rule the roost. The kids make the swapping decisions, while grownups (of course) oversee all transactions and payments. 

How does Swoperz work? 

It’s a lot less hassle than organising a clothes swap event! Our process is simple: 

• The first step is to sign up. Grownups can get started and add kids to their account, or kids can sign up and ask for approval from their parents or guardians.
• Child safety is our absolute priority at Swoperz, which is why grownups must verify the kids’ identity and approve any actions on our clothing swap site. 
• Kids can browse our clothes swap platform and add anything they like to their favourites until they get the green light for swapping!
• To swap an item, all kids have to do is take a photo of the clothes, have the details verified by their parent or guardian and then upload it to the Swoperz site. 
• For every clothes swap they make, the kids receive a token. Alternatively, grownups can buy tokens for their children to use for clothes swaps within the platform. 
• Grownups deal with all payments and shipping, while the kids continue swapping!

Got any questions? Find answers to our FAQs here. 

The benefits and Swoperz concept

Swoperz was founded by two parents who know all-too well the challenges of keeping up with fast-moving fashion trends and growing kids. 

Helping families find good quality clothes that their kids will actually wear (as opposed to what is chosen for them), is one of the main advantages of the Swoperz platform. 

It also aims to help kids learn about sustainability from a young age. We’re aiming to create a new generation of consumers who are naturally thoughtful about what clothes they buy. 

Swoperz’ digital token system can also help kids learn about budgeting with each exchange, and the value of their clothes purchases in a secure, safe environment. 

The biggest benefit of all is the empowerment Swoperz gives to children. For them, it’s not about finding new clothes or giving their wardrobe a new life. 

It’s about discovering and embracing their own clothing style; being part of a community that is fun and enjoying a safe place to make friends. 

Who knows, as they grow into adults, Swoperz could even inspire them to hold their own clothing swap party! 

Sign up to get started 

If you don’t fancy the scrum of a clothes swapping event to kit out your kid, or your teenager is desperate to find their own style, we can help. 

Click here if you’re a grownup looking to sign up. If you’re a kid, click here.