Around the Sun: A Blog About Saving Money in Portland, Oregon, and beyond

June’s a Big Month for Women’s Clothing Swaps in Portland

June 7th, 2008

Heads up, gals! PDXSwap is organizing several women’s clothing swaps in June, including swaps for specific sizes (small, medium or large) and a swap for all sizes.

If you’ve never attended a PDXSwap event, I recommend reading this article. In it, Oregonian staffer Laura Oppenheimer writes about the all-sizes swap that took place last month. At the end of this post, I’ve also included PDXSwap’s instructions for newbies.

Here are the what, where and when of the swaps happening in June. Some swaps require an RSVP.

Women’s/Teens’ Clothing Sizes 0–5

Friday, June 20
7:00 pm (Please plan to arrive about 10–15 minutes early)
People’s Food Co-op, 3029 SE 21st Avenue, Portland, OR 97202
RSVP to Rae at small@pdxswap.com. Spaces are limited. Also, ask to be added to the mailing list.

Women’s/Teens’ Clothing Sizes 6–12

Monday, June 9
7:00 pm (Please plan to arrive about 10–15 minutes early)
Tigard Senior Center, 8815 SW O’Mara Street, Tigard, OR 97223
Contact Cindy at simple_and_enough@yahoo.com for more information or to be added to the mailing list.

Women’s/Teens’ Clothing Sizes 6–12 (yes, another one)

Thursday, June 12
7:00 pm (Please plan to arrive about 10–15 minutes early)
Presbyterian Church of Laurelhurst (in the Narthex), 935 NE 33rd Avenue, Portland, OR 97232
No RSVP needed. Contact Barb at medium@pdxswap.com for more information or to be added to the mailing list.

Women’s/Teens’ Clothing Sizes 12–18

Thursday, June 26
7:00 pm (Please plan to arrive about 10–15 minutes early)
Tigard Senior Center, 8815 SW O’Mara Street, Tigard, OR 97223
Contact Cindy at simple_and_enough@yahoo.com for more information or to be added to the mailing list.

Women’s All-Sizes Clothing Swap

Friday, June 13
7:00 pm (Please plan to arrive about 10–15 minutes early)
Pilates with Fe, 702 Main Street, Oregon City, OR 97045 
* Due to the exercise equipment on-site, children are unfortunately not allowed at this swap. Also, you will be asked to remove your shoes at the door when you enter to keep Fe’s Studio tidy.
RSVP to Rae at allsizes@pdxswap.com. Please include your size in your RSVP. Spaces are limited. Also, ask to be added to the mailing list.

The following has been provided by PDXSwap:

TIPS TO MAKE SWAPS RUN SMOOTHLY (aka if this is your first swap, here’s how it works…)

If you’ve never been to a clothing swap, here are some tips:

• Scour your closets, drawers, and storage for clothes in good condition that you no longer wear, accessories, shoes, belts—basically any wearables (also junior equivalents). Wash them up and bring them along to add to the swap.

• Wear spandex/yoga/bike clothes or a swimsuit under your regular clothes so you don’t have to get naked to try things on (children may be present, and occasionally a janitor has come through near the end of a swap).

• Bring along a bag(s) to carry your treasures home in.

• At 7 pm we dump all our bags of clothes into rows on the floor (we have an accessories pile in a separate place so no one is hit by an errant shoe or purse). You take what interests you and put it in a pile behind you (or on your folding chair seat—that’s your ‘base’ at the medium swap). When your pile gets rather large, you try on the clothes in your pile, throw back what you don’t want, and put what you do want in the bag(s) that you brought.

• Leftover clothes will be donated to organization(s) that will pass the clothes along for free.

• There is no limit to the amount you bring or the amount you take home with you. We ask that you be courteous and generous with each other. If you can use it—take it! In fact, if you’re a quilter, felter, or other fabric artist, after the other women have chosen what they can use, if you see something (especially something that is damaged or outdated) that you could incorporate into a cloth project, feel free to take it at the end of the swap when we’re bagging things up.

• Depending on how many people show up, the exchange can last from 30–50 minutes, so it’s short and sweet.

Other articles from Around the Sun:

• June 21, 2008 -- Clothing Swap Featured on KOIN News
• November 12, 2008 -- Nov 13: Free Business Networking Event + Adult Clothing Exchange + Charity Benefit
• November 20, 2008 -- 11/26: Free Thanksgiving Dinner

Entry Filed under: Clothes, Events, Free, Frugal living, Portland, Swap