Swanky Swap is Back!

A few weeks ago I attended the inaugural Swanky Swap in Wauwatosa, a fun night involving a couple dozen women updating their wardrobes by swapping the best items from their closets that never get worn.

Part home improvement (I've never been so motivated to clean out my closets), part shopping spree (gently used and fashionable clothes, coats, purses, shoes, and jewelry, oh my!), part charity run (un-swapped items get donated to a worthy nonprofit), and part ladies' night (we all went to Firefly for a cocktail between dropping off our swappables and returning to start the swap), the first-ever Swanky Swap was a great success. I was impressed with how well organized and professionally presented the clothes were -- organized by type (coats, pants, shirts, dresses, etc.) and then by size, hung on racks, just like in a store. There were clothes of all sizes, with mirrors and dressing rooms for us to use. Totally swank!

I came home with an armful of new purses, including this gorgeous Italian leather number by Daniela Moda. I also snagged a cute Banana Republic spring clutch in robin's egg blue, a funky Ann Taylor leopard-print horsehair bag, and a sweet patterned tote from Lady Jane Bags. *And* I set free a basket full of nice (but unwanted-by-me) clothes so they could see the world while hanging from someone else's frame.

The next Swanky Swap is scheduled for Wednesday, November 18, 2009, from 6:00 to 8:30 PM at the Little Red Store in the Village of Wauwatosa. I'm planning to attend -- I hope to see you there, ladies! For registration information, photos, and the Golden Rules of Swanky Swap, visit SwankySwap.com.

If you attended the last Swanky Swap, what was your favorite find? Share your thoughts in the comments.