Clothes swap is way to look swish, ladies

Mar 11 2009 by Shona Mitchell, East Kilbride News

LOCAL shopaholics are being urged to swap not shop and help save the planet by attending the town’s first swishing party this week.

The Art of Swishing involves a group of women getting together to swap eye-catching clothes... and party at the same time.

Every lady must bring five good quality, clean items of clothing, or accessories, that she'd feel proud to hand on.

Swishing parties are being hailed as the new fun and free way to walk away with a new wardrobe while at the same time helping to save the planet.

Basically, swishing is clothes swapping or recycling. You dig out all those skirts, shoes, jeans and dresses you regretted buying as soon as you got home and you swap them for clothes and accessories you really do want and will wear.

According to Traid, the charity specialising in recycling textiles, 900,000 tons of shoes and clothing – much of it in perfectly good condition – are thrown away every year in the UK with only 200,000 tons of this recycled. The rest is dumped in landfill sites.

The town’s first community swishing party will take place tomorrow (Thursday) at the Village Centre, 12 Maxwell Drive, at 7.30pm.

Tickets for the event are £5 each and can be purchased by calling Margaret Calder at the centre on 249672.