Diary of a Frugalista: Swapping at the YWCA

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16 . 03 . 2011

Text and photos by Nadya Ershova

Thursday, February 24 was my second clothing swap ever. My first one was a year ago, and at that time I was a bit lost because I was not really sure what to look for and what to skip. This swapping was much more successful. I’m the kind of person who usually needs a lot of time to make a choice and cannot make quick decisions. However, now that I’m an experienced swapper and second-hand buyer, I know what to look for.

I arrived one hour after the swap got started. My friends were already there, busily digging through piles of clothing. I picked up my tickets and joined them with excitement.

The first treasure popped into my hands very quickly — a black vest. It looks like a dress, but its buttons finish way too high for a dress. Looking at myself in the mirror, I needed a belt — I grabbed a gold-tone belt from off the shelf. My newly swapped outfit was perfect and gave my figure an hourglass shape. Mine!

Next, I went through the rack of dresses, and a blue-gray dolman sleeve dress immediately caught my attention. I liked the color and the unusual cut; the 80s is so in style now. I tried it on, but it was a bit too big for me. Not a problem — where is my savior, the belt? Aha! T he belt made the dress fold around my waist, and the additional volume flattered my figure and enhanced the 80s style cut. Mine again!

Later on, I bumped into Aleece (founder of The S.W.A.P. Team), who loved my choice. In fact, she’s the one who the 80s dress belonged to. She had bought it in a Brooklyn vintage store, but eventually realized the color wasn’t for her, so she decided to swap it. Turns out my new-to-me dress was made in the 80s, but the cut was inspired by a 50s revival going on at the time.

Getting back to swapping, on the same rack I found a nice, white Le Chateau dress that reminded me of a ballerina costume from Swan Lake. I looked at it with some hesitation: it was really pretty, but it seemed a bit too theatrical for my casual style. Still, I could imagine myself wearing this swan dress to a club with a black leather motorcycle jacket and laced-up combat boots … my friend looked at it suggested that I cut off the top and to turn it into a swan skirt. Great idea, this dress is mine!

I also became the happy owner of a black cap, a gold pair of flats, an Old Navy coat that hippies would die for, and a fake pearl necklace that can be turned into a nice bracelet.

The gold flats that are perfect for clubbing: they are shiny and comfortable. I do plan to wear them in regular life too; I love mixing different styles and converting evening clothing into daytime pieces.

The black faux leather cap reminds me of the ones that the Russian revolutionists used to wear in 1917. (Incidentally, after the swap I went to a bar where I met up with my Russian friends, who had a lot of fun trying it on and pretending to be Lenin or even Dzerzhinsky).

So I wound up with seven pieces and used up all of my exchange coupons. I joined my friends, and they showed me their treasures.

My Russian friend had been on the hunt for brands. She found a black Zara coat, a navy blue Pierre Cardin vest, and a light blue Diesel cap. A perfect set of spring clothing!

Aleece had been looking for clothing suitable for a charity fashion show to benefit some cancer patients in Philadelphia. She found some outstanding items that could be combined together to make a couple of outfits. One of the outfits she put together was a pair of beige overalls with a old belt and gold sneakers. Another outfit included a long, sea-blue dress and a pair of silver high-heeled sandals. Whoever is putting on this fashion show will be happy!

It looks like everybody can find what they are looking at clothing swaps. I didn’t want to leave because the thrill of the hunt is too exciting!

I went through the racks one last time to try to find the items I had brought. Everything I had brought was gone except for a green silk scarf. That made me happy: it’s always a good feeling when people like the stuff that you would have otherwise thrown away.

Before I left, I saw a TV crew come into the room and felt a pitch of excitement. Just as I wondered if I might get interviewed, they approached ME! I showed them the pieces I found and talked about the inspiration I had from my swapped swan dress. (UPDATE: I didn’t make it into the final story, but to watch the video of the TV story, click here)

I enjoyed the YWCA swapping event so very much. Being opened-minded and ready to experiment is really important when you go swapping. It’s also useful to have some ideas on what to look for and know what you can make out of ordinary pieces.

Can’t wait ’til July 9 & 10 for the next Montreal swap!

Nadya Ershova grew up in a small village near Moscow, Russia and graduated from Moscow Aviation University. At age 25, Nadya married and moved to the USA. A year and a half later, she settled in Canada. She works as a software developer, and her hobbies are photography and blogging.