I’m not sure if this is a nationwide phenomenon or if it’s just Austin’s eco-conscious mindset, but it seems like every time I turn around clothing swaps are popping up on social calendars. I’d never heard of a clothing swap until recently when a friend told me that it was a recessionistas answer to the economic downturn. Basically everyone brings things they don’t want, everyone exchanges clothes and you donate the leftovers. Hmm, so I meet up with all my friends and we trade clothes? That just sounded preposterous. I mean, we all have different body types and if we want to get rid of it, wouldn’t our like minded friends want to get rid of it as well?
I remained skeptical until I heard of a clothing swap with free cupcakes and wine. I’m not a girl who turns down a free cupcake, so my friend and I grabbed some old clothes and drove to the event. When we got there we saw racks of clothes divided into categories of t-shirts, tank tops, tops, skirts, purses, jewelry, jeans, shoes, etc. It was heavenly. The girl who was hosting the party gave a quick thanks and we all raided the clothes. She had a dressing room set up but everyone inevitably ended up changing and traded clothes in the bathroom, hallway, and bedroom–basically anywhere that wasn’t in front of the giant wall sized window in the living room.
There was no fighting over who got what, instead all the girls were so supportive. Someone would turn around and say, “Oh I don’t know if this fits,” and everyone would counter saying, “No you look awesome!” Girls would see each other trying on something they’d brought and without even a hint of jealousy exclaim, “OMG that looks so much better on you than it ever did on me!!” It was such an amazing event and I met so many great women and tried on some beautiful things. Free Seven Jeans-uh, yes please. I returned home with number of diferent goodies and a smile on my face.
For those of you who need photos, here is one of my favorite tops that I brought home.
I got a few more, a couple dresses, and a scarf. It was like Christmas all over again.
This weekend Austin hosted its 2nd Annual Women’s Clothing Swap. There were free haircuts, an alteration center, and lots and lots of free clothes. It sounded too good to be true. I went with the same friend that accompanied me to the last event and I have to be honest: we were really disappointed. I really want to say we loved it, but the clothes were more outcasts from Goodwill than great finds from Buffalo Exchange. In addition, the girls in attendance were nowhere near as communal. People were territorial and giving everyone mean looks. It was terrible. I grabbed a few things like an ugly suit that may have a salvageable skirt and another skirt that is literally four sizes too big. I figure its cheaper to learn to sew using free clothes as fabric than it is buying some from the store.
So, what’s the take away from this post? I think clothing swaps are a good idea, but in the future I will probably opt for the small-medium sized ones where I know the girls and people are actually interacting with one another. There’s a lot of fun to be had at these things, I just think it was lost in the masses for the event this weekend.
And just for fun, here are some recommendations on what to wear if you opt to go to one yourself.
- Think of it like being in 7th grade gym class all over again. Save your sexy underwear for another time. You’re going to be changing a lot. I wore tights and a sports bra, but then again I’m pretty shy and modest.
- Wear shoes that you can slip on and off easily. You don’t want to be tying and untying your shoes but you don’t want to abandon them either. People tend to think items that are left alone are free for the taking.
- Choose things that you can layer clothes over and still get an idea of what an outfit looks like. This helps minimizes changing time.
- Don’t wear a dress. Skirts are good, but dresses leave you searching for a top to pair with the bottoms that you’re trying on, which means that you lose valuable time.
- Bring a huge bag to stash your new finds.
If you’re not as modest as I am then a lot of the advice above may not apply. And because I’m an absolute dork, Peter took ridiculous pictures of me wearing a good ”Clothing Swap Outfit.” I wouldn’t usually recommend a cardigan because its just one more thing to keep track of, but I get cold all the time so I usually don’t leave the house without one.
Okay, yeah I’m officially the biggest dork ever (and no, I don’t follow the no pairing black and navy fashion rule). Anyway, have any of you been to a clothing swap? What was your experience like? Did any other Austinites make it the one this weekend and have a completely different experience?
Most lotions leave my skin feeling either exactly like it felt before I used the lotion or sticky, slimy, and gross–maybe even some sort of combination. But Alba Botanica Very Emollient Body Lotion leaves skin feeling great. Alba knows how to make lotion that absorbs into your skin. (You may remember me raving about the Alba Green Tea Sunscreen.) Plus, the scent is so mild that even a guy would be comfortable wearing it. This line is slowly becoming a staple in my everyday routine.
For all you Austinites: Wheatsville, a local co-op, sells it in bulk! Now, you can bring in your own container to fill with lotion rather than buying another plastic one.
Image courtesy of Amazon.com
I asked Erica Janke and Amanda Heptner from Blush Bridal Lounge what advice they had for brides looking to buy a perfect wedding gown and here is what they told me.
- Be open-minded! Brides often come into a store expecting to buy a simple dress and leave with something a bit more extravagant or vice-versa. Be open to trying on different dresses and you may leave with something you’d never imagined.
- Bring three pictures of different styles of dresses that you like. Models in magazines look completely different than girls in real life. Use magazine to get an idea of the style that you like but try not to get set on something until you try it on. The way a dress fits a real, healthy girl will look much different than the way it fits an airbrushed model.
- Be patient! Most girls never have that “THIS-IS-THE-ONE!!” moment. Try on a lot of dresses and think about them after you are done shopping for the day. It’s a big purchase and chances are your dress will become the one that you can’t get off your mind.
- Ask a lot of questions. You’ve probably never done this before so it’s OK to ask what something means. You’re spending a lot of money on your dress so make sure that you get all the information.
- Decide what you think before you get the opinions of your friends and family. This is your day and you have to feel comfortable. Blush Bridal Lounge actually asks mothers and friends not to say anything about a dress until the bride says what she thinks. This helps the bride chose a dress for herself rather than getting pressured into something that someone else wants.
- Ask more from your vendors. Vendors sometimes get stuck in a rut and it’s up to you to push them to do the best job possible. That goes for all vendors.
Please go visit Blush Bridal Lounge. If you haven’t figured this out already, Erica and her team know how offer good customer service, which is extremely rare in the bridal industry. As we walked through the bridal lounge she answered many questions without ever making me feel inferior. One last bit of advice from Erica: I asked what it was like opening a business in this economy and Erica said “If you have an idea, JUST DO IT!” She assured me that this is really a great time for new businesses, because it’s much easier to negotiate on things like rent. Erica is truly an inspiring person and her store is filled with beauty. If you’re in the market for a wedding dress or even a cocktail dress, then please check them out.
“There are no bridezillas—just momzillas and friendzillas.”
Erica has lived in Austin for 14 years now and has worked in the bridal industry for nine. Through her experience she noticed that shopping for dresses had become stuffy and intimidating for brides. After seeing just one dress by Enzoani, Erica was inspired to open her own shop. Most non-bridal-industry folks don’t know this, but larger gown designers give exclusive rights to sell their gowns to one store in an area. This fact cleared up so much confusion about my dress shopping experience. When Erica came across the Enzoani dress she knew that her dream of opening a bridal lounge could become a reality and her reality is beautiful.
The store is located in an old house that Erica decorated with a mixture of beautiful old and new accessories. The modern gray lovebird wallpaper complements a pink chandelier and an old armoire that Erica bought at a consignment shop and had refinished (Can you see why I love this girl?). Erica chose to open a bridal lounge rather than a salon or boutique, because she wanted girls to feel comfortable hanging out. When you walk into this old house you can sense that they’re having fun and that instantly puts you at ease. Amanda Heptner, one of the two other members of Erica’s team, told us that shopping for dresses is intimidating for brides, because it’s a major purchase and it’s something that they’ve never done before. Vendors are condescending, so girls are afraid to try to get the information they need. Erica told us that Blush Bridal is different because they’re excited about what they’re doing and they want to make brides comfortable and happy. Erica said that she will find a bride a dress no matter what her budget is. She just wants girls to be happy. She told us about one bride who came to Blush in tears because she was so frustrated with the experience that she’d had. Erica and her staff spent thirty minutes hanging out with the girl and searching the web to find something that she could afford. The perfect dress for this girl wasn’t at Blush but Erica sent her to a local vintage store and even called ahead to ensure that the store was expecting her. Doesn’t that sound like someone you would want to do business with?
I asked Erica and Amanda what advice they had for brides looking for their perfect wedding dress. Check back in a bit to see what they told me.
Last week Peter and I had the pleasure of meeting Erica Janke from Blush Bridal Lounge. I bought my wedding dress months ago and the whole experience was a nightmare. I remember standing in the dressing room in my underwear while a complete stranger took her time pulling dresses wondering, “How did anyone manage to spread the rumor that shopping for a wedding dress was fun?” I was discouraged and miserable so I got it over with as quickly as possible. I bought my dress on Craigslist and never looked back. But the concept of dress shopping remained in my head. I understood that somehow, someone should make it into an enjoyable experience—and Blush Bridal Lounge is doing just that.
It seems contradictory that I had such a miserable experience choosing a wedding gown but opted to approach a bridal salon for our first blog interview, but when we drove past Blush Bridal’s beautiful store front, something in my stomach jumped. The image of what buying a dress could be materialized into a real bridal lounge. When I actually met Erica any apprehensions that I may have had vanished. We flopped onto one of the four couches in the store and just began to talk. All formal interviewing went straight out the window and was replaced by me nodding and saying, “And then what happened?”
Check back later today to read the rundown on this fabulous store, inspired by one single dress.
