“Swapping” is all the rage – Archive
Written by Crow's Nest Staff, Feb 21, 2011, 0 Comments
Claire Underhill
Contributing Writer
A new trend from London is catching on and The Swapinista is bringing it to St. Petersburg.
The website theswapinista.com is like a mixture of online shopping and a friend’s closet. The idea is to exchange unwanted or unused clothes for someone else’s.
“It’s like treasure hunting,” said Valerie Bickford, creator of theswapinista.com and ex-host and designer of the TLC show “The Clean Sweep,” about organizing cluttered houses.
“When I was laid off, I had to come up with different ways of being frugal,” Bickford said. “I like the good life. I like to travel. I’m a goody-girl and like to look great. But on a budget, new clothes are not always a possibility. I knew there must be other girls like me. So, what if we were to exchange clothes?”
The Swapinista offers a seven-day free trial period for curious swappers, and a $25 annual membership for unlimited swapping. To swap clothes, take a picture of the unwanted clothes, describe it, and post the picture on the website. Then swap your clothes for others’ clothes.
“I love the idea of swapping,” said USF St. Petersburg student Emily Gorman. “I plan on doing it all
the time.”
“It’s a great idea for college students,” Bickford said. “They have to look good for dates and interviews… The Swapinista is for people who like to look great for less.”
