Ruffian Swap: Everything Old is New Again

You know those jeans in the back of your closet that you can’t quite wear anymore, but have yet to part from? How about those boots you talked yourself into buying last year by swearing they went with every outfit you had, but you never really got a chance to wear? And what about those 45 adorable scarves you have folded neatly in your drawer from your grad school days up in the snowy north? No? Maybe that’s just me, then; but I’m sure you have similar clothing tales.

What can you do with all your extra clothes, shoes and accessories? Take a hint from Ruffian Swap: “Your clothes are nice; but you don’t like them anymore. Swap them for something new and be happy.” And that pretty much sums up the Ruffian Swap experience.

This past Saturday, August 28^th, the first Ruffian Swap presented Pour les Femmes at La Thai Uptown. Participants were encouraged to clean out their closets and bring any and all of their wardrobe over for swapping. The event, which cost participants $20, began with a clothing drop off between 4:30–6:30pm. During that time the clothes were sorted, folded, racked and displayed while participants enjoyed discounted dining, a cash bar, the musical styling of DJ Joc and the company of like-minded fashion- and budget-conscious women.

Promptly at 7pm, the ladies were given the go-ahead, and enthusiastically mad there way to the racks and tables to fill their complementary, reusable shopping bags with their favorite items. Dresses, tank tops, purses, belts, shoes and even some jewelry were on hand. By 7:20, the crowd (and the selection) was thinning, with many ladies happy with their finds, their newly made friends, and ready for a much-earned glass of wine.

If you couldn’t make the first Ruffian Swap, don’t worry. Founders Nicholas Landry and Rachael LaRoche have assured me that more are on the way. So keep up with Ruffian Swap on Twitter and Facebook for the most up to date information.