Over the years, I’ve given Audi this top:
And this dress:
And this skirt:
And probably a few other things I’m forgetting. She’s given me this scarf:
And these boots:
And a sweater that hasn’t gotten worn in ages, but is totally gorgeous. And probably a few other things I’m forgetting.
Audi and I have virtually opposite body types. I’m 5’5.5″ and curvy. She’s tall and lean and relatively curve-free. And yes, I tend to send her things that are a bit small, and she sends me things that are a bit big. But we also wear the same sizes in many things, and just accept that they’ll hang differently on our frames. For instance, this top:
Was purchased during a trip to San Francisco to visit Audi. It fit both of us. I tried it on myself, wasn’t sure, handed it to Audi and she pulled it on. She said she liked it better on me, with my curves, and I bought it.
Having Audi as my style swapping buddy has been such a fabulous part of my sartorial life. Since both of us have extremely varied taste, since both of us are willing to try just about anything, and since both of us fit in the same rough size range, just about everything that gets pulled from my wardrobe as a potential donation piece first gets the once-over for Audi. Would she wear it? Would it suit her better than it has me? If I have photos, I’ll send them to her and ask if she’s interested. But some things just get mailed on a whim. And it’s such fun to see how she styles and wears pieces that have stymied me for ages.
Do you have a style swapping buddy? Or trade clothes among a group of friends? Anyone else have a long distance swap partner, like me? Ever successfully swapped with someone whose figure seems very different from your own?
{ 16 comments… read them below or add one }
Yes! I have a friend in another state I swap with. She’s 5’0″ and I’m 5’7″ and we have different body types and personal styles. We have swapped stuff straight out of our closets, but more often it’s that I’ll spot something that is very her or she’ll spot something that’s very me and we’ll pick it up and pop it in the mail. I sew and she knits, so we exchange handmade items too. It’s never expensive stuff, and there’s no pressure to keep the exchange equal. It’s a lot of fun, and a great way to maintain a long-distance friendship.
I have with my sister and other friends. I think it’s great. Cute pics of you two BTW.
Never occurred to me to have a style buddy. Great idea though. As you say it would be so much fun to see what your giveaways would look like styled on someone else…
I have a friend that I swap with – she’s about my height and with the same bone structure – but her weight is in her legs and butt while mine is in my stomach and boobs. If she gains weight, I’ll get a skirt. If I buy a top that’s just too tight, it’s hers. But there’s a surprising crossover of stuff we wear in the same size. And we have different, but compatible taste.
I have lots of swap buddies: Sheila of Ephemera who sends me all sorts of goodies. We’re not the same size but shop for each other. However I have found a few things too big for me, that fit her and vice versa.
Keely of CasualChicKiki and I used to swap clothes frequently. We’ve both changed sizes and styles a bit so we don’t swap as often, but they were both good swaps.
Lynne of PracticalParalegal and I are roughly the same size on bottom and shoe size so we had a roaring good time when she visited. She’s also ace at picking up goodies for me that fit.
I’ve also received gifts from people cleaning out their closet and done swaps here and there. Some hits, some misses, but all fun and challenging. I only wish I had more disposable income to put towards shipping because I really love my international swaps.
Megan, I was just going to comment about our swapping, when I saw your post. I wear the things you gave me, or that we thrifted together all the time. I do get a little chill/thrill every time I see you wearing something I sent, or we bought when out and about together.
Style Agent 999 is organizing a September swap, and I’m looking forward to that. I’m thinking Robin of Frannie Pantz and I might be able to do some swapping since we’re in the same size range and have to dress for the office.
I’ve always wondered how bloggers organized swaps without meeting each other or posting sizes. I also think everyone looks really tall in their pics, and am so surprised when I find out they actually are short like me
I feel very blessed to have my mom as my swap buddy. She wears a size 14 and I wear an 18, but believe it or not, even with that difference, we swap clothes all the time. A lot of times when I give her stuff, it’s something new I bought that shrunk funny in the wash. A lot of times when she gives me stuff, it’s something new that she hoped would shrink up a little in the wash and didn’t. It balances out somehow. We’ve actually been sharing clothes since I was a teenager. I’ve always thought she has great style!
We also tend to separately thrift clothes and accessories for each other and exchange our thrift gifts when we see each other. It’s really fun and a cool way to share interests. Plus whenever I mention needing something for my apartment, nine times out of ten she will spot the perfect thing at a flea market the next day and pick it up for me. It’s amazing how wonderful a 50-cent spoon rest can make you feel. Usually we’re not too far off the mark with each other’s taste.
Interestingly enough, this weekend I ran into my mom at our favorite thrift store about two hours before we were meeting for lunch. Totally unplanned, and then we nearly fought to the death over an amazing black leather purse we spotted at the same time (she won).
I swap with my two sisters. We are 10+ years apart in age and different sizes/shapes but amazingly we can swap with ease. There are some rotating accessories and bottoms in a wide range of sizes. This is where clothing quality really counts though – the worn out, flimsy or poor quality items never get picked out.
Audi’s a great one to swap with, for certain! Love this top, and the whole neutral look.
I used to swap pretty regularly with 2 or 3 ladies in the flickr group, wardrobe_swap_shop. I’m kind of bummed there’s so little going on there these days. =( I might have ot host an in-person clothing swap!
I love those boots! I don’t have anyone to swap with, but it sounds great.
My co-blogger Tia and I have definitely swapped some stuff–mainly little things, but I do have a pair of jeans that stopped fitting her (lucky me!). Plus, we’re always on the lookout for garments for each other when we go thrifting–four eyes are better than two! (Well, since we both wear glasses, I guess make that eight eyes.)
Also, Alex of Delayed Missives sent me a dress a little while ago out of the blue, just because she’s awesomecakes, but it’s strapless and a little too loose in the boobs for me to comfortably wear it, so I think I’m going to have to re-swap it with someone else who can give it more love. The cycle continues!
Mia, I smiled about the boobs comment. I recently won a Shabby Apple gift certificate from MinnChic, received the dress I ordered (lovely BTW), but feel like I have the smallest boobs in America. The dang thing is XS and um, has plenty o’ room for many more cups than I have
But to quote my man Tim Gunn, I am going to make it work. Thank you, Mina’s Fasheners!
In elementary school, my best friend was an only child a year older than I was, and I got all her hand-me-downs. Her mom would often come home from a shopping trip with beautiful items that my tomboy friend would turn her nose up at. Alone with me, her mom would beg me to convince her daughter to keep at least a few garments. I would do what I could, and a few months later I’d have a big bag full of barely worn outfits that my single mom never could have afforded to buy me.
What I wouldn’t give for the grown-up equivalent of that relationship!
We have a pretty good culture of swap parties in my city, and I actually just scheduled one for a few weeks from now – basically you get some wine and snacks, and invite a bunch of women over with whatever they’ve cleared out of their closets. Sometimes you end up picking up things that immediately go back in the bag and end up at the next swap, but I have scored some of my wardrobe staples through swaps, and have seen a lot of things that just aren’t quite working for me go to a new home!
Oh, that striped top — I swear, your figure brought it to life! I’ve realized there are garments that are best loved from afar, and that top is one of them. I love having you as my style swapping buddy, because it allows me to see in which ways certain garments work, and in which ways they don’t.