The Her-Story of the Huge Atlanta Clothing Swap
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I want to say, right off the bat, that swapping clothes is not a new idea. We were doing it as little girls. We wanted to wear new stuff and my friends always had the trendiest clothes, so I would borrow their shirts or jeans when my wardrobe had seen too many cycles. My hippie parents didn’t believe in materialism or organized religion (one has nothing to do with the other) so I had to be creative to survive middle school.
Fashion must be genetic. I was adopted so I’m imagining my biological mother must have been Vera Wang. LOL. I’ve always had a love for clothes, keeping my look “fresh” and adding color where one wouldn’t normally expect a splash of it.
And shoes. Don’t get me started. I don’t care how much they cost or what designer they are or are not. If they look cool and are remotely comfortable – I have to have them. I, literally, have shoes/boots that range in price from $2.00 > to the hundreds! I “display” around the house like pieces of art. I keep them there, dust them and make sure they are wear-ready at any given moment. And except for running shoes – I do NOT own one pair of tennis shoes. Not a one. And I’m giving away my knee-high Chucks at the Swap.
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When I started performing full time, I went through, and still evolve through styles. I was really into heavy African embellishments for a long time. Then I went to the 70s, right now, I am really into the designs and clean lines of the 50s and 60s. I enjoy dressing up and I pay attention to small details all the way down to my earrings and stockings. Thanks to Pinterest and Instagram, I have learned to play switch-a-roo with my clothing a lot more AND I have found a “secret” shopping place that allows me to add to my wardrobe without punching me in my pockets.
I will spend top dollar on is my shoes. The least is my dresses. I go through them, quickly. Exchanging with my home-girls or I wear them for a “big” show or TV then discard or donate them. Or even resell them to some of the buy-sell-trade stores that are popping up all over Atlanta, here in The Triangle and other big cities.
My shirts, skirts and accessories are somewhere in between. Luckily, some rising designers like my style and send me things to wear every now and then. That’s always fun. Since, I have grown my social network into a cult-like following, I exchange advertising their brands and a few pictures out in the nightlife for a few fun pieces that I keep forever. (Hint – Hint) Now – if I can find a shoe designer!
In 2006 – I met my ex. We decided to move into her small apartment in Atlanta and I had a shit-ton of clothes to get rid of. Just 10 months prior I had moved from Norfolk, VA to Atlanta and hadn’t purged yet.
Over those 10 months, I met four young ladies who are now still very close friends of mine – although I see them less and less … as life would have it:
Dr. (PhD) Khalila Ali – PhD English Recipient from Emory University and Professor of Women’s Studies + Hip-Hop Artist
Celebrity Photographer Brandi Jo Pettijohn – Now living in New York Ci-tay!
Loc titian to the Stars – Nyesha Samuel – which I hear, the last name will be changing, soon! – Congratulations, girl!
And Sadie Hawkins – Dominatrix! One of my favorite professional women! [2024 update - Rest In Power. She was murdered by one of her clients, in Vegas, a few years back]
We got together one night and decided to bring all our Gently Used clothing and shoes. It was just the five of us + my ex-girlfriend. We sat on the floor and one couch of our small apartment off of 85 & Clairmont; we made veggie lasagna (from Stophers – it is thee best!), homemade brownies + vanilla ice-cream and fudge – and we made margaritas in the blender.
All together we brought 25 bags of clothes, shoes and boots!
We ate, laughed our asses off, walked around half-naked trying on each other’s clothes, got drunk…then went out to some huge event at the former Sugar Hill club (in Atlanta) and saw Eric Roberson. We all took a picture with him wearing my big gold rope. LOL… We had a blast.
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I blogged about it, of course; the whole thing - and a few months later, we had another one. Then another, then another. After my ex and I bought our house off of Campcreek in Atlanta, we started having our famous 12-hour house parties and the Clothing Swap became an Atlanta Social ‘Must Do’. With over 100+ women, the guys were always like “How come we can’t come” <<< In whiny guy voice. So, the next time – we invited the guys. A freakin’ blast! We got a Dj, then a band… it became the largest house party next to when Live Poets used to do theirs and the police helicopters would show up!
Over the next few years, I took the Clothing Swap on the road with me and had smaller versions all over the country and organized them with close poet friends. We picked a charity and gave all the unswapped clothes to a local house and even sent some bras off to South Africa, to a program there that keeps prostitutes off the streets.
The largest Clothing Swap is when we invited Black Girls Run ATL! Over 300+ women came through our home, basement and ‘Sky Lounge’ leaving with several pounds of clothing, each. And there were STILL clothes left over. There are ALWAYS clothes left over. That is when I go through what people were too impatient to look through and I find my gems. I wait ‘til everyone is gone – all is quiet and I sit and slowly pick up each remaining item, create the pile I’m taking with me, bag and donate the rest.
I’ve even had women call me days AFTER the swap is over to come look through the remaining items and still find suits, jeans and tops just …ready to be claimed.
As long as EVERYONE that comes to the party brings a little something – everyone leaves with more than enough. Even if you don’t have any clothing you want to bring, bring a bottle of wine or two and some munchies and relax. You’ll be glad you did.
The most powerful thing that happened. And there have been several. During one of the Swaps, a woman was on the way to her car with two bags of new-to-her clothes. She was crying. Huge crocodile tears. Sobbing and couldn’t breathe. She said, she was not homeless but just really down on her luck and had little to nothing to wear to work. She had found 5 suits that fit her, shoes and some accessories.
I was just standing there, cracking jokes on the microphone – as usual – while people were tearing into the piles. She hugged me and I came to realize why I continued this for so long.
There are several more of these stories over the past 7-8 years …
The Clothing Swap has become a national movement for women – and for fun!
All of my artist friends love it because we can get “new to us” items to add to our stage wardrobes while donating beautiful pieces we’ve been captured in one too many times.
The ghost of the Clothing Swap lingers. People from all over the country email me and ask when I’m doing another one.
Welp…My good friend, Ms. Dia of 89.3 called me and asked that same question.
And – here we are. Back and in full swing and you know we had to make this a PAR-TAY!. Plus the witty banter of me and Ms. Dia’s awesome personality. We’ll have giveaways and a slew of other surprises! People are calling us every day to help add to this amazing event.
And the clothes are FREE with your admission. BUY CLOTHING SWAP TICKETS HERE
Ladies – We will be in there setting up by 11A on Saturday. If you want to drop your clothes off early and then come back for the party 1-6, please do so we can organize as much as possible. If you want to just bring them with you, - you can do that, too.
The SWAP-ing, starts at 1P! The doors open at 12:30P. Get there early so you can get the good stuff!
If you are confused about ANYTHING please give me 404-697-9734, or Ms. Dia 678-663-5998 a CALL.
If you have been to the Big Atlanta Clothing Swap before – you know you are going to have a F-N blast! If not…welcome to the BEST day of your life.
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The next day, Sunday night – It is Poetry vs. Hip-Hop @CityWineryATL – if you can show us your City Winery ticket – you can get into the swap for only $10 bux! And City Winery is going to be Team Atlanta vs. Team Boston so you know it’s going to be crazy!
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I enjoy these blogs. I don’t mind revealing small pieces of myself to you, or being vulnerable at all. But don’t act like you know me – until you do.
Love,
Queen Sheba