Remember when second-hand clothes were dubbed vintage?

In one smart branding move, Grandma’s old cardie went from dodgy to desirable.

Now a new fad is turning tired old wardrobes into veritable treasure chests for wanna’ be fashionistas.

It’s the Clothes Swap.

Like ‘vintage’, the Clothes Swap is an old idea with a new twist. It has its roots in World War II when clothing restrictions were enforced and women drew pencil lines on their legs to imitate French stockings.

Today’s version of the Clothes Swap isn’t nearly so tacky; in fact, fun. Hosting or going to a Clothes Swap is a great excuse to get together with like-minded people, have a laugh, and at the same time, clean out your wardrobes to make way for something new.

And it needn’t cost a cent. That’s great news for those with friends who would love to refresh their wardrobes, but right now, are being mindful of what they spend.

Depending on how you work it, a charity might also benefit from your Clothes Swap event.

A Clothes Swap can work in different ways, but while there is always fun involved, money doesn’t come into it. All you need is a large room, a changing area (to try clothes on) and a group of people keen to give it a go.

One way is to have everybody lay out the clothes they want to swap in separate areas. If you see something you’d like, you can bargain to ‘swap’ that item for something else.

Or you could lay all the clothes into different piles depending on their value, and have everyone take turns at choosing something until everything is gone. Whatever is left over can go to charity.

It’s important everybody contributes some items – all of good quality – and that you are prepared to let the items go.

If you’re still a bit twitchy about the concept, you shouldn’t be. According to Marie Claire, the Clothes Swap is “everything we want to be right now – ethical, environmentally-friendly and fabulous!”

Cosmopolitan has dubbed it “the latest trend, guaranteed to give you a shopping high without spending a cent.”

No wonder then, the Clothes Swap has already gone global. See these websites, www.bigwardrobe.com, www.swapstyle.com or www.whatsmineisyours.com