Three blazers equal a Prada
The name’s a little saucy -- a naked lady party? -- and it does, as described, involve women and birthday suits. But not for any X-rated purposes. These fun gatherings satisfy women’s conflicted desires: to have more clothes and get rid of them too.
Before a naked lady party -- more stodgily dubbed a clothing-swap party -- women comb their closets for those outfits or accessories that, for whatever reason, just haven’t worked out. Then the typically all-female crowd (though men are sometimes invited to contribute opinions) trade and barter. These shoes for that blazer. This skirt for that blouse. Such gatherings, often augmented with brunch, hors d’oeuvres or cocktails, can range from the casual tossed-together to the elaborately organized.
“It’s a quick way to get rid of things you don’t want, and update your wardrobe at the same time, for free,” said Samantha Jarnot of North Hollywood, who’s been to several. “It’s a party with a purpose.”
Naked lady parties serve social and practical purposes, in fact. Longtime friends can assemble for an afternoon of bonding, but the bigger parties draw in friends-of-friends -- all of different sizes, of course -- to expand social circles and clothing selection.
This exercise in recycling also feeds the need for shopping, but without the credit card debt. Or the crowds at the mall. Swaps can be especially helpful at the beginning of the year, after holiday gifts have packed already-bulging closets to their bursting point.
Kristin Bennett, who lives in a small house in Venice with little storage space, was happy to get a recent invitation. She needed motivation to purge.
“I’m a real packrat,” she said. “But I can part with things as long as I know I’m getting something new in return.” Her goal, as with many clothes swappers, was to unload more than she would bring home. Included in her giveaway stack was an expensive leather jacket that she’d never worn.
“It didn’t fit me right, and it was really just a burden hanging in the closet reminding me of the money I wasted,” Bennett said. “The girl who got it at the party was thrilled.”
Tales of buyer’s remorse abound, the common theme being the unshakable belief that someday -- one day, surely -- you’ll wear those spectator pumps or that designer skirt that matches nothing in your wardrobe.
“Seven moves and 10 years later, it’s still in your closet, a reminder of your bad decision,” Bennett said.
A trip to Goodwill or a garage sale might have the same net result, but swap parties provide a touch of satisfaction when you find a new home for those castoffs.
“You might really love this thing, but you just can’t use it anymore,” said Jane Buckingham, a trend analyst and founder of the pop-culture research firm Youth Intelligence. “You want to give it to someone who you know will take good care of it.” The clothes and accessories trotted out at these parties already have the “halo of approval” from friends, she said, making them more attractive to swappers than the exact same item at a rummage sale.
It’s common for the naked ladies’ leftovers to be donated to a charity selected by the hostess. Or, a breakfast party can segue right into a yard sale.
Some people go to swaps with armloads of clothing that they wore in a different professional life. Now that they’ve changed careers, they will never need those outfits again. Case in point: Cathee Sandstrom of Manhattan Beach went from journalist at a high-profile entertainment magazine to administrator at an elementary school near her home. Her wardrobe switched from suits and pumps to T-shirts and flip-flops. She unloaded a lot at a recent naked lady party.
“There was a woman there who’d just started an executive-type job, and she needed exactly what I was giving away,” Sandstrom said. “It made me feel great.”
The party also set off a chain reaction for her: She cleaned out her entire home of things that weren’t useful or meaningful. “I didn’t care if I brought home anything at all,” she said.
“It was a whole clean, sunny life-purging.”
Cash is always an option if a trade can’t be worked out. (“Love that belt. Too bad you have size 5 feet.”) Naked veterans suggest bringing a few gems -- something you’re sure will be in demand. That’s prime bartering material.
“You can’t just take a bunch of grungy old T-shirts,” Bennett said. “You need to have things that will be fun for other people.”
Nearly everyone who’s ever been to a naked lady party tells of a now-prized possession acquired there. If not clothes, then makeup, perfume or jewelry. Sure, it’s not “new,” Sandstrom says, but “new to you is really fun.”
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If you’re invited, make sure to have some style
A naked lady party can have rules or no rules, theme or no theme.
Free style: Some hosts just have their guests come in and set up their wares flea-market style. Participants browse and try on clothes at will.
Rules: Other, more structured parties may have a theme, such as maternity clothes, vintage items, club wear or kids garments. Holding up her items, each person gives a brief description and gauges interest from other participants. That’s intended to avoid squabbles if more than one person is interested. There’s usually some consensus, or even a vote, to decide who takes it: whomever it works best for or whoever needs it most.
Karma: Don’t pass along bad karma. If a sweater reminds you of the jerk who gave it to you, don’t mention that. The new owner never needs to know its origins.
Sizes: It’s best to invite women of different sizes and shapes. People often bring things that no longer fit; and some even nab items to pass along to mom, a sister or a friend.
