clothing swap

April 2025 Upcoming Clothing Swaps

Abby H.

I love clothing swaps- If you have read my blog, you know it’s one of my favorite ways to refresh the kid’s wardrobes (and my own).

And as always, if you are looking for more information about clothing swaps, check out my post (with other San Diego, CA area resources)  here.

April means Earth Day is coming up! And that means clothing swaps!

Clothing Swap at La Mesa’s Earth Day Fair!
Join I Love A Clean San Diego for a free clothing and accessories swap during the City of La Mesa’s Earth Day Fair on Saturday, April 19th, at the La Mesa Community Garden! Swap your gently used clothes, shoes, and accessories and find your next favorite outfit while helping keep textiles out of the landfill.

La Mesa Community Garden – 5080 Memorial Dr.
11:00 AM – 3:00 PM
No registration is needed – walk-ins are welcome!

Women’s Clothing Swap
Location: The Chapel at Grossmont
5651 Water St, La Mesa, CA
Saturday, April 26, 2025
10 am-2 pm
How it works:
Bring your gently used* WOMEN’S CLOTHING, accessories, shoes, etc. and trade them for items you want to take home. No selling, no buying, just swapping. You simply drop off your items on the front table and you can start shopping for items you want to take home – free! Come and drop off all the items you want to swap and leave with items that will bring value to you.
Items can include:
-Gently used* or semi-new clothing pieces
-Gently used* or semi-new shoes
-Jewelry pieces
-Accessories: scarfs, hats, purses, belts
*Items should be freshly laundered and either on hangers or laid flat in a box (not in bags, please)

Reminders:
– SWAP FOR YOU. NO LUGGAGE PLEASE. NOT FOR RESALE.
– Bring a bag to take home all your finds.
– Wear tights and a fitted blouse to easily try on clothes.

Fall 2024 Clothing Swaps (San Diego, CA area)

Abby H.

I love clothing swaps- If you have read my blog, you know it’s one of my favorite ways to refresh the kid’s wardrobes (and my own).

There are a few upcoming swaps that I recommend. Both are for adult clothes and accessories.

And as always, And if you are looking for more information about clothing swaps, check out my post (with other San Diego, CA area resources)  here.

FREE Clothing Swap & Decor & Extra!
Location: Pioneer Park 1501 Washington Place, San Diego
Sunday, October 6, 2024
2:30 PM to 3:30 PM PDT
Bring clothes, small decor, and Unused makeups / perfumes, personal items to donate or swap. Open to all genders, ages, and sizes.
Bring your unwanted, clean, in good repair clothing and extras to take home new clothing. Take what you want and leave what you don’t want. Clothing, accessories and small personal items are accepted. * No books, or any heavy items please.

Green LOVE Clothing Swap
Location: Montezuma Hall
6075 Aztec Circle Dr · San Diego, CA
Tuesday, October 8, 2024
12:00 PM to 4:30 PM PDT
For more information, check out the website: https://as.sdsu.edu/greenlove/swapshop

Porchlight Halloween costume swap
Location: 8878 Clairemont Mesa Blvd Suite F, San Diego, CA
Saturday, October 12th
9:30 am-11:30am
For more information or to sign up to participate, check out the website: https://events.humanitix.com/kids-costume-swap

Women’s Clothing Swap
Location: The Chapel at Grossmont
5651 Water St, La Mesa, CA
Saturday, October 19, 2024
10 am-2 pm
How it works:
Bring your gently used* WOMEN’S CLOTHING, accessories, shoes, etc. and trade them for items you want to take home. No selling, no buying, just swapping. You simply drop off your items on the front table and you can start shopping for items you want to take home – free! Come and drop off all the items you want to swap and leave with items that will bring value to you.
Items can include:
-Gently used* or semi-new clothing pieces
-Gently used* or semi-new shoes
-Jewelry pieces
-Accessories: scarfs, hats, purses, belts
*Items should be freshly laundered and either on hangers or laid flat in a box (not in bags, please)

Spring 2024 Upcoming Clothing Swaps!

Abby H.

Earth Day is coming soon and that means clothing swaps!

Slow Down Party on Hourglass Field:

  • Tuesday, April 16, 2024
  • Hourglass Field House 10440 Black Mountain Road San Diego, CA 92126.
  • 5 to 7 p.m

Come by to wind down after a long day, exchange some wardrobe pieces, learn about the circular economy, and build community with fellow San Diegans. No registration is required, and walk-ins are welcome. Please bring no more than one grocery bag full of donations that are lightly used with no rips, stains, or odors. Donations are welcome, but not necessary to take home a new outfit!

Celebrate Earth Day with the Mission Trails Regional Park!

  • Monday, April 22, 2024
  • Mission Trails Regional Park Visitor Center 1 Father Junipero Serra Trail San Diego, CA 92119
  • 6 – 9pm

This swap is a little different because it’s a fundraiser for the park as well as a swap, but it still looks like a fun night!

Women, Men’s, and Children’s Clothing- Clothes should be clean, in wearable condition, and free of stains, rips, or tears that are not part of the clothing design. No undergarments or socks, please. All leftover clothing will be donated.

For more information, please visit the website or contact the park directly. mtrp@mtrp.org
(619) 668-3280

Porchlight clothing swap: The Porchlight clothing swap is back! Just in time for summer.

  • June 8, 2024 
  • 8878 Clairemont Mesa Blvd
  • 9:30-11:30am

For more details, check their website, or their social media. 

If you aren’t in the immediate San Diego, CA area, I suggest googling Clothing Swap (your area) 2024 and see what pops up.

For more info on clothing swaps and clothing for those in need, check out my article here. 

San Diego Area Upcoming Clothing Swaps

Abby H.

I love clothing swaps- If you have read my blog, you know it’s one of my favorite ways to refresh the kid’s wardrobes (and my own).

There are a few upcoming swaps that I recommend. Both are for adult clothes and accessories.

 

April 8, 2023 Porchlight Community Services, Inc. 8888 Clairemont Mesa Blvd From their site “We invite you to be part of our SWAP PARTY! Bring clothing, accessories, personal hygiene, or toiletries.

There is a $5 fee, however, it goes to offset the cost of their programs, which are incredible.

The Second event is my personal favorite: Spring Swap for extended sizes 14 and up on May 7, 2023.

I always find cute clothes at this swap, and I love it because it’s all plus-size clothes. I always fill my Ikea Bag with clothes, accessories (and usually shoes too).

And if you are looking for more information about clothing swaps, check out my post (with other San Diego, CA area resources)  here.

Cleaning your Closets: 5 Items That Have To Go!

Abby H.

I’m bringing this up because it’s time to pull out some of my fall/winter clothes and donate some of my older clothes, or clothes that I don’t wear as often.

Here are my Five categories for giving clothes the boot:

Stains: You know that one shirt in your closet that you love, but it has a stain that won’t come out. It’s time for it to go.  Clothing can be donated to be recycled. To find your closest clothing recycling location, click here.

It doesn’t fit: Too small, big, long, or short- it has to go. Time to throw those in the donation pile.  This goes for shoes too!

Needs repair and you lack the time or skills to mend/fix. The pants hanging in your closet are so cute but they are 1/4 inch too short and you can’t sew? One Caveat- Undergarments that are holely or stretched out go directly to the trash. No one is darning mass-produced socks. I mend and repair my clothes as needed weekly. If you are looking to learn about mending clothes, check out my post here. 

Out Of Style: Low-rise jeans? Powder Blue Tuxedo? Your Prom Dress from 1997? Time to throw those in the donation pile.

Cheap Crap:  This encapsulates several categories- Knock off’s (They are mass-produced in horrible conditions), poorly produced “fast fashion” that offers no quality and doesn’t add anything of substance to your wardrobe, and anything you bought and wore once, and it was damaged or you swore you’d never wear again. In my opinion, cheap shoes are the worst and are usually tossed into this pile.

Once you have your donate pile, if you are looking to donate straight away, check for your local non-profits needs. I also like donating my unwanted good clothes to local clothing swaps. For more info about clothing swaps, click here. 

2 Upcoming Clothing Swaps in San Diego!

Abby H.

I love clothing swaps- If you have read my blog, you know it’s one of my favorite ways to refresh the kids wardrobes (and my own).

There haven’t been too many clothing swaps since the pandemic started, but I have found two coming up that are going to be GREAT!

Saturday, August 06, 2022, 9:00 AM – 11:00 AM Foothills Church 365 W Bradley Ave, El Cajon CA

The women’s ministry is hosting a FREE clothing exchange! You can swap gently used women’s & children’s clothing and infant essentials. They have limited space, so please no toys or books. There will be no childcare available, so keep that in mind. If you want to drop off items early, Look for the bins in their lobby. I’m dropping off items tomorrow.

August 27, 2022 Porchlight Community Services, Inc. 8888 Clairemont Mesa Blvd Suite B San Diego, CA
Clothing Swap
From their site “We invite you to be part of our SWAP PARTY! Bring clothing, accessories, personal hygiene, or toiletries, OR you’re welcome to donate a bag of canned/shelf-stable food to participate. *Expired food will not be accepted*”

This is a fundraising event, donate what you can ($5 suggested) or you can bring canned goods to donate on the event date to participate. We will gladly accept them on the day of the event.

Please drop off items to swap in advance: 8/25 Thursday 10 am-5 pm or 8/27 Saturday *Before 9 am.  For more information, check out the event page here. And to learn more about Porchlight Community Services, check out their website.

And if you are looking for more information about clothing swaps, check out my post from earlier this year here.

Finding Clothing Swaps in your area!

Abby H.

I love clothing swaps. It’s a great way to keep stuff out of landfills! And with how fast kids grow, it’s nice to share clothes with other families.

Since the pandemic started, there have been almost no clothing swaps, but slowly they are starting to come back. If you are looking for some swaps in your area, here are a few recommendations:

Check out Meetup. I’m a member of Thread Bumpin’, a clothing swap group in San Diego.  They post swap opportunities (swapertunities?) as they become aware of them, and various members host swaps as well.

If you are feeling brave, this article is full of ideas for hosting your own swap (not just limited to clothes).

And as always, here are a few other clothing resources:

Naomi’s Closet is located in Santee, and they provide clothing and toiletries to women in need.

The Sonrise Church in Santee has a clothing swap too! One for kid’s clothes, and another for women’s clothing. Miss Charity’s Closet & Little Blessings Boutique 2nd Saturday of every month at 9:00 am Contact Charity Murphy for more info clmurphy71@gmail.com

And Finally, the Closet of 54th isn’t a clothing swap per se, but they do help those in need with new to them clothes. They are open once a few times each month. You can find them on Facebook. They are located at the Calvary Lutheran Church, 3060 54th Street, San Diego, CA. Contact The Closet at thecloseton54th@gmail.com.

 

Talk Back:  I’d love to hear about other San Diego area clothing swaps that you know of! Favorite swaps and/or what your best score has been!

Women’s Clothing Swap at The Chapel at Grossmont (La Mesa, CA) 10/2/21

Abby H.

OMG, friends! There is a clothing swap coming up! I just learned about it last night, and I know that so many of you have missed these swaps.

The Chapel at Grossmont (Address: 5651 Water St, La Mesa, CA 91942)

Saturday, October 2,2021 12pm-3pm

SWAP & SHOP: It’s time to spring clean your wardrobe ladies! Bring your gently worn WOMEN’s CLOTHING *Max of 20 items

How it works:
Bring your gently used WOMEN’s CLOTHING, accessories, shoes, etc., and trade them for items you want to take home. No selling, no buying, just swapping. You simply drop your items on the front table and you can start taking shopping for items you want to take home for free!
If you don’t have anything that you want to share, but need new clothes (I know a lot of people in that boat) bring along $5 in lieu of bringing items to swap.
Items can include:
-Gently used or semi-new clothing pieces
-Gently used or semi-new shoes
-Jewelry pieces
-Accessories: scarfs, hats, purses, belts
-New or unopened scented candles, lotions, perfume sprays (i.e., Victoria Secrets or Bath & Body Works)
Come and drop all the items you want to swap and leave with items that will bring value to you.
Reminders:
* SHOP FOR YOU. NO LUGGAGE PLEASE. NOT FOR RESALE.
* Bring a bag to cart home all your finds
* Please bring clothing pieces on hangers or folded (not scrunched up in a big trash bag)
* Wear tights and a fitted blouse to easily try on clothes.
* All leftover items will be donated to a local charity.
Contact the coordinator if you would like leftover items. Arrange pickup with her. Event Coordinator: Raquel (619) 873-6016

Upcoming Clothing Swaps!

Abby H.

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It’s time to start cleaning out the closets, dressers, and drawers! My favorite clothing swap is this weekend!

I love clothing swaps- it’s a great way to get gently worn clothes and other goods (I love looking for linens and new accessories), and get rid of the clothing your kids have outgrown.

The Skyline Swap is scheduled for March 30, 2019. I’ve got it in my calendar and I’ve started the bag of clothes to swap! It costs $2.00 to get in, kids under 12 are free. I have two huge bags in my garage ready to go!!

Porchlight Community is hosting a Clothing Swap on April 27th at their office in Clairemont.

And if you’ve got kids, Bethel Christian Assembly in Alpine is hosting a kids clothing, toy, and gear swap on June 8th.

And as always, here are a few other clothing resources:

Naomi’s Closet is located in Santee, and they provide clothing and toiletries to women in need.

The Sonrise Church in Santee has a clothing swap too! One for kids clothes, and another for women’s clothing. Miss Charity’s Closet & Little Blessings Boutique 2nd Saturday of every month at 9:00 am Contact Charity Murphy for more info clmurphy71@gmail.com

If you are looking for a group that hosts clothing swaps more frequently, check it out the Thread Bumpin’ Meet up Group. They host a monthly swap in OB area.

And Finally, the Closet of 54th isn’t a clothing swap per se, but they do help those in need with new to them clothes. They are open once a few times each month. You can find them on Facebook. They are located at the Calvary Lutheran Church, 3060 54th Street, San Diego, CA. Contact The Closet at thecloseton54th@gmail.com.

 

Talk Back:  I’d love to hear about other San Diego area clothing swaps that you know of! Favorite swaps and/or what your best score has been!

 

Affected by the Government Shut Down?

Abby H.

4cad5a265dc46a2ca38b1727137b1b6e.jpgI know there are so many families in San Diego that are affected by the government shutdown. I wanted to post a small round up to try and help those who may need help with groceries, clothes, or help with paying bills.

Food: Here is a post about San Diego, CA area food banks, food pantries, and produce distributions. You can also call 211, or visit the 211 website. They have tons of great recourses, including information on housing, utility assistance, and transportation.

Utilities: For those of us in San Diego County, SDG&E has several ways you can save money on your power bill. I’ve gone over a few here.  SDG&E also has information on their site specifically for furloughed Federal employees.

We switched to Time-of-Use pricing a few months ago, and combined with being more mindful of when and how we use power:

  • Turning off lights during the day and opening the shades/curtains
  • Turn your thermostat up.
  • Doing laundry and dishes before 4pm or after 9pm
  • Using Smart Plugs and using OhmConnect to help us conserve power actively during times when there is extra demand on the grid. You can learn more about OhmConnect here.

Clothing Resources: Here are a few resources that can help you with clothes. There are clothing swaps all over San Diego County.

Pet Resources: The San Diego Humane Society is offering free pet food (cat or dog) for furloughed Federal employee. Per their Facebook page: “We will offer free pet food to federal employees affected by the government shutdown Monday, Jan. 14 through Friday, Jan. 18, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at all three of our campuses. Two bags of pet food will be provided to each family who can show proof of federal employment. All pet food will be available on a first come, first served basis while supplies last. You can help by sharing this post, donating on our website (https://bit.ly/2AJJtcN) and/or by donating dog or cat food at any of our locations.”