Beauty & Style

Whether you’re a fashion addict, shopaholic, penny saver, green queen, or the rare (and conflicted) combination of all the above, SwapStyle.com may just have an offer you can’t refuse.  The next time you get the urge for a quick fix from a reckless shopping spree, you may want to check your habit and check out SwapStyle.com instead.

The concept of SwapStyle.com is attractively simple: one woman’s Goodwill pile (that never quite made it out the door) becomes another woman’s adventure into the guilt-free world of shopping.  SwapStyle.com hones in on the environmentally friendly ideals of reducing and reusing.  Its ability to supply material items without the materialistic shame will please fashion fiend and eco-savvy consumer alike; it’s a fun, relatively convenient way to reduce one’s carbon footprint.  After all, who wouldn’t want to offload a few undesirables and get something in return?  As an added bonus, those who understand the true value of a system like SwapStyle.com can sleep well—in their new or gently used jammies—knowing that they have helped in the effort to reduce consumption of precious resources.

How It Works:

You’ve become bored with last year’s token top.  Or perhaps the 6-week boot camp you just endured really did kick your booty, and now you’re down a size or two.  Yay! But wait… Nothing to wear!  Post several things on SwapStyle.com.  As members become interested in your goods and offer up swaps, you can then browse their “swaplists.” Items can range from vintage and used, to new with tags (NWT) and barely worn.  You may very well find your perfect match within the county limits, or perhaps somewhere across the Atlantic.  Once both parties agree, a swap is made.

How It Really Works:

Once you’ve signed up, you may find a few obstacles.  First of all, the site architecture makes locating specific items a little tricky; the few search parameters available are not fully reliable.  Secondly, once you discover that perfectly adorable dress for Sunday brunch, you need to cross your fingers and hope the owner will find something of yours equally appealing (and in her size).  You would assume this to be easy enough, but consider all the potential reasons why you would personally post items: too small, too big, outdated, etc.  Additionally, a number of members make it clear, “if it’s not designer, you shouldn’t bother.”  Ouch!  I’m guessing my kimono-style top designed by Mossimo for Target will not be a bargaining chip towards that Marc Jacobs handbag I’ve marked as a favorite.

All in all, SwapStyle.com makes an impressive effort to bridge the gap between living sustainably and living large.  However, the current swapping process requires a lot of patience and a little bit of luck. The site functionality and swap system need some revamping.  If the company can find a way to fix the technical glitches and make individuals’ items accessible to a pool of members, rather than being limited by one-to-one offers, we may see this winning concept take off.

Guest Post By:  Anya Kitashima – Anya was born and raised in Hawaii, though Los Angeles has been her home for almost 10 years.  She has spent time in a few other interesting places, including a stint abroad in the south of France.  Her favorite low-key vacation spot is Corsica.  She loves trying new recipes, happy hours on patios and is a huge proponent of animal rescue groups.

Tags: Eco Fashion, eco-friendly clothing, eco-friendly fashion, green clothing, Green Fashion, swapstyle.com