The Sisterhood of the Traveling Bags: How I Borrow, Donate and Trade Clothes

Having friends to share clothes with, better yet fun bags, makes the friendship feel more like a sisterhood. And Brooke of My Casual Mom instantly became that friend. Whether it’s swiping a pair of sunglasses for the day or trading purses for a month, I feel like I’ve doubled my closet!

And I truly enjoy letting my friends borrow clothes for special occasions like job interviews or a dressier event. I somehow have accumulated some dressier pieces I never wear and love to give them more life through my friends’ adventures.

Why I Love Borrowing Clothes from Friends

Sometimes I just need to wear something a little different to feel inspired by my wardrobe and most of the time, trading a bag with Brooke for a couple weeks always does the trick.

And occassionally, borrowing something makes me realize it actually isn’t practical for my lifestyle, I don’t like it as much as I thought I would or on the rare occasion, I’ve realized I loved it so much I needed to own it too. I’ve done that with one of Brooke’s YSL bags. I bought the same one on major sale and she bought a smaller version of the black Givenchy Antigona bag since my medium size was much too large for her!

I’m also trying to be better with my spending this year in 2019 and prioritize a few other items above a designer bag purchase while also letting go of things I don’t use enough. I really want this Gucci bag as I think it will be a great everyday bag, but while I wait to get my basement redone and buy a few new furniture pieces, I’ll borrow Brooke’s new Gucci bag.

Setting Rules + Guidelines

We always set a timeline and let each other know how long we might need a bag. For example, Brooke borrowed a clutch for a vacation, which was canceled and she had another one coming up a month later and I told her to hold onto it until the last vacation of the year since I wouldn’t need a summery clutch in the fall/winter! And she promptly returned it following her vacation.

We always make sure to clean and return something as we received it. That means asking how something is typically washed if it’s a top or dress or making sure to put the dust bag over the purse you’ve borrowed. Sometimes I don’t follow this so well as I still have a t-shirt of Brooke’s I’ve failed to give back since I keep forgetting!

Giving Away Used Clothing

One of my colleagues Jess told me that her family asked if it feels like getting my throwaways when I give her clothes and she responded, absolutely not! This response makes me happy as I’m never trying to pawn off old shit to friends who don’t want it. Rather, I go through my clothing and hand pick pieces my friends and family would like based on their personal style and interests.

Of course, I pick out the pieces that would best sell on apps like Poshmark or through consignment shops. For example, I post Lululemon leggings on Poshmark since those fly like hot cakes or anything with a tag like I have a brand new Patagonia vest I bought too small and forgot to return last year! I also sold a Chloe and vintage Chanel bag to Midtown Authentic earlier this week. I mailed it to them and they paid me via Venmo once they received the bags.

Next, I make piles of clothing for friends and family I know they would appreciate, which makes giving it away that much easier. Some times I’m just giving away clothing and sometimes its swapping among friends, but either way, it helps keep my wardrobe light, fresh and always changing.

Tunic and Trippen boots from Retail Therapy | sunglasses by Quay Australia | Gucci bag borrowed from Brooke

Photography by Brooke Cummings