Posh Swaps for the Frugal, Green Fashionista...Welcome to the USA Bigwardrobe.com!

Oh how I sometimes long for the good old days...tens of thousands of dollars a month in income, dropping $1,000 at Juicy Couture without blinking an eye and never having the word "coupon"  in my vocabulary.  Sigh.  Those days are gone (for now) since, after being out of work for almost half of the last 2 years, my construction V.P. hubby is lucky (and smart) enough to even have a job...even if he is making what he did 10 years ago!  Can you say thankful?  I certainly have been learning the meaning of that word lately.

These days my life revolves around making the best life I can for my three amazing daughters while teaching them to do things they had never done before.  These days instead of shopping and lunching we are doing new things like learning to clean ("OMG I am NOT going to clean that toilet!" has turned into, "I will do it Mommy!"), learning to accept the meaning of  "No baby doll we can't afford that right now." and searching for great deals.  Well my friends, I have just found a great site called Bigwardrobe.com which not only provides financial savings, it can also provide a way to "recycle" your old clothes (and other items) and get some cash or new pieces for your wardrobe in return.


"The idea is straight forward and simple – if one person doesn't want a particular handbag, pair of shoes or trainers, in fact any garment – then I'm sure that someone somewhere in the world would be delighted to own the very same piece giving it a complete new lease of life." - Vogue Magazine

Millions of tons of discarded clothing goes to landfill sites around the world every year.   Now there is a way to clean your closet, recycle and make money all at once – without filling waste dumps.  Bigwardrobe.com is  Europe’s most successful online swapping (and shopping) site and has just debuted here in the United States.  With this launch comes huge environmental benefits for us as in just 18 months, more than 130,000 items have been recycled on Bigwardrobe.com.  How cool is that?

Bringing a new way of shopping to frugal, green fashionistas everywhere, users log on to Bigwardrobe.com to swap things they don't wear for things they will; turning their unwanted clothes, shoes, bags and even perfume back into cash or buying themselves a new outfit at a bargain price. By recycling your unwanted clothes, shoes, accessories (and other items) on Bigwardrobe.com, you can do your part in helping safeguard the environment.

The website contains a huge mix of labels, including Gucci, Prada, Louis Vuitton, Vivienne Westwood, DKNY, Chanel, Marc Jacobs, Stella McCartney, Miss Sixty, Topshop and Diesel, demonstrating that you don’t have to travel to a fashion capital – or even spend a cent – to be 100% on-trend.

“Even a global fashion icon like Michelle Obama is clothes swapping,” says Jamie Hutchinson, co-founder of Bigwardrobe.com, referring to a swap party the First Lady organized in New York City during her husband’s presidential campaign. “Based on our success in the UK, we are certain the US consumer will embrace this new and fun way to shop – and save money at the same time.” The average US consumer has $300 worth of unused clothing sitting in their wardrobe.

Bigwardrobe.com was started in May of 2008 and in just two years has gained 35,000 members (and 35,000 new wardrobes for them to plunder), listed over 80,000 items (5,000 new items added per week), and helped with 300 swap offers per day.  This green site, offers the convenience of swapping things you don’t wear for things you will, or turning your unwanted clothes back to cash. In these cost-conscious times, Bigwardrobe.com can even become an affordable substitute for shopping and entertainment.

The ‘Bottom Drawer’ section of the site allows entertainment items – such as books, DVD’s, toys, iPods, mobile phones, cameras, and CDs – that may be lurking unloved in your wardrobe (or under the bed) to be redistributed online instead of thrown away. Bigwardrobe.com’s popularity with celebrities means that if you fancy owning a pair of Russell Brand’s skinny jeans, you can buy celebrity threads on the site for a cause. There’s even a vintage area for those whose style transcends time.

New members to Bigwardrobe.com can choose one of two options.  You can join for free with limited functionality (as I have), or you can pay a small annual subscription of $18 to become a ‘Friend of Bigwardrobe’ and benefit from many extra features. Bigwardrobe.com is not aimed only at people with premium brands or vintage items, nor is it just aimed just at women who are a size 4. Men, women, and kids can find a new home for their unwanted clothing on Bigwardrobe.com, and you can find clothing in all sizes.

The ultimate aim of Bigwardrobe.com is to create the world's biggest online wardrobe, where the huge quantity of unworn and stockpiled fashion in people's wardrobes around the world is redistributed online. I applaud their efforts and love the fact that this is a perfect spot to go to recycle instead of tossing more "trash" into our landfills!  Check it out, follow them on Twitter, join them on Facebook and remember to find the treasure each day in not only the new, but in the old as well.

Click HERE to join our green living, online community!

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