I have been invited to a “Swishing” party. No, I had no idea what it was either, but now I do. Swishing is clothes swapping, and no it doesn’t mean you go to a party and get undressed! Plus it’s a women only event. Basically you go along to the party with any clothes you don’t want any more, because they’re too small, too big or you just don’t like them.

Everyone who is invited takes a load of clothes with them. It is often just women’s clothing but can also be kids’ clothes. You get to look at all the clothes before the party starts but you can’t grab anything until it is officially declared open. At that point, depending on how well-bred and polite the guests are, it turns into something between the first day of the sales and a rugby scrum.

The trouble is, that as it’s my first one I don’t know how to play it. There doesn’t seem to be any system whereby if you arrive with 20 items you get to pick 20 items to take home. And even if there was could you arrive with 20 t-shirts and go home with 20 designer dresses? Now I have some good dresses that I have only worn once or twice, because of course you can’t wear the same thing to an event when the same people are going to be there that were there the last time you wore it. But do I take these and risk coming back with nothing or just somebody’s rubbish? Or do I go with just a few cheap pieces and risk looking like a cheapskate?

Maybe I am just overthinking this. If I am only taking stuff that I would probably have ended up giving to the charity shop anyway, what does it matter?