Clothes swaps

If you have clothes in excellent condition and want to update your wardrobe, register for one of our free clothes swaps.

Related to Reducing waste at home

Friday 11 July 2025

Glebe clothes swap at St Helen’s Community Centre, 10am to 12pm

Book tickets

Clothes swapping is a clever and thrifty way to refresh your wardrobe, save money and help fight textile waste.

Your pre-loved clothes will find a new home and you’ll leave with ‘new’ second-hand items for your own closet.

How to take part

Some events are for residents who live in the City of Sydney’s area and others are open to anyone. All ages and styles are welcome.

Tickets are free but spaces are limited.

Upcoming events

Tickets will be available about 4-6 weeks before each event.

Friday 11 July – Glebe clothes swap – open to anyone
Saturday 20 September - Darlinghurst clothes swap - City of Sydney residents only
Saturday 13 December - Tramsheds clothes swap - City of Sydney residents only

On the day

What to bring: Up to 5 items of clothing in excellent condition to swap – check what items are accepted below. This 5-item limit makes it manageable for us to check and display all clothing before the swap starts and ensures we don’t have too many items left over.
Check in: We’ll help you check in, confirm your items are suitable for swapping and exchange them for tokens. Each token can be swapped for one item of clothing. There is a one hour check-in period and 15 minutes of set-up time. Depending on when you check in, this means you could have up to one hour of downtime before the swap begins. You might like to grab a coffee or mingle with fellow fashion enthusiasts.
Swap time: You’ll have one hour to browse all the clothing and find your ‘new’ items. Items will be organised by type – this is much quicker than organising by size and we don’t want to keep you waiting. Each swap attracts different attendees, so you could find more women’s, men’s or children’s clothing depending on what’s brought on the day.
Keep swap etiquette in mind: To ensure our swaps are fun and safe for all, certain behaviours won’t be tolerated. Please don’t run or hoard clothes. If you no longer want an item, return it neatly to the rack or table. If you have leftover tokens, give them to a fellow swapper. This will help us rehome as many clothes as possible.
At the end of the swap: Take your treasures and tokens to the check-out desk.

Check what items are accepted

Bring up to 5 items of seasonally appropriate, excellent condition clothing for any size, gender and age. Excellent condition means the clothing is clean, pressed and free from rips, holes, stains or major faults. Only bring items you would proudly give to a friend.
- Tops, shirts, blouses and jackets
- Pants, jeans and shorts
- Skirts, dresses and suits
- Belts, bags and shoes
- Scarves, ties and hats
All styles and brands are accepted, provided they’re in excellent condition – so keep in mind that items will range from on-trend pieces to older classics. And although we love receiving them, we can’t guarantee everyone who brings a designer item will take home an equivalent piece.
Items are checked before being put out for the clothes swap. If your items are unsuitable, you may be asked to take them home.
- Jewellery and wigs
- Underwear, socks and swimwear
- Sportswear and activewear
- Anything stained, torn or unclean
- Noticeably worn out, shabby, pilling or frayed items

Leftover clothes

They’re donated and rehomed through a local charity or recycled.

In a large hall are several tables with folded clothes, as well as clothes racks with colourful items.

Spread the word about our clothes swaps

If you’re a resident in the City of Sydney local area, print this poster in A4 or A3 size and display it in your apartment building or share it with your neighbours.

Download and print a clothes swap posterPDF · 2.65 MB · Last modified 5 June 2024