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In June 2009 image consultants Kirsty Staunton and Kelly Gillette from Sutton Coldfield launched their very own 'swishing' parties in the West Midlands. They say the craze is really catching on.

So where did the idea come from ?

Kirsty says: "Swishing is the American term that refers to clothes swapping it originated in America two years ago. I saw the BBC 2 program called Twiggy's Frock Exchange where they talked about it.The idea appealed to me because it seemed to be a really good way to save money. It seemed to be the ideal recession buster. I checked to see if there were any events locally, but I could only see them happening in London, so I thought to myself why not start my own in Birmingham."

Browsing through the clothes rails.

The art of 'Swishing'

To take part in a swishing event, women must take between one to six garments. These can be anything from clothes to shoes to accessories. These items must be wearable and be of good quality. If they are clothes they must be washed and ironed.

Every time somebody hands in an item they receive a token. This is the currency which browsers then use to buy other items. After half an hour of browsing time the women can then pick what they want.

"You have got lots of choice as there is everything from high street to designer. This is like guilt free shopping, it's also a social thing. I think sometimes not enough ladies get out much, so this is a great way to meet other women and shop at the same time."

So what makes a good 'Swisher'?

According to Kirsty there are certain traits that can make a good swisher.

Pick your items

"Somebody that's open minded, when you are choosing clothes or jewellery you've really got to look at something twice to see the benefits. Also of course the ideal swisher has to be somebody who is up for a laugh."

The ladies are holding their next event on July 16th in Sutton Coldfield. They have also got many others lined up at various venues across the Midlands.

For more details about the events click here:

For more information about swishing visit the following website: