One of the best ways to green your clothing is to start doing the swap thing.  Instead of always buying new clothes, which usually take quite a few natural resources to produce, you can choose to go for second-hand items already in circulation (taking the strain off our already stressed out planet).

And, these days, that doesn’t necessarily mean swapping with friends – you can gain access to a far wider variety of items by tapping into ‘fashion recycling’.

The latest company to burst onto the pre-loved sale scene is Bouchic, a new and trendy way to combine recycling with a glamorous social shindig:

Fashion recycling with Bouchic is a recession-busting, eco-friendly way to clear your closets and earn extra cash, making room for a beautiful new wardrobe … from the Bouchic Pre Loved Sales, of course!

Bouchic brings you an eco-chic fashion recycling event with all the vibe of a cocktail party – turning shopping into a fun-filled social event. With music, make-up demonstrations, champagne cocktails to sip and chocolate to nibble on, shopping with Bouchic becomes the ultimate two-day long cocktail party for you and your friends.

Upcoming Bouchic Pre Loved Sales are planned for Durban, Johannesburg and Pretoria, as well as exclusive designer sample sales.

For more information visit: www.bouchic.co.za

HOW THE BOUCHIC PRE LOVED SALE WORKS:

1. Clear out your and your children’s cupboards of any never-worn or lightly-worn designer and fashion clothing.

2. Contact Shelly on 072 403 9039 or shelly@bouchic.co.za to arrange collection of the clothes before the sale.

3. Come along to the sale and stock up on stunning new outfits, shoes and accessories for you and your children.

4. A few days later receive your share of the proceeds from the sale of the clothes you contributed.

And then there’s the event itself, which looks to be quite a glam affair:

Details of the Bouchic Pre Loved Sale:

Date: 7 – 8 November 2009 ** update 6 Nov ’09: the Cape Town event has been cancelled**
Time: 10 am – 8 pm
Venue: FTV Lounge, 114 Hout Street, Cape Town
(secure parking is available)
Payments: Cash, debit card or credit card
Tickets: R50 for the sale and R300 for the gala cocktail party on Friday 6 November (this gets you 10% of all purchases at the sale and a three-hour preview of the sale). Email tickets@bouchic.co.za to book.

But don’t think jumble sale – the venue is spacious and will be stylishly laid out with convenient hanging rails and changing rooms. Complimentary champagne cocktails, foot massages, a jam-packed goodie bag, make-overs by Benefit, Lindt chocolate to nibble on, and live music are additional treats in store for you. A kiddies’ area will keep the little ones entertained while you shop.

Proceeds from the ticket sales will go to Operation Bobbi Bear.

Champagne cocktails… foot massages, Lindt chocolate – who knew second-hand-clothes shopping could sound like so much fun!

DISCLAIMER: Please use any event information as a guide only. Whilst every effort is made to ensure the accuracy thereof, things do change – and the best way to make sure something is definitely on is to contact the event organisers themselves. Full bells’n'whistles disclaimer here.