How it all started

The Clothes Exchange was born in 2001, when a group of 15 fashion conscious, community minded women got together in Burlington, Vermont to swap the clothes they once loved, but rarely ever wore. At that first event, the women recognized the opportunity to turn the gathering into a force for social change – and The Clothes Exchange was born.

Each year, more women came to swap and more money was raised. In 2006, the Burlington Clothes Exchange outgrew its living room origins and the Burlington Steering Committee took over the planning of the Burlington Clothes Exchange.  In 2009, more than 500 women shopped The Burlington Clothes Exchange and helped raise a record $56,000.

What started as an excuse to get together with friends and to shop guilt free, grew into an eco-chic grass roots network of more than 1,000 women who also saw the benefits of recycling their clothing and shopping for a cause.

Big Moments in Our History

2001
The first Clothes Exchange was held in Leslie's living room. Fifteen friends brought clothes to swap, $600 was raised. The group decided to give the funds to The Window on The World Fund to benefit the families of foodservices workers killed in 9/11.

Later that year, those women and some of their friends gathered again to swap clothes and raise money. The group decided to focus it's giving on organizations working to improve the lives of women. One thousand dollars was raised for the Committee on Temporary Shelter to benefit homeless women and their families.

2002
Forty women gathered in Leslie's living room, swapped clothes and raised $1,000 for The Vermont Network Against Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault.

The Clothes Exchange was featured in Real Simple magazine and women from around the country started emailing Leslie, asking how they could start their own Clothes Exchange events.

2003
Sixty-five women attended The Clothes Exchange and raised another $1,000 for The Lund Center to help pregnant and parenting teen mothers.

2004
We more than doubled our earnings and raised $3,200 for The Vermont Women's Fund.

2005
The Clothes Exchange finally outgrew Leslie's living room and The Vermont Tent Company erected a tent in Leslie's yard to  acommodate the shoppers. This year 85 women helped raise $6,500 for The Vermont Refugee Resettlement Program to support job training for women refugees from Somalia. 

2006
The Burlington Clothes Exchange Steering Committee started to take shape and a group of 12 volunteers worked dilgently for more than 5 months to plan the May 2006 event; the first Clothes Exchange to be held in what was to become our new home Main Street Landing.

Thirty minutes before the doors opened a line started forming and we had no idea that the line would last all night. More than 375 women shopped and helped us raise $15,000 for Neighborkeepers, an organization started by Hal Colsten, who would go on to be featured in People magazine and Good Morning America for his innovative work to end poverty.

One of the factors that contributed to our enormous success in 2006, was the partnerships we developed with retailers and clothing manufacturers like Sweet Lady Jane, Eileen Fisher and Isis for Women, which generously donated new clothing and/or hosted Bring Back programs, inviting their customers to bring back merchandise previously purchased in exchange for a discount on a future purchase. The Bring Back proved to be a win-win-win; customers liked giving their clothes to a good home and getting a discount on a future purchase, the Bring Backs drove customers into make new purchases which made the retailers happy and The Clothes Exchange benefited from thousands of gently used, high quality garments.

2007
Videographer Eva Sollberger attend the 2007 Burlington Clothes Exchange Event with video camera in hand and documents the amazing evening. Now women who've never shopped a Clothes Exchange, can hop on YouTube first a taste of what Exchange events are all about.

Clothes Exchange Founder, Leslie Halperin and the Burlington Clothes Exchange are honored by The Visiting Nurse Association for their contribution to the community. 

Burlington Steering Committee Members Michele Hobbs, Leslie Halperin, Amy Bacon, Elzy Wick, Sheryl Glubok and Deb Lichtenfeld accepting the VNA Award.

 

 

2008
Eileen Fisher extends their Bring Back Program to two Boston area stores.

First Affiliate launches in Bergen County, NJ.

2009
The May 2009 event exceeds all expectations. More than 500 women shopped ot raise a record $56,000 for Vermont Works for Women.