The DOLLY Clothes Swap Event - TAKE 5

Class Description

We’ve taken a break from The Great DOLLY Clothes Swap for a while. In truth, things had started to feel a little frenzied. There was an atmosphere of wanting that didn’t sit quite right with us. It all became too much, too quickly. We know it’s a swap, obvs, but there were simply too many clothes changing hands and too many left over. So, we’ve been thinking about how to do things differently. Introducing The DOLLY Clothes Swap: TAKE 5! A slower, more thoughtful clothes swap centred on conversation, clothing exchange and, most importantly, keeping. We love a play on words, and TAKE 5 has two meanings for us: take five, as in let’s have a break, and take five, as in just five garments. That’s right, five or fewer! Bring along up to five lovely pieces that aren’t quite working for you anymore, and exchange them for up to five pieces you genuinely intend to keep, alter, mend and make work for you and your wardrobe. The limit is intentional. We want to encourage you to be creative, look beyond the obvious and explore how a garment might work for you with a little imagination. We’ll be on hand to help guide your choices, sharing advice on fitting adjustments and ways to make a piece your own, whether that’s through embellishment, tweaking the shape or refitting. We want to step away from the clothing carousel, where garments keep changing hands without ever quite finding their home. Instead, let’s talk about holding on, investing in what we have and building a deeper connection with our clothes. How it will work 1. A Conscious Clothing Conversation We’ll begin with a conversation led by Geraldine Warner from Museum Knits, bringing together Diana Uprichard, Helen Van Eyck and Sonia Crivello. Together, we’ll unravel and weave a new clothing story, exploring the beauty of repair, the emotional connections we form with the clothes we love, and what it means to step away from a culture of wanting more. How can we build wardrobes rooted in keeping, connection and investment? 2. Take 5 Time to pause, enjoy a glass of fizz and have a good old mingle. 3. The Swap The swap will unfold across two floors of the DOLLY studio, giving you the space and time to drift, browse and gently consider your choices. No frantic grabbing, no pressure to find something. Just thoughtful swapping, fresh ideas and the chance to discover a piece you’ll truly love. TAKE 5. Slow down. Choose thoughtfully. Keep what you love.