NYC clothes swap: Fashionable way to bridge generational gap

The Recession Swap is a regular event that Linda Alboher, 78, began holding in New York City’s Chelsea neighborhood in 2008.

At the time, people were focused on saving money during the economic downturn. The swaps have continued as thrift stores have been swamped with donations. On a recent Saturday, the gymnasium of a residential building was hopping with people — some local, some who had trekked in from other states.

“It just felt like, you look through your wardrobe, you have too many things; some have tags on them; they’re either too big or too small,” said Alboher, a retired motelier. “Why not pass them along to friends, and see what those friends had in their closets?”

The first swap took place in Alboher’s apartment with 10 friends. The following year, her daughter Marci Alboher brought along 10 of her friends. Over the years, it continued to grow. Now it’s a twice-yearly event.

The Albohers have vast social networks that span generations. For the latest swap in late November, they emailed invitations to more than 100 people; 45 answered yes, and many brought company.

There are a few swap traditions. “If someone brings a really special item, we encourage that person to go around the party and ‘shop it’ a bit, to suggest it someone who looks around the right size,” Marci Alboher said. “We try to get as many photos as possible of a giver and a taker together.”

May Takahashi, 37, said the swap is much better than dropping off a bundle of clothes at a thrift store.

“I like this better because you see the clothes make a connection with somebody, like it goes full circle,” she said.

Marci Alboher’s prize swap find, a short black dress from the 1950s, came from a woman in her late 20s who had bought it at a vintage shop.

Lindsey Pollak, 45, who lives on the Upper West Side, said this was a perfect example of how different generations can collaborate.

“We’re all having fun, we all love the clothes,” she said.

At 4 p.m., the Albohers and several friends began carrying unclaimed hats, sweaters, bikinis, slacks, necklaces, boots, purses and tank tops to a donation bin destined for Housing Works, a thrift shop that benefits people with AIDS and the homeless.

CONTRIBUTED BY MARCI ALBOHER Clothing swap hosts Linda Alboher (second from left) and Marci Alboher (far right) pose with Clara Villarosa (far left), a retired bookstore owner from Harlem, and Elizabeth White, a writer from Washington, D.C.