How it works
Arrive. Browse. Take what fits. Leave with a bag.
You arrive, you browse racks sorted by size and style, you take what fits who you are, and you leave with a bag. Nothing to prove, nothing to sign. You do not have to bring anything to take something.
The day
How a clothing swap works, in four steps.
A Bloom Swap runs the same way at every venue. The room changes from one host to the next; the four steps do not.
Arrive
A greeter says hello and hands you a bag. By the entrance there is a rack map that shows where each size and style hangs. Nobody asks for your name, your ID or a reason.
Browse
Racks are sorted by size and style, not by gender. Tops, trousers, dresses, coats, shoes and accessories each have their place. Where the venue has room, there is dressing space and a mirror.
Take what fits
Take what you will wear. There is always another swap. Nobody counts what you take, and there is no limit on a sign; the note is there so the racks last the whole day.
Leave
When you have what you need, you walk out. There is no checkout, no form at the door, and nobody to thank on the way out unless you want to.
That is the whole of it. If you want the moments in between, like trying things on, names and pronouns, and who else is in the room, your first swap walks through the day slowly.
Before you come
What hangs on the racks. Choose a rack.
Every swap carries what has been donated, sorted and laundered. Tap a rack to see what it usually holds; your choice is remembered in this browser only.
01 / 07
Tops
Tees, blouses, button-downs, knitwear and hoodies, hung by size from XS upward, with extended sizes on their own rail when donated.
Stock depends on what has been donated, sorted and laundered.
02 / 07
Bottoms
Jeans, trousers, shorts and leggings, labelled with a size range rather than a single number, because sizing differs so much between makers.
Stock depends on what has been donated, sorted and laundered.
03 / 07
Dresses & skirts
Everyday and occasion dresses and skirts of every length, sorted by size so nobody has to guess which rack is theirs.
Stock depends on what has been donated, sorted and laundered.
04 / 07
Outerwear
Coats, rain jackets, blazers and cardigans. In the colder months this is the rack that empties first.
Stock depends on what has been donated, sorted and laundered.
05 / 07
Shoes
Clean pairs with wearable soles, set out by size on low shelves so they can be tried on sitting down.
Stock depends on what has been donated, sorted and laundered.
06 / 07
Accessories
Belts, scarves, bags, hats and jewelry: the small things that make an outfit yours.
Stock depends on what has been donated, sorted and laundered.
07 / 07
Undergarments
New with tags only, always. Bras, underwear, binders and gaffs appear when they are donated new, and are set apart so they can be chosen privately.
Stock depends on what has been donated, sorted and laundered.
Bloom owns the clothes, sorts them and launders them before they reach a rack. Stock depends on what has been donated, so no two swaps carry quite the same racks. Undergarments are new only. Binders and gaffs are on the racks when they are donated new, and not otherwise.
Looking for something specific? Join the list and you hear when a swap near you is set, two weeks before it happens.
The room
What every swap has, and what depends on the room.
Every Bloom Swap is set up by Bloom in a room lent by a host. Some things come with Bloom to every venue. Others depend on the building.
Comes with every swap
- Racks sorted by size and style, with a rack map
- Bags to carry what you take
- A greeter, and volunteers wearing name tags with their pronouns
- Large-print rack labels
- Seating
- A step-free way in, which every host venue must have
Depends on the venue
- How much dressing space there is, and how it is curtained
- Restrooms, and how they are set up
- A quiet corner, where the room allows one
- Parking, and how close the nearest transit stops
- The hours, which are set with each host
Each swap on the upcoming swaps board carries one line about its venue’s access, so you know before you set out. If you need to know more, the accessibility page says how to ask, and the answer is plain.
FAQ
Questions about the day
Still asking? Write to swap@bloomministries.org and a person answers.
Do I have to bring clothes to take clothes?
No. You do not have to bring anything to take something. It is called a swap because clothes move from people who have them to people who need them, not because you trade. If you do have clothes to give, here is what Bloom takes.
Is there a limit on what I can take?
There is no count and no limit. There is one note, and it is care rather than a rule: take what you will wear. There is always another swap.
Can I try things on?
Where the venue has room to change, yes, in curtained space with a mirror. Where it does not, take things home to try; nothing has to come back. Each listing on the board says what the room has.
Do I need to sign up or RSVP?
No. There is no RSVP and no ticket. The list exists so you hear about a swap two weeks before it happens, and you can walk in during the hours whether you joined it or not. Join the list here.
Is it only for trans people?
Bloom Swap is built with trans and nonbinary people first in mind, and anyone who needs clothes that fit is welcome. Nobody at a swap asks which you are.
Upcoming
Find the next swap.
Swaps go on the board two weeks before they happen. Join the list and the date comes to you, with the venue, the hours and what the room has for access.
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