When was the last time you looked into your closet and thought — or said aloud as some of us do — “I have nothing to wear!” Last week? Yesterday? Just this morning? It always seems to happen when you have to be at work in 15 minutes or when someone (a friend, date or mate) is waiting for you to get ready to go out. And it’s not that your closet is empty, exactly — there definitely are clothes in there. But it could be that you’ve made some unfortunate purchases or you haven’t had the time or the money to make any recent changes or additions. So what’s a busy, broke, style-challenged gal (or guy — yes, I think the fellas could try this, too) to do? Throw a party. Say what? Yes, a party.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know — right now, you’re thinking, “Wait, where’s the money-saving style tip? Parties cost money and how’s a party going to revitalize my stale wardrobe?” Well, this isn’t  just any party — it’s a sort of potluck-clothing swap hybrid. If you want to be fancy, you can call it a food and fashion fete.

Here’s what you do. First, call two or three of your closest female friends and fill them in on the concept. Even if they’re not in dire need of a fashion infusion, I’m pretty sure they’ll be in because who doesn’t like a party. Next, decide on your venue. Among my set, usually the person with the biggest entertaining space at home wins. Although, I have been known to throw an event for 30 in an 840-square-foot loft. Once you have the venue, then you’ll know how many guests you can invite. As you’re compiling the list (a good number is anywhere from 10 to 25), be sure to include some acquaintances whose style you really admire. They’ll be able to help facilitate the event when the clothing swap is in progress — imbuing their fondness for fashion and likely coming up with some inspiring ideas for the other partygoers. With list in hand, now you’re ready to compose the Evite, which could read something like this:

Clothes, Cocktails and Conversation

Join Vicki, Starlyn, Freddie and Ginger for a potluck and clothing swap!

Don’t know what to do with that chartreuse pashmina your Gramms gave you last year that is so not your color? We do — swap it! Grab five gently used or still-new-but-relegated-to-the-back-of-your-closet items from your wardrobe (clothes, shoes, bags, scarves, etc.) and whip up your favorite appetizer (or stop by Trader-J’s) and head to Ginger’s house on Friday, September 29, at 8:00 p.m. Cocktails, desserts and quirky fashion advice will be provided.

After the invites go out, it’s all pretty much like planning any other party. Be sure to find recipes for a few simple, inexpensive but tasty cocktails and mocktails and bake a variety of mini-cupcakes (maybe red velvet, carrot and lemon) and some chocolate chip cookies. Have one room set up with refreshments and have another room set up to serve as the swap center, where you can display everything. If you have a portable hanging clothes rack or two, set those up so that clothes can be displayed store-style. An empty bookcase can be used to display shoes and a coat rack works for scarves and bags. A nearby study or bathroom can serve as a fitting room. And if you have a freestanding, full-length mirror, set that up in the room, too.

If the group is small (fewer than 10 or so people), then the swap can be fairly informal — everyone just takes a turn picking out an item until everything has a new home. If you have a larger group (up to 20 or so), you might want to draw numbers and then take turns selecting items. Once you make it all the way through one round, go in the opposite order for the second round so people who had last pick the first time have an early pick for the second round. Then rotate back-and-forth until everything’s been snapped up. Of course, there may be some items that don’t find a new home. At the end of the night, bag them up to be donated.

The great thing about this concept is that it’s not just reserved to items from your closets. You can also do this with your kids’ clothes, kitchen gadgets or books. And it makes a fun fundraiser, too. Instead of simply swapping the items, you could auction them off, raising money for a local charity.