VOA标准英语2013--Social Media Draw More US Women to Clothing Swaps

 

Social Media Draw More US Women to Clothing Swaps²

Bartering³ for bargains

About 300 women came to the cafeteria of the West Springfield High School to lay out gently used shirts, dresses and other items they no longer wanted. In return, they could take home almost anything they like.

Student volunteer Ashley Moore loved the concept. "I brought five shirts and got two nice pairs of boots," she said. "They were like new, not even used!"

A resident of the nearby Virginia suburb of Alexandria, Daphne Steinberg, said she was attracted by the prospect⁴ of finding something special. One of her finds included a shirt by American brand LOFT⁵, originally known as Ann Taylor LOFT.

"Ann Taylor is a really nice women's designer and I will totally wear this to work," Steinberg explained. "I love that I can outfit⁶ myself for work, have a good time doing it, not totally bankrupt myself."

Green benefits

Among the vendors⁷ offering special deals to the clothing swappers was Waldorf, Maryland-based energy healer Sandy Van Dusen. She liked the idea that clothes were finding new homes rather than getting thrown away and ending up in a landfill.

"It helps to keep the Earth green," she said. "There is no point, in my opinion, in continuing to buy new clothes when we can reuse what is already here, give it a new home, let somebody else love what you used to love."

Organizer Kim Pratt's Frugal⁸ Fashionista group raised about $700 at the event, by charging a $5 entry fee for the swappers, a $25 table fee for the vendors, and selling raffle⁹ tickets for various prizes.

Community giving

The group used half of the money to cover operating costs and donated the other half to the school's debate team.

The Frugal Fashionistas support several charitable causes through their events. They deliver all 'unswapped' clothes to shelters for victims of domestic violence and raise money for anti-sexual violence organization Rape¹⁰, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN).

Pratt said her inspiration is Suzanne Agasi, who began hosting private swaps in San Francisco in 1996. After several years, Agasi's gatherings¹¹ outgrew¹² her home and she developed them into a business through her website ClothingSwap.com.

"I learned about it from her online," Pratt said. "I started doing this myself four years ago, and we have been doing it for four years, getting bigger and bigger each time we have a swap¹."

Using the social media site meetup.com to promote the events has helped the Frugal Fashionistas to grow from 30 members to 1,300.

Challenges

Most of them respect clothing swap etiquette¹³. But Pratt said competition for desirable fashion can get heated.

"We have to tell people sometimes not to hover¹⁴ over the new people coming in with their clothing as they put it down. Some people tend to grab the stuff right out of their hands and it becomes like a free-for-all. We try to avoid that as much as possible."

Co-organizer Dianna Moy said the group plans to draw even more women to future swaps, but needs many volunteers to donate time, effort and money for that to happen.

"We found there is a big demand here in the DC area and very few that want to address it," said Moy. "We are very happy to help satisfy part of that necessity."

Fun factor

Enthusiasts¹⁵ also have been emphasizing the social aspect of their events to broaden the appeal.

Local group Dewdrop is promoting a May clothing swap in downtown Washington by offering cocktails¹⁶, style tips from experts and a fashion show to women who pay the $20 advance ticket fee.

At the Springfield event, a mini-dance party erupted in a part of the cafeteria as a female DJ played popular tunes¹⁷ like "Gangnam Style."

"We are all here because we like fashion," said swap attendee Steinberg. "Some of it might be like 10-year ago fashion, but we have a good time." 

1 swap   

n.交换；vt.交换，用...作交易

参考例句：

• I will swap you my bicycle for your radio.我想拿我的自行车换你的收音机。
• This comic was a swap that I got from Nick.这本漫画书是我从尼克那里换来的。

2 swaps   

交换( swap的名词复数 )； 交换物，被掉换者

参考例句：

• He swaps his old car for a new motorcycle. 他用旧车换了一辆新摩托车。 来自英汉 - 翻译样例 - 口语
• Swaps the anchor and end points of the current selection. 交换当前所选内容的定位点和结束点。

3 bartering   

v.作物物交换，以货换货( barter的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• Parliament would be touchy about bartering British soil for ships. 用英国国土换取舰只，议会感到为难。 来自辞典例句
• In former times trade was based on bartering--goods were exchanged for other goods. 以前，贸易是以易货（即货物交换）的方式进行的。 来自辞典例句

4 prospect   

n.前景，前途；景色，视野

参考例句：

• This state of things holds out a cheerful prospect.事态呈现出可喜的前景。
• The prospect became more evident.前景变得更加明朗了。

5 loft   

n.阁楼，顶楼

参考例句：

• We could see up into the loft from bottom of the stairs.我们能从楼梯脚边望到阁楼的内部。
• By converting the loft,they were able to have two extra bedrooms.把阁楼改造一下，他们就可以多出两间卧室。

6 outfit   

n.（为特殊用途的）全套装备，全套服装

参考例句：

• Jenney bought a new outfit for her daughter's wedding.珍妮为参加女儿的婚礼买了一套新装。
• His father bought a ski outfit for him on his birthday.他父亲在他生日那天给他买了一套滑雪用具。

7 vendors   

n.摊贩( vendor的名词复数 )；小贩；（房屋等的）卖主；卖方

参考例句：

• The vendors were gazundered at the last minute. 卖主在最后一刻被要求降低房价。
• At the same time, interface standards also benefIt'software vendors. 同时，界面标准也有利于软件开发商。 来自About Face 3交互设计精髓

8 frugal   

adj.节俭的，节约的，少量的，微量的

参考例句：

• He was a VIP,but he had a frugal life.他是位要人，但生活俭朴。
• The old woman is frugal to the extreme.那老妇人节约到了极点。

9 raffle   

n.废物，垃圾，抽奖售卖；v.以抽彩出售

参考例句：

• The money was raised by the sale of raffle tickets.这笔款子是通过出售购物彩券筹集的。
• He won a car in the raffle.他在兑奖售物活动中赢得了一辆汽车。

10 rape   

n.抢夺，掠夺，强奸；vt.掠夺，抢夺，强奸

参考例句：

• The rape of the countryside had a profound ravage on them.对乡村的掠夺给他们造成严重创伤。
• He was brought to court and charged with rape.他被带到法庭并被指控犯有强奸罪。

11 gatherings   

聚集( gathering的名词复数 )； 收集； 采集； 搜集

参考例句：

• His conduct at social gatherings created a lot of comment. 他在社交聚会上的表现引起许多闲话。
• During one of these gatherings a pupil caught stealing. 有一次，其中一名弟子偷窃被抓住。

12 outgrew   

长[发展] 得超过（某物）的范围( outgrow的过去式 )； 长[发展]得不能再要（某物）； 长得比…快； 生长速度超过

参考例句：

• She outgrew the company she worked for and found a better job somewhere else. 她进步很快，不再满足于她所在工作的公司，于是又在别处找到一份更好的工作。
• It'soon outgrew Carthage and became the largest city of the western world. 它很快取代了迦太基成为西方的第一大城市。 来自英汉非文学 - 文明史

13 etiquette   

n.礼仪，礼节；规矩

参考例句：

• The rules of etiquette are not so strict nowadays.如今的礼仪规则已不那么严格了。
• According to etiquette,you should stand up to meet a guest.按照礼节你应该站起来接待客人。

14 hover   

vi.翱翔，盘旋；徘徊；彷徨，犹豫

参考例句：

• You don't hover round the table.你不要围着桌子走来走去。
• A plane is hover on our house.有一架飞机在我们的房子上盘旋。

15 enthusiasts   

n.热心人，热衷者( enthusiast的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• A group of enthusiasts have undertaken the reconstruction of a steam locomotive. 一群火车迷已担负起重造蒸汽机车的任务。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Now a group of enthusiasts are going to have the plane restored. 一群热心人计划修复这架飞机。 来自新概念英语第二册

16 cocktails   

n.鸡尾酒( cocktail的名词复数 )；餐前开胃菜；混合物

参考例句：

• Come about 4 o'clock. We'll have cocktails and grill steaks. 请四点钟左右来，我们喝鸡尾酒，吃烤牛排。 来自辞典例句
• Cocktails were a nasty American habit. 喝鸡尾酒是讨厌的美国习惯。 来自辞典例句

17 tunes   

n.曲调，曲子( tune的名词复数 )v.调音( tune的第三人称单数 )；调整；（给收音机、电视等）调谐；使协调

参考例句：

• a potpourri of tunes 乐曲集锦
• When things get a bit too much, she simply tunes out temporarily. 碰到事情太棘手时，她干脆暂时撒手不管。 来自《简明英汉词典》