BAGGING a designer outfit at a knockdown price and raising money for a good cause were the twin aims of a recession-busting event in York.

The latest way for the fashion-conscious to update their wardrobe without putting a strain on their purses is known as swishing, and one of the first events of its kind in York took place this week.

Swishing, introduced to the UK by the model Twiggy, involves taking your unwanted good-quality clothes to a party and swapping with other guests.

The quarterly meeting of the Licensed Trade Charity met at One 19 restaurant, in The Mount, with members paying £2 per item to swap with colleagues.

Organiser Anita Adams said: “At the quarterly meeting we discuss how we are going to raise funds.

“Instead of having a talk by somebody, this time I decided to hold a frock exchange.

“There were about 40 people altogether.

“Not all of them brought clothes, but now we have done one, everybody saw how good it was and they want to do it again.

“People say there are no new ways to raise money – I saw Twiggy do this and thought ‘that’s a great idea’.

“There really were some fantastic clothes,” she said. “There were lots of designer clothes which people only paid a couple of quid for.”

“Once the ladies had made a swap, there was also expert advice available on how to make the most of accessories. We had someone from Fenwick’s who came to give us advice and they were fantastic,” added Anita. “Most of us are in our forties and above, so it was nice for someone to come along and show us how to update ourselves without looking silly.” The event raised £300 for the Licensed Trade Charity.

“People could do this in their own homes – it’s a fantastic way to make money for charity,” said Anita.