Clobber Swap: Thousands of Leeds women turning to swap and sell platform to spruce up their wardrobes

Clobber Swap lets users shift clothing that’s been sitting unloved - with the chance to get a new addition to their wardrobe in return. The online platform was founded by Camille Johnson, 48, just before the pandemic.

“I’d lost my mojo a little bit,” she told the Yorkshire Evening Post. “In the past, I’d really experimented with bright clothes, I’d go to work and have that spring in my step.

“It came out of a bit of boredom, I thought I’d go through my wardrobe and cleanse what was in there. We all hoard clothing; we have so many clothes with tags on, or clothes we don’t reach for but we still keep. I thought - I need to do something about it.”

Clobber Swap started as a small community initiative between Camille and around 30 of her friends, who would “swap like crazy”.

It’s now turned into a prestigious online boutique with more than 8,000 members, who pay £2.99 a month to buy, swap or sell to their heart's content.

While swapping is always encouraged first, members can purchase items or sell their clothes if they’re struggling to find the swap they need. Clobber Swap is based in Wakefield, but thousands of women from Leeds are members of the site.

Camille added: “The feedback I get is unreal. It’s got a real community spirit and that’s the best part of it. We’ve found that women who are maybe going through the menopause or problems in relationships, and aren’t feeling great, turn to the platform.

“Members give each other the confidence to try different styles, or recommend the perfect bag or scarf and put it in for free. While fundamentally we do the swapping, buying and selling - the ladies in the group get a lot of love. We call it Clobber Love, it just oozes out of the site.”

Clobber Swap recently got a big boost after thrifting expert Heidi Ondrak, a member of the platform, recommended the site on her TikTok. It brought 800 new members into the community.

Heidi has hit the headlines for her pledge to buy only second-hand clothes, saving her thousands of pounds every year.

Camille said: “She’s all about sustainability, she’s a real style queen within our group. I’m finding that members who are very active on social media are doing the selling for me.”

Around 5,000 posts are made on the platform every month, as well as around 15,000 likes, comments and shares. And as more and more people turn to pre-loved clothing, Camille, who also owns an advertising agency, sees no limits to where the business can grow.

She added: “With Clobber Swap particularly, it’s such a heartwarming and lovely space to escape into. Especially when people are going through problems, if you’ve got that sense of community it’s incredible.

“Being a business owner is so exciting because you can create opportunities. You can decide, when you wake up in the morning, how you’re going to make a difference today”.