Lindsay Lohan launched the recent Visa swap event for unwanted but still wearable clothes, shoes and handbags which was held in London's Covent Garden in June while the mighty Topshop held its own 'TopSwap' event in its Oxford Circus store in London the same month.

The whole idea behind swapping parties is to exchange items with friends, relations or groups of like-minded people, save money, stretch out our resources and keep items - whether its clothes, books, children's toys or household items - in circulation a little bit longer.

That way, even when you've personally grown bored with, our outlived, your item, it will take on a life of its own and give pleasure to someone else, in a 'new to you' way.

Here at eco-conscious Sugahfix HQ we like to take matters into our own hands, and we reckon the best way to do it is to do it yourself. And anyway, we were brought up watching Swap Shop on Saturday mornings, so we reckon we know a thing or two about the whole business. So move over Cheggers!

Around eight of us gathered together one Friday night, ate popcorn and cakes, drank wine and pink gin and had one of those totally fab girly, gossipy, laugh-out-loud nights. And we each went home with a stack of new (to us) books.

There were no formalities, we just put all our books down on the floor and picked out which ones we fancied reading. Each of us turned up with bagfulls of books and we each went home with a stack of free summer reading while the books no-one wanted were donated to a charity shop the next morning.

We also did it with clothes, bringing along those dresses and tops we bought on the spur of the moment and instantly regretted, or have grown too big or small for, or which we simply got fed up wearing. I got a new dress, shoes and bangles, Sugahfix Editor Katrina got my dress, another friend got a handbag and another friend ended up with Katrina's gorgeous French Connection frock.

The beauty of swap parties is that they can be done with any item you can think of - children's toys, books and clothes, household goods, furniture, even CDs and DVDs.

You can get into the swapping swing of things on a wider scale by going online to sites such as www.whatsmineisyours.com

Rejecting the very concept of 'throw away' fashion, it was set up in 2004 to find new homes for those items of clothes you no longer want.

In the inspiring words of the site's founder Judy Berger: "We believe that every item can go on a series of journeys from one loving owner to the next. So, next time you decide you no longer love something, don't throw it away, add it to whatsmineisyours.com and watch it go to a new home."

Judy and her friends started off with swap parties in their living rooms, and her site is now one of the foremost clothes swapping sites on the web!

But nothing can beat the fun you can have by getting a few friends round and doing it yourself. Fashion should be fun, and what's more fun that having a party with your best mates and going home with free goodies?

The last word should go to Judy though, who sums up everything that's true about fashion and friendship.

"I'm interested in the journey of an item, where it started and where it will end up next.

"I love to hear swap stories, of those items that lay unloved in the back of a closet for years, but found a new home with a loving new owner.

"So, as our tastes and bodies change we need to use what we've bought but no longer wear as currency, swap old for new, keep building, but without overspending and stay green by not throwing stuff out.

"Clothes are for life not just for Christmas - join the revolution!"