One of the greatest renewal rites of spring is swapping out heavy sweaters and clunky boots in favor of fresh fashions that match the rising temperatures.

Every clothing retailer in the country is ready to sell you the hottest and the latest, but if your budget is broke, you don't have to settle for your own clothes from springs gone by -- just phone a friend and schedule a clothing swap.

The idea of the swap is to get good homes for your favorite cast-offs and score your own proof that one man's trash is another's treasure.

Images: Clothing Swap | Fashion Swap Dos, Don'ts | Clothing Leftovers? | 100+ Swaps

Suzanne Agasi started a full-time endeavor for herself 12 years ago when she heard about a clothing swap a friend had attended. Now, Agasi travels the country from her San Francisco home as the founder and director of Clothing Swap, Inc. Agasi helps women find fresh fashions in their friends' closets.

"Bring what you have, take what you love," is Agasi's motto.

For entry fees of $10 to $35 per swapper and up, Agasi sends out invitations, finds a venue matched to the group's size, cleans it up, finds food and drink and sometimes other entertainment -- such as a manicurist -- organizes the clothes, hosts the party, cleans up the venue and then finds somewhere to donate the leftover clothes in the same city as the party. Some events charge more at the door so a cash donation can be made, too.

Or, Do It Yourself

You can coordinate a free swap in your home if you're willing to do the work. I did.

I think it was after about the fifth trip to the junk room with an armload of castoff clothing that I got really sad. Most of what I was removing from my closet was perfectly good, lovingly selected clothing that I just wasn't wearing anymore. For me, I had lost 30 pounds over the course of a year and none of it fit. I wanted someone I knew to benefit from my shopping.

I used Evite.com to reach out to people, but many cities have "clothing swap" listings on Meetup.com.

I sent nearly 60 invitations and gave people a month's notice. I asked them to invite a friend, or 10, so we'd hit all the sizes and styles we could.

Swap night had some cancellations, some stalled cars in the Nebraska winter and some no-shows, but eight women loaded with shoes, purses, accessories, sweaters, suits, jeans, skirts and more came tramping up to my door. Their clothing overwhelmed my guest bedroom, where I'd cleared out a closet to allow suits to hang and sweaters to be folded on the shelves. Soon, you couldn't find the bed.

Two-by-two, my friends got down to their underwear in the guest bedroom and rifled through the stacks. Meanwhile, the rest of the group sipped wine, nibbled hors d'oeuvres and swapped stories. At Agasi's parties, everyone strips down to their underwear at once. In fact, a friend of Agasi's calls her Hawaii-based version of the parties "naked-lady swaps."

After an hour or so, the stacks were forming outside the bedroom as each woman piled her new properties to go home with her. And the raves were piling up, too.

"I would jump at the chance to do it again," said Amy Williams, who was stunned to find the perfect pair of jeans for her 6-foot frame. "Actually, I've been telling my friends at work about it and encouraging them to throw similar parties."

The California Resource Recovery Association recommends clothing swaps as "a great waste reduction technique."

More Than Just Clean Closets Emerge

Agasi, who has hosted more than 100 clothing swap parties, said that in addition to closet cleaning, she's noticed three other benefits that naturally result from the parties.

Stretching Your Style

The fashion swap is a chance to try a whole new look without investing cash.

Agasi said her first swap was just two women -- one she described as a "Fredrick's of Hollywood" type and the other was "more of a school teacher/Peace Corps" type. Agasi said she panicked when she realized what her friends' tastes were like, but she said they managed to both go home with new items.

My partygoers also stepped out of their comfort zone.

"I took two pairs of heels that are way higher than I would ever buy," said flats-wearer Colleen Hitz. "If I wear them once and don't like them, I don't have to feel guilty about getting rid of them and feeling as though I wasted money on them."

My party had two women who had recently given birth, too, so each found clothing to fit their transitional sizes.

"Five weeks after having a baby, the maternity clothes are getting too big but I am several sizes larger than my pre-pregnancy size," said Jackie Madara-Campbell in an e-mail after the party. "It was a great opportunity to pick up a few post-pregnancy transitional items at no cost while I'm working on fitting into my pre-pregnancy clothes."

Meeting New People

Agasi said her events turn into networking opportunities.

At my party, one woman in attendance was a journalist and two others were law partners in family practice. By the end of the night, the reporter had coordinated an interview with the lawyers about a client whose case may have implications for the entire foster care system in the state of Nebraska.

Castoffs Can Launch New Careers

Agasi concentrates her donation efforts post-party on battered women's shelters, who use the careerwear for women who have job interviews. Read more about what to do with clothing leftovers.

At my party, Leslie Christensen said she felt better about the fashion feast because she knew she was helping people less fortunate.

"I like the idea that the rest of the items go to a good cause," Christensen said.

At the end of the night, bag up the unwanted items. Donate what fits your organization's wish list, and keep the rest for a future swap or make a run to Goodwill.

The next day, plan the next swap!