girls; swap etiquette.

my friends and i engage in clothes swapping like were ruffling through the sale rack in a vintage store on boxing day. except only replace sale rack with closet, vintage store with bedroom and boxing day with everyday. 

a one for all, free for all, whats yours is mine type attitude that extends a lended hand to any of our friends not quite "feeling" her own wardrobe in that moment. my question here then, is if you have so openly lended your better style vibes out for the eve, do you still take ownership on garment compliments made on your dress. what are the laws of a clothes swap and is there, dare i say, an unspoken social code that needs to be cleared up 're; borrowing' for once and for all. 

i have a few issues in these dealings, firstly we will discuss side a. the ownership.

side a. the ownership; i am more than guilty of claiming my dress, there go ears prick up, and then i pipe up annoyingly "she does look fabulous doesnt she, i lent her this.." look, i understand the general cancellation of any style praise that said friend once held, but well, dont i deserve some credit for first purchase and second eye to snap up said item? 

flip to side b. i am also more than guilty of borrowing items and probably committing every cardinal sin against the laws below. but here we face the basic need to feel gracious and own, metaphorically, what were wearing for the night. to feel fabulous in ones own skin, and have the smug confidence that you can surely pull off anything, even items that you do not own. 

therefore, i may add that you should be allowed to give up ownership of style, but only at your leisure. this generally happens if the 'complimentor' goes to such lengths as to want to find out where you purchased your garment. you may fold, or you may choose to answer with one of the following; item is a. thrifted, b. inherited or c. from overseas (some far away location, that they could possibly not source)

moreover, we shift to some more basic rules of clothes sharing; 

one must return item in same condition as borrowed

one must recognize that item is no more than a one week boomerang, however 

one must recognize that in lending an item that particular item becomes borrow-able at any time

one must also recognize that lending is a two way street
one must never lend a lent item and
one must never ever ask to borrow an new or unworn item

i am quite aware, that i may be in the proceeds of receiving a verbal bashing from more than one of my friends. but since i have now cleared up swap etiquette, i figure, nothing counts until now. 

one last thing, 

share as if it were never yours and on that basis never discourage ones friends from looking fabulous or more fabulous in your clothes than you. 

with a little material love, M