One of the biggest issues I have with keeping my room clean was my overflowing closet. Even the walk-in closet at my house couldn't hold my clothes in an organized way. I simply had too many clothes that I didn't wear for many reasons. Whether my clothes didn't fit me right, or they were out of style now, or I didn't have the right occasion to wear them to, I just had too many clothes collecting dust in my closet.
Here are a few ideas that I have found that helped me to downsize my closet and what to do with your unused, unworn clothes. Instead of throwing away your old clothes, which adds to the amount of trash the fashion industry produces, a truckload every second, you can help save the planet by up-cycling your clothes a giving them a new purpose or home.
Sell your clothes
Selling your clothes is easier than you think. Whenever I sell clothes, I do it with the intention to reduce the amount of clothing in my closet, not to make a ton of extra cash. Giving my clothes a new home and letting someone who will wear them have them for a good price is important. I sell my clothes two different ways:
1. Plato's Closet
Plato's Closet is a secondhand store that purchases clothing from designer and trendy styles. Plato's Closet is an easy way to make a few bucks quickly by bringing in boxes of unworn clothes. I never expect to make a lot of money this way, but it is a way to get rid of clothing fast. I can drop off a few boxes of clothes and walk away with $40 that afternoon. If you want to know what types of clothing Plato's Closet is looking for, check out their website here.
2. Vinted
Vinted is a website that allows you to take pictures of your clothes and sell on their app. I have been using this app on and off for about four years and I have hundreds of dollars by giving my unworn or ill fitting clothing a new home. It's easy to snap a picture, write a description, package it up, and ship it to its new owner. Sometimes you have to wait awhile for the clothes to sell, but thankfully once it does, the rest is easy. You can find my closet and make your own account here. There are many other apps like this, so download a few and see what you can sell.
Donate
When the clothes that I have are not trendy enough to sell to Plato's Closet or takes too long to find a new home on Vinted, I simply take my clothes and donate them to a local Goodwill or secondhand store. Donating clothes is simple and easy. Although you aren't making money, you are getting rid of clutter and passing along items that someone will use. Not only can you donate clothes, but you can donate everything you need to get rid of in one place.
Hand them down
I use to get hand-me-downs from my older sister every year before school started. Unfortunately, I am the youngest in my family and there is no one for me to pass my clothing on to. Although, I do have cousins, friends, and kids that I babysit for that would love new clothing, free clothing. Although they may have to wait a few years to fit into some of the clothes, they have a good home when they are passed down.
Give it a new purpose
Turning a large shirt into a crop top for summer, or cutting a t-shirt into a head band is a great way to reuse the fabric of old clothes and give them new life. Adding embellishments, beads, or lace to a piece of clothing can turn it from basic to trendy in less than an hour. You can search for tutorials on how to do these, and more on Youtube and Pinterest. Most of the projects don't even require a sewing machine.
Instead of producing more trash or letting your closet overflow into your room, it's time to clean out your closet and give all of your unworn clothes a new, purposeful home.
