Clearing Your Winter Wardrobe? Here’s What to Do Afterwards
The beginning of a new season is an excellent time to go through your wardrobe and get rid of anything specific to the last one that you didn’t wear while this is still fresh in mind. Even though you’re careful to buy intentionally and try only to get the things you need, there will nearly always be things you didn’t wear, often for a good reason — maybe you find it uncomfortable, it doesn’t fit, it’s damaged or worn out, or it no longer reflects who you are now.
Whatever the reason, it makes sense not to leave these items to just take up precious space. But sometimes I think we hang on to things because we’re not quite sure what else to do with them, or hate the idea of them becoming waste. We certainly don’t want them to go into landfill. Since I recently gave away every single jumper that had stayed in my cupboard all winter, I feel like I can write about this topic with confidence, so here are some ideas for reusing and repurposing old clothes:
Sell Them
If any of the clothes you’re getting rid of are especially good quality or by a sought after label, consider listing them on something like Vinted or eBay. You may well get more for them than you expect, but even if you don’t, this means someone else can enjoy an item you’re no longer getting use out of; perhaps someone who wouldn’t be able to afford it new.
If you’re unsure whether it’s worth the time and effort to list your items, check what other similar items or those with the same label are selling for to help you decide.
Start a Swap Chat
Why not start a group chat with a few friends where you can all share anything you no longer want or need? This can be especially helpful if there’s a certain amount of sentiment you attach to an item, as picturing it being enjoyed by a trusted friend can be easier than the thought of never seeing it again.
Sometimes it’s also possible to put a call out in a swap group for something you can borrow for a special occasion or fancy dress party, meaning you don’t have to buy something that you’ll be unlikely to wear again.
Donate Them
What charity shops or thrift stores do you have near you? Check whether they’re currently accepting donations and take a bag or two of nice things along. Sometimes charity shops will even put a call out for specific items they need.
Donating is a great way to give your unwanted clothes a new lease of life and help a charity raise money for their cause.
Make Them into Something Else
Some items are especially hard to part with because they have sentimental value, others might be unsuitable for selling or giving away because they’re damaged. Is there a way you could reuse them around the home? (The answer is almost certainly yes.)
In the past I have made chunky knitted cushion covers by sewing together some old jumpers, or how about cutting out squares for a patchwork blanket? Old dresses and shirts can be made into bunting and gift wrap for your next party, and jeans can be made into bags by cutting straight across one leg to make a tube, then sewing up one end. You can also cut patches out of old jeans and other thick materials to use on future holes in clothing!
Use Them as Rags
When I say rags, perhaps cleaning cloths are the first things that come to mind, and that is a definite use for old T-shirts and the like that aren’t suitable for reuse. Having a few of these in a drawer can be great, particularly if you do crafting or painting, or have items at home that need staining, waxing or varnishing. But that’s not the only way to use rags! You could use them stuff a cushion or draught excluder, or how about trying your hand at making a Victorian-style rag rug?
Find a Clothes Recycling Bank
Recycling old clothes is way better than simply throwing them away, but we still want to use this at the very end of an item’s life if possible, rather than as a first thought. This is because reusing clothes usually uses less resources than recycling them does. However, you shouldn’t feel guilty about taking clothes to a recycling point if they can’t be sold, given away or repurposed.
You can also check the individual recycling points near you to see what happens to the items you add — some do specify that wearable items will be donated rather than recycled, which is useful to know.
With any items you no longer want or need, whether clothes or something else, asking yourself whether you can sell, give, donate, repurpose or recycle it is a helpful way to make sure it doesn’t just stay in the background of the cupboard. This can also change as you go — if an item doesn’t sell, try offering it to friends, and then if there’s still no takers you can donate it. Or you might repurpose something in order to give it away.
Whatever you end up doing, rather than picturing yourself going without the item in question, picture someone else enjoying it. There are uses for our old clothes beyond taking up space in the wardrobe that we don’t have.
