Photo: copyright Loanhood
What should I do with my old clothes?
Don't worry, we've got you covered.
A truck load of clothes gets sent to landfill every second.
And we’re only wearing an item on average 7 times before discarding it.
We know this doesn’t sound great, but what can we actually do with clothes we don’t wear anymore?
Of course, there’s always reselling with sites like Depop, Vinted and Ebay. And there’s always charity shop donations – but what about some other options too?
Here’s some of our top tips!
- Get Stitchy With It
Are you discarding an item because of a hole or a stain? Well, don’t discard it without trying to get creative with some cross-hatching stitches, embroidery or patches!
Simple stitches and patches can add a funky colourful twist to an item, not only saving it from waste but giving it a unique makeover!
Get some inspiration from Toast – with their creatively repaired pieces in their new Renewed collection.
- Send them to your bestie
Imagine it: Opening a box or package with a few items of preloved clothes from your best pal with a note inside telling you that they thought you might like to try them. Nothing more adorable than getting some new-to-you pieces from a loved one!
Get some inspiration from Venetia La Manna chatting about the romance of female friendship and clothes swapping.
- Or do a personalised online swap with Big Sister Swap
If you don’t quite have the pals to send you clothes, then why not try the next best thing: Big Sister Swap. Let someone else do all the hard work: simply send off your unwanted clothes and get a personal stylist to hand-select clothes just for you in your size and style. They’re like the big sisters you wish you had: providing a helping hand to access secondhand.
Head over to Big Sister Swap to see grab yourself a swap bundle!
- Get creative with some upcycling!
Keep an item by adjusting it to your size or style. Try adding in an elastic to create a cropped tee, or add in some darts to make items more tailored to your silhouette.
Check out this video from Rach Speed for some easy inspo!
- Get them altered to suit your style/ shape
If upcycling and sewing aren’t quite your skills, you can easily get someone else to alter an item for you to suit your size, shape or style.
Try out Sojo – the deliveroo of clothing alterations!
- Rent them out
If your clothes have a bit of value, and you’re not quite ready to get rid of it completely, rental is a great option to make money back off your item and make space in your wardrobe!
List your occasion dresses on an app like ByRotation or check out Loandhood for Gen-Z emerging designers and unique items.
Which option have you tried?