Fashion Journal: What To Do With Unwanted Clothes
by
JiaWenChan
- Monday, December 26, 2016
Here's the season to be jolly and also to declutter to make more space for new clothes in the event of Chinese New Year which is right around the corner 😏😏
Some, if not all of us are guilty of buying wayyyy to much clothes until their closets can't cater anymore. Yup, I am definitely guilty. I tend to automatically log on to Taobao, Zalora and all those online shopping platforms whenever I'm free and end up buying much more clothes than I need.
Nevertheless, let's be real. Do I really NEED that many clothes? How many of them would I wear anyways? and If it were to be on the racks of a boutique, will I still buy it? The answer would be no to some but what do I do with it? Some I've outgrown, some are worn out and some have never even seen the light! Below are some typical (probably no-brainer) ways I've put together to get rid of unwanted clothes:-
Put it up for sale
This is what I do to most of my clothes because they are still new and it'd be much of a waste to just get rid of it like that. I mean why get rid of it for free when you could earn side income from it? As a college student who is constantly broke, I find for alternative to earn side incomes and this is one of them.
There are many free online platform to sell pre-loved items. Such as Carousell, Mudah.my, Lelong.com and there are even Facebook pages for pre-loved clothes. They are all really easy to use and you don't need any capital to start. All you need is an account and you're good to go.
However, using platforms really isn't the best way to get your clothes out there or to attract people's attention to view your stuff. Unless you're famous or an influencer then it's all a different story. A better alternative is to rent a booth at a weekend bazaar or flea market.
The cost of capital may be slightly higher and it's risky if you're only selling your clothes for about RM 10 or RM15 each. Therefore, I would recommend you to gather a few friends to rent one booth and then split the costs.
Bring it to H&M
H&M has this long term campaign where they would give you discount vouchers in exchange for 5 pieces of your unwanted clothings. (You need to separate them into bags of 5 because they count your bags)
Basically, this is to "close the loop". H&M are turning unwanted garments into brand new clothing in order to save resources. I'm not a hardcore sustainability person but it's kind of good to be able to sustain Earth alongside enjoying all the benefits, right? And for this, I really respect H&M. It is a really good deal because you could use those vouchers to invest in basics from H&M. (I love a good bargain but there are some things where you just have to splurge) They've got pretty good quality jeans, heels, button ups, hoodies and bags.
Hand-me-downs
If you've got younger siblings, cousins or friends who can fit into your clothes you can opt to pass it to them- if they don't mind, that is. This is a practice that I practice often between my best friend and myself as well as my older cousins.
Sometimes it is hard to get people to buy my pre-loved clothes. Therefore I would usually just pack it all and give it to my relative or whoever that I see fit. You've got to be careful and ask around though. Some people don't mind taking pre-loved clothes and some don't like to do so because it may be unhygienic for some reasons. (Obviously I don't recommend lingerie and undergarments!)
Revamp!
This method might not be for those who wants to clear closet space but for friends who are bored of their clothes, you can try revamping them into articles which are trendy and cute. Usually, revamp tutorials and projects are pretty simple and you can get a whole new blouse with just a few snips- you don't even need the needle and thread!
However, if you're feeling totally crafty you can always go for projects which are more challenging which includes transforming your current pieces into entirely new articles of clothing.
There are a whole list of videos on Youtube that teaches you how to bring some life to your old jeans by turning it into a pair ripped jeans or cutting up your tees to make it "Tumblr"
Swap
This is also not a method recommended to those who mainly wants to clear wardrobe space. Carousell also offers this swapping facility. I couldn't remember if it is one of their official features or if it's just a habit that Carousell users have developed. Swapping enables you to get new pieces without costing you any money. Probably the only cost is where you have to ship it out but hey, if you really like the other party's item then what would that few dollar mean right?
Donate
"Give it to the less fortunate, they need it more than you do." This is what our parents and grandparents always say. It is true that while we are buying new things every other month, they don't even have new shoes to wear. This is where the saying comes in, one man's trash is another man's treasure. I mean it in a good way. Of course don't donate your worn-out clothes here- those could go to H&M. Clothes which are still in decent quality and can be worn for a long time more can go to charity.
Moreover, you're doing a good deed while clearing your wardrobe space. It's literally a win-win situation. You put a smile on their face as well as your own.
That'll be all for now because these are the typical ways on how I get rid of unwanted clothes. However, here's a tip for decluttering- Don't think too much. If you really like it keep it. If you don't there's no point keeping it stashed at the back of your wardrobe because you won't fall in love with it again, you'll only forget about it.
Till I blog again,
Love, JiaWen x
Some, if not all of us are guilty of buying wayyyy to much clothes until their closets can't cater anymore. Yup, I am definitely guilty. I tend to automatically log on to Taobao, Zalora and all those online shopping platforms whenever I'm free and end up buying much more clothes than I need.
Nevertheless, let's be real. Do I really NEED that many clothes? How many of them would I wear anyways? and If it were to be on the racks of a boutique, will I still buy it? The answer would be no to some but what do I do with it? Some I've outgrown, some are worn out and some have never even seen the light! Below are some typical (probably no-brainer) ways I've put together to get rid of unwanted clothes:-
Put it up for sale
This is what I do to most of my clothes because they are still new and it'd be much of a waste to just get rid of it like that. I mean why get rid of it for free when you could earn side income from it? As a college student who is constantly broke, I find for alternative to earn side incomes and this is one of them.
There are many free online platform to sell pre-loved items. Such as Carousell, Mudah.my, Lelong.com and there are even Facebook pages for pre-loved clothes. They are all really easy to use and you don't need any capital to start. All you need is an account and you're good to go.
However, using platforms really isn't the best way to get your clothes out there or to attract people's attention to view your stuff. Unless you're famous or an influencer then it's all a different story. A better alternative is to rent a booth at a weekend bazaar or flea market.
The cost of capital may be slightly higher and it's risky if you're only selling your clothes for about RM 10 or RM15 each. Therefore, I would recommend you to gather a few friends to rent one booth and then split the costs.
Bring it to H&M
H&M has this long term campaign where they would give you discount vouchers in exchange for 5 pieces of your unwanted clothings. (You need to separate them into bags of 5 because they count your bags)
Basically, this is to "close the loop". H&M are turning unwanted garments into brand new clothing in order to save resources. I'm not a hardcore sustainability person but it's kind of good to be able to sustain Earth alongside enjoying all the benefits, right? And for this, I really respect H&M. It is a really good deal because you could use those vouchers to invest in basics from H&M. (I love a good bargain but there are some things where you just have to splurge) They've got pretty good quality jeans, heels, button ups, hoodies and bags.
Hand-me-downs
If you've got younger siblings, cousins or friends who can fit into your clothes you can opt to pass it to them- if they don't mind, that is. This is a practice that I practice often between my best friend and myself as well as my older cousins.
Sometimes it is hard to get people to buy my pre-loved clothes. Therefore I would usually just pack it all and give it to my relative or whoever that I see fit. You've got to be careful and ask around though. Some people don't mind taking pre-loved clothes and some don't like to do so because it may be unhygienic for some reasons. (Obviously I don't recommend lingerie and undergarments!)
Revamp!
This method might not be for those who wants to clear closet space but for friends who are bored of their clothes, you can try revamping them into articles which are trendy and cute. Usually, revamp tutorials and projects are pretty simple and you can get a whole new blouse with just a few snips- you don't even need the needle and thread!
However, if you're feeling totally crafty you can always go for projects which are more challenging which includes transforming your current pieces into entirely new articles of clothing.
There are a whole list of videos on Youtube that teaches you how to bring some life to your old jeans by turning it into a pair ripped jeans or cutting up your tees to make it "Tumblr"
Swap
This is also not a method recommended to those who mainly wants to clear wardrobe space. Carousell also offers this swapping facility. I couldn't remember if it is one of their official features or if it's just a habit that Carousell users have developed. Swapping enables you to get new pieces without costing you any money. Probably the only cost is where you have to ship it out but hey, if you really like the other party's item then what would that few dollar mean right?
Donate
"Give it to the less fortunate, they need it more than you do." This is what our parents and grandparents always say. It is true that while we are buying new things every other month, they don't even have new shoes to wear. This is where the saying comes in, one man's trash is another man's treasure. I mean it in a good way. Of course don't donate your worn-out clothes here- those could go to H&M. Clothes which are still in decent quality and can be worn for a long time more can go to charity.
Moreover, you're doing a good deed while clearing your wardrobe space. It's literally a win-win situation. You put a smile on their face as well as your own.
That'll be all for now because these are the typical ways on how I get rid of unwanted clothes. However, here's a tip for decluttering- Don't think too much. If you really like it keep it. If you don't there's no point keeping it stashed at the back of your wardrobe because you won't fall in love with it again, you'll only forget about it.
Till I blog again,
Love, JiaWen x
