After decluttering your winter wardrobe, resist the urge to bin unwanted clothes. From setting up your own online pre-loved shop to hosting swap parties with friends, there are plenty of sustainable ways to give your garments a second life while helping your wallet and the planet.
What not to do
Once you’ve detoxed your winter wardrobe, you may feel a strong urge to purge the clothes you no longer want – it may even be tempting to just throw them in the bin. Apart from being wasteful and potentially denying someone who could benefit from your pre-loved clothes, it may also harm the environment. Discarded clothing contributes to microplastics in the environment as well as taking up landfill space. So, what should you do instead?
Set up your own pre-loved online shop
Instagram and Yaga have made it so much easier for anyone to sell pre-loved clothes online to make extra cash. It’s as easy as creating a profile, uploading images of your clothes, and filling in your prices. Of course, there are ways to make it more likely your items will sell:
- Take attractive photos with good lighting and take multiple photos to show the item from all angles.
- Advertise your Yaga store on Instagram (and vice versa) and your other social media accounts.
- Price competitively. Look at how successful other thrift shops price their items.
@namolinah Did you know that you can sell your new and used items that you already have in your home using the @YAGA app? I have made thousands using this app and it’s a safe way to make some money from the items that are simply taking up space, that could be used by someone else. I hope my 5 tips have helped you and if you have a Yaga store, please share it in the comment section ✨ #yagasouthafrica #southafrica #makemoneyonlinefromhome #extraincome #namolinah Abaya from @Urgarment Abaya Collection ♬ original sound – Namolinah
Host a swap party
If you have a few bags of clothes you need to get rid of at the end of winter, chances are, your friends do, too. Why not host a swap party and invite your friends (and friends of friends) to bring their clothes. One person’s discard is another person’s must-have – it’s win-win.
@your.partybffs I feel this is the most fun we’ve had in weeks LOL get your friends to clean out their closets/bookshelves/homes, then come together and host a STORE!! Aka a clothes swap! All the things that don’t get taken get donated! Such a fun way to give a second life to your favorite things #clothesswap #store #donations #secondhand #secondhandfashion #earthday #lowbuyyear #girlies #friendtime #hosting #partyplanning @Misha Subhani @Simone Siew @Balloonbreath @maia ♬ original sound – 𝓶𝓪𝓷𝓷𝔂 😻
Donate to charity
Of course, if you want to do a good deed, donating your old clothing – especially clothing that is still in good condition – will help your favourite charity to raise much-needed funds or clothe someone in need. Start by contacting your local church, orphanage, outreach NGO, homeless or animal shelter.
Here are a few more suggestions:
@zandi.durr The clothes I ended up donating were the ones I never reach for but keep anyway🤭. No outfits are being made with them. I donated to our church’s donation box, but here are a few places you can donate throughout South Africa: 1. Your local church, mosque, or religious centre 2. The Clothing Bank 3. Hospice Shops 4. Salvation Army 5. Gift of the Givers Also, just for fun, let me know which outfit was your favourite in the comments. A = Old Money Edge B = Classic Old Money C = Cherry Coded …Or give me styling tips if you’ve got better ideas. 🌸 Happy donating, friends 🫶🏻 #safashion #donateclothes #southafricacreator #declutter ♬ original sound – Zandi | TRAVEL 🇿🇦
Lastly…
If your item of clothing is so damaged that no one else would be able to wear it, consider submitting it to your local textile recycling centre or visit www.we-collect.co.za.
Words: Robyn MacLarty
Photography:
Also read: 5 Tips for an end-of-winter wardrobe detox