What to do with your old clothes?

Would you like to renew your wardrobe and sort through your old clothes?Donate or resell the clothes you no longer wear? 

I'll help you out. 

As a fashion enthusiast, it happens quite often that my dressing room does not really match my taste anymore and is loaded with clothes I no longer wear. In this situation, I don't throw away my clothes: I try togive them a second life, so that they can be worn by other people or recycled. 

Today, I'm sharing with you my secrets for sorting through your closet and finding a new use for your old clothes. 

If your old clothes are cluttering up your closets, it is essential to sort through them. To do this, take them out of your closet and set aside those that are damaged, no longer fit or no longer appeal to you. You have several options for these. You can try to customize them to give them a new lease on life. You can also give them to your relatives, friends and colleagues, or directly to an association such as Emmaüs or secours Populaire. There are also kiosks all over the country where you can drop them off. Finally, if you want to earn some money, you can organize a dressing room sale or resell them on the internet, via secure marketplaces, such as the Vinted application. 

Want to know more? Read on to find out:

  • How to sort through your wardrobe,
  • Tricks for reselling your clothes and saving some money,
  • How to sell your used clothes on the internet,
  • Other tips for recycling or giving new life to your clothes,
  • Tips for choosing clothes you'll keep for a long time

What are the signs that your clothes no longer fit? 

When looking for something to wear in your wardrobe, many times you will find that some clothes no longer fit. This is especially the case if a garment or accessory:

  • no longer fits you correctly : it tightens you or on the contrary, is too loose,
  • is torn or damaged and is difficult to repair,
  • is permanently stained, without the possibility of cleaning,
  • you seem completely outdated and no longer corresponds to your style,
  • is almost impossible to match with the rest of your clothes,
  • has not been worn for more than six months.

If some of your clothes meet one or more of these criteria, it's time to sort through your dressing room 😉

How do you sort? 

Would you like to do a little emptying to clear some space in your closets? I offer you a simple little method tochoose which clothes to keep and which to put away. This one is inspired by Marie Kondo's very famous method of tidying up, which has worked wonders for many people, but is adapted to clothes. 

🔸 As a first step, get all of your clothes out of your closet. If it's too much, you can take out all the clothes in one category (coats, pants, shoes...) and lay them out in front of you so that they are all visible. 

🔹 Then, start by eliminating the ones you absolutely want to get rid of, sorting them into three piles:

  • to donate,
  • to resell,
  • to recycle. 

Try to put clothes that are in better condition and trendy in "to resell," those that are still wearable in "to donate" and those that are too damaged in "to recycle." 

🔸 Then, put the ones you want to keep at all costs back in your closet, making sure each time to check if each garment is in good condition, still fits you, and can be matched with others to create at least three different outfits. 

🔹 Before you move on to sorting out the last few clothes, the ones you're hesitating on, look at how much room there is left in your closet. It's important to make sure that in the end, you keep some space available for new clothes and to be able to see clearly. Try to calculate how many clothes you could add to your closet from the ones you have left to sort. 

🔸 Finally, sort through the last few clothes you have doubts about. If you keep them, ask yourself: 

  • with what outfit are you going to wear them,
  • for what occasion,
  • and how often.

This should help you make up your mind 😉

👉 Especially when you're not necessarily used to sorting, it may takeseveral tries before you succeed in having an optimized closet. Don't hesitate to re-sort every month for a while, so that you can manage to really only keep clothes that fit you. 

5 tips to stop throwing clothes in the trash

Have you been sorting through clothes you no longer wear? Know that it's entirely possible to give them a second life, regardless of their condition. Throwing them in the trash is really not a suitable solution, as there are many simple options available that canhelp people in need, participate in the fight against waste or even make you some money

Make new clothes out of old, by customizing and accessorizing your wardrobe

There are many ways to give a piece of clothing you're not sure how or when to wear a new chance. Here are some ideas:

🔸 Sometimes you can give a dress 👗 or tunic a whole new look, just by wearing it with a belt. If you're interested, I'll see you right now on this blog post dedicated to this issue 😉

🔹 For a dress 🧥, it's possible to customize it by changing the buttons, for example, or adding a ribbon edging on top. 

🔸 Some shoes 👞 can get a new lease on life with new laces and a darker or lighter polish! 

🔹 A jean 👖 can gain a little originality with patches of various fabrics to glue on, which can be found at any haberdashery. Seventies effect guaranteed! 

Propose them to your loved ones, to make people happy! 

Before giving clothes or reselling them to strangers, you can already try to see around you if they would not like the people around you: colleagues, friends, family, neighbors ... This is especially practiced for children's clothes, which tend to grow up a little fast, but you can totally do it with your own clothes! 😉

Donate your clothes in a recycling kiosk, the citizen gesture

There are manyclothes recycling kiosks today, which are present in most cities and villages. Clothes put in these containers are sorted and then recycled or repurposed depending on their condition. To find the terminal nearest you, I refer you to this link. 

You can drop off your bags of clean clothes at these bins, or directly to local associations that fight poverty (Secours populaire, Secours Catholique, Emmaüs...). It's a simple way to do a good deed! 

Organize a garage sale

Do you have a lot of clothes to sell or donate? In that case, you can organize, on your own or with your friends, a dress sale, at your home. To do this, communicate around you on a date and time, at which informed people can come and make their choice among your clothes. The goal is to get rid of your clothes and give back: don't set prices too high! 

If you'd like, you can also sign up for attic sales in the summer, which can be the perfect opportunity to make some room in your home. 

Sell it on the internet

Finally, if you have clothes in good condition that you want to try to resell, you can also try to resell them on the internet. You can go through Le Bon Coin and Facebook Marketplace platforms, but I can only recommend the Vinted app, dedicated to fashion. This one allows you to simply resell and ship your clothes, by taking pictures of them and uploading them on the app. The payment is secure and you are covered by insurance, which is not negligible! 

How do you find clothes you can't get enough of? 

To finish this article, I'm sharing some tips from my experience and that of other fashion enthusiasts I know. You will discover how to better manage your clothing expenses and choose clothes that you will keep without getting bored for years! 

Choose the right size

When a piece of clothing is ill-fitting, too small or too big, it's quite rare that it will be worn many times. To avoid this, it is important toknow your measurements when shopping online and use the size guide. 

When you buy a garment, itshould not be too tight on you. Except for knitwear, it is actually quite rare for clothing to stretch. 

Know the cuts that make you look good

When shopping, don't hesitate to try on various cuts of clothing and note which ones make you look good. This can be, for example:

  • a off-shoulder top,
  • an asymmetrical top,
  • an oversized jacket with batwing sleeves,
  • a split midi skirt,
  • aparticular neckline shape: round neck, Tunisian, V or square...
  • certain colors that suit your complexion: warm colors, pastel tones...

Then it will be easier touse it as a basis for your purchases on the internet! 

Don't skip the basics

While we appreciate originality, a balanced wardrobe often includes a few basics that are easy to match with most of your clothes. They are suitable for many occasions, and can be worn for a long time, without tiring you. For a practical and versatile dressguard, I recommend these must-haves in particular: 

  • A sailor jacket,
  • A pencil skirt, a little dressy,
  • Many basic, plain t-shirts with a neckline that shows you off,
  • A lightweight, perfecto-type jacket, 
  • A blazer,
  • One or two jeans that are well tailored,
  • A light-colored shirt,
  • A little black dress,
  • A pair of tailored pants...
  • A pair ofwhite sneakers,
  • A pair of black or brown leather booties,
  • A pair of pumps or cute heeled sandals.

Find your clothing style

Finally, the best advice I can give you to finally find clothes you will wear for a long time is to get to know your taste and determine your clothing style. When you know how to choose clothes you like and that fit you, it's only natural that you'll enjoy dressing up and waste less money on clothes you won't wear. 

If you're looking for asimple and effective way to help you find your clothing style, feel free to check out our comprehensive guide on the subject.

I hope this article has helped you figure out what to do with your old clothes, whether it's customizing them, selling them, or donating them

If you are looking for original and timeless clothes, that you can keep for a long time, I suggest you take a look at our online bohemian fashion store. Our clothes are made for all women and will suit most styles: indeed, bohemian fashion draws its inspirations from most other major clothing trends and is very versatile 😉