Have you ever sat down intending to select clothes for donation but simply put them back because you couldn’t figure out which ones to take out?
Happens to even the best of us! If there was just a secret formula that could tell if it is time to donate your clothing! Well, there is. You can look for several factors that can alert you when it is time to recycle, donate or sell certain pieces of clothing.
Knock Knock – It’s Time To Donate Your Clothing
- It should fit well.
- You should be wearing it regularly.
- It goes with your lifestyle.
Anything that fits the above-mentioned criteria has scored itself a spot in the wardrobe but the rest of the items you should get rid of. Grown Out Of Size
The easiest way to decide whether you should or shouldn’t give away old clothing is to see if it fits you anymore. Anything that does not fit will practically be of no use to you no matter how “expensive” or ‘high quality” it is.
The same can not be said about stuff that you are personally attached to. For example, I never felt like giving away my school uniform or the ballet shoes my father gifted me when I was 10. It’s okay to keep items of this sort. You can think of a way to repurpose them by stitching a purse or a pillow so you can use them daily.
As for the rest of the clothes that don’t fit anymore, select the ones you are comfortable giving away.
Most organizations accept donations at any time but it would be ideal to provide clothing at the start of the season so the people who get them can make use of them.
Changes In Personal Style
Clothing trends always come and go. Where some of the older pieces of clothing in your closet seem a good fit given the new fashion lines, others simply don’t match your taste anymore.
Even when the personal style has evolved, many people feel like holding onto old shirts, scarves, etc as vintage reminders of something that holds sentimental value to them. Does that make sense?
Absolutely! But, you need to reassess your wardrobe if you think that all of the hundreds of clothes you are keeping are necessary or “timeless investments” too important to throw away.
You can clear the clutter in the closet by carefully scrutinizing the items you want to keep and donating the rest. If you are having trouble differentiating, try putting all of these in a bag and storing them away.
Keep the clothes that you think of from time to time or wear occasionally and give away the ones that don’t cross your mind.
Moving To a New City
Changing cities can bring a huge transition in your lifestyle and if you are moving miles away to a state that has completely different wardrobe requirements than the one you are currently in, a huge transition in clothing collection becomes a necessity too.
This is a perfect opportunity to consider giving away clothes that you won’t be needing anymore. When moving from a colder region to a place with friendly weather, thick winter jackets and long boots will just cover too much space in the luggage when they are practical and of no use.
Changing Jobs
The environment at the workplace often determines what you will be comfortable wearing to the office. Corporate life asks for suiting that is more formal whereas working in an agency or at a place with a more creative environment, you will be dressing up casually most days.
We are sure you would look into style blogs to determine what to wear to the new job. In case you are left with items of clothing that simply don’t fit the work atmosphere anymore, you can consider them for donation.
Not Wearing Over a Year
- Give away clothes that you don’t wear for a year if you live in a four-season climate.
- Donate clothing that you don’t wear for up to 6 months if you are residing in a region that has a one-season or two-season climate.
Sometimes we stop wearing clothing even though there is nothing wrong with them. Easily put, some items just get over-shadowed when you have shopped for new pieces so you stack one over the other until complete chaos occurs in the closet.
So we recommend using a type of “expiration date” rule to determine when it is time to donate your clothing.
Since the garment is usable, has no stains, and is of good quality as well, it will serve someone else a better purpose who does not have a lot of options to choose from like you do.
Does Not Feel Comfortable
You can’t torture yourself in the name of fashion right? So, if something is not comfortable, no matter how trendy it is, you should let it go.
This applies to those long boots you have been wearing even when they itch a lot, and the fancy fabric you don’t throw away although it pretty much eats your skin in ever