Most of us have plenty of items in our closets but we sometimes need a reminder of what we own.
Go through your clothes and pull out what you rarely or never wear. Put them into 3 piles:
- Donate – for items in good condition that you don’t think you’ll wear again. You could give these clothes to a friend, take them to a clothes swap, sell them online or donate them to a charity shop.
- Fix - if your items need mending, put them in this pile to repair yourself or take to a tailor or alterations shop.
- Change - if there is something about the item that you could change to make it wearable again, put it in this pile. Think about colour changes or upcycling options.
Once you’ve changed, fixed or donated items, add them back into your wardrobe. You’ll have more items to choose from and see how easy it is to use what you own instead of buying new.
Watch the rest of our Sustainable clothing series. Learn about fabric care and choice 101 and tips for upcycling old clothes.
Learn more about our free clothes swaps. Swapping is a clever and thrifty way to update your wardrobe, save money and help fight textile waste.
Published 9 August 2022, updated 18 April 2024
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