Fashion, like most foods, has a shelf life of around three months. After that, unfortunately, it often ends up in the bin (or the back of your closet, which can even up looking like a bin). But, did you know there are quite a few other ways to dispose of your unwanted, unfashionable, and unloved clothes? Here are just a few examples.
- Host a clothes swap Clean out your closets, putting aside the wearable bits and pieces that you no longer wear (make sure they’re clean) and begin the swap! This is a fun event that will bring friends together for a catch-up and some good old gossiping.
- Donate your clothes Clean out your closet and pick out those things that are still wearable, clean and don’t have holes, fold them up neatly and take them down to your local op shop. Or, alternatively, you can place them in the local Red Cross bins.The two above options all give people the opportunity to fall in love with clothes all over again, because, like they say, one person’s trash is another person’s treasure.
Here are another two options where the clothes do not stay intact.
- Cut up your old clothes and create new ones Use your creative flare and start designing! Take a look at those clothes you don’t want any more and try to figure out a way to combine bits and pieces from these old clothes to create brand new and super-fashionable ones! Cut off jeans into trendy jean shorts with roll-ups. Cut the sleeves from tees to make singlets. Turn a worn jacket into a vest by snipping off the sleeves.
- Make some cleaning rags If your clothes have really and truly passed their use-by date, then there is only one thing left to do with them and no, it’s not to throw them away! Cut up your clothes and use them as cleaning rags! Yes, I know this may hurt, but if you’re not planning on wearing them any more and you don’t think anyone else will either, why not reuse them in a most useful way. (If you’re particularly creative, you could make lemon-scented rags by shoving some rags in a jar with a freshly cut lemon and letting the jar sit for a couple of days before using the rags.)
So, there you go. Four easy ways to reuse and recycle your out-of-fashion clothes while doing something good, whether this turns out to be hanging out with friends, helping those in need, using your creative flair or cleaning the house! Who would have thought unfashionable clothes could go that far?!
