How to Get Rid of Clothes
One of the best things you can do for yourself, especially at the start of a new year, is to purge your closet. I know it can be really tough, especially if clothes are sentimental to you. As you work through everything you own, you’ll probably discover items you forgot you even owned. It’s best to get rid of the clothes you’re not wearing that are weighing you down mentally and taking up precious limited closet space.
Getting rid of old clothes helps you make space for new things that will bring you joy. If you’re feeling overwhelmed about the prospect of getting rid of clothes and aren’t sure where to even start, this post is for you! Below, I rounded up 15 practical and eco-friendly ways to let go of your old clothes. I want you to think about your closet more pragmatically and streamline your closet to make sure you only keep what you really LOVE to wear.
READ NEXT: How to Put Together a Style Sudoku Capsule Wardrobe
How To Get Rid Of Clothes
I’m kind of a pack rat and hold onto a lot of things, but I like to think that I’m pretty good at cleaning out my closet and getting rid of clothes that no longer serve me! If you’re struggling to get rid of clothes, here are 15 ways to get you moving towards your goal of a leaner, more intentional closet.
Turn your hangers backwards so you can actually see what clothes you’re wearing
I turned all of my hangers around at the beginning of 2023, and it is EYE OPENING to see what I’ve still yet to wear a year later. (I did the same thing with Korri’s closet years ago and there are still things he hasn’t worn… He has a harder time getting rid of clothes than I do, though.) If you need a visual of how much and what you’re wearing, I definitely recommend the hanger trick. After a set period of time, get rid of the items you haven’t worn.
If you keep trying to style a specific item and not wearing it, set it aside
If you love an item and keep putting it on only to swap it for another item because something isn’t quite right, set it aside (clear a space on your closet rack or make a small pile out of the way). There’s a reason why you keep taking it off and reaching for something else in its place. If it’s still set aside after a set period of time, it’s probably time to pass it on.
Take this step to the next level by making a note of WHY you’re taking it off every time—is the fit not quite right? Is the color not working for you? Is there some feature that you don’t like once it’s on your body (body length, sleeve length, etc.)? Can it be fixed by a tailor? If not, this item probably needs to go.
Track what you’re wearing every day
I love and use the Stylebook Closet App to track what I wear every day (I’ve been tracking for nearly 10 years!). It’s a daunting task to input your entire closet, so if you haven’t used an app before I recommend adding items as you wear them (and adding items in batches as you’re able).
If you input how much you paid, the app will calculate cost per wear. And you’ll really know how much you’re wearing everything in your closet! Once you’ve been tracking your outfits for a while, filter the “not logged on calendar” stat by items you haven’t worn in the past year to figure out what you can let go.
If you don’t want to use an app, you can also track what you wear every day manually in an Excel spreadsheet or Google sheet.
Pull all your clothes out and try each item on one by one
You can follow the KonMari method and pull all of your clothes out from everywhere all over your house and make a giant pile and go through it all… OR you can pull items out by category (tees, sweaters, jeans, sandals, etc.) and go through them more slowly. Follow the next three steps below as you try each clothing item on one by one.
Set aside any clothes that don’t fit your body right now
As you try your clothes on, set aside any that don’t fit you where you at right now. It could be because they’re too tight or too big, or it could be that the shoulders don’t hit right, or it’s too boxy, or there’s just something off fit-wise. You’re probably not wearing these items right now anyway.
Set aside any clothes that aren’t your style anymore
As you pull your clothes out, set aside any that you know immediately aren’t your style anymore. If you try them on and they still don’t feel quite right, set those aside, too. (Take it to the next level and make a note as to WHY they don’t feel quite right.) It’s okay (and totally normal) for your taste to change over time!
Set aside clothes that don’t fit your current lifestyle
If you’re trying on items you still enjoy but maybe don’t wear that often, seriously ask yourself if the item fits your current lifestyle. Do you keep buying sweaters but aren’t wearing them all that often because you live in a place that doesn’t get a real winter? Are you making the switch to in-office work after years of working from home (or vice versa)? Do you own too many formal dresses? Set aside these items that don’t fit your current lifestyle.
Fill your closet by putting back clothes you love first and discard what doesn’t fit
Think of your closet as a container. (I learned this from reading Decluttering at the Speed of Life!) Put back all the items you love and wear often first. Then, fill it with items you like and enjoy wearing but maybe wear less frequently. Top it off with seasonal favorites you don’t wear as often. Once your closet is full, that’s it! That’s all that fits in your container. The rest needs to go. I highly recommend completing a closet inventory as you refill your closet so you know exactly what you own.
Host a clothing swap with friends
Once you have a pile of clothes you’re ready to part with, the easiest way to get rid of them is by hosting a clothing swap with friends! I attended a couple of these when I was in grad school and it was super fun. Everyone goes home with something new-to-them, and you can designate someone to drop off donations afterward if not everything is claimed.
Donate torn or stained clothes to H&M or For Days
If you have clothes that are beyond repair or that can’t be donated (especially fast fashion), collect them and donate them to clothing recycling. I’ve donated bags of these types of textiles to H&M’s garment recycling program. I’ve also donated old underwear to Subset (they also take bras, socks, tights, and men’s and kid’s undies) for responsible recycling and reuse.
I recently ordered a Take Back Bag from For Days after seeing the ads all over the place these past couple of months. The bag costs $20 (plus $3 shipping, or get free shipping if you buy the pack of 3 bags) and you get $20 to spend on their website. (They’re offering $50 if you receive and register your bags by January 31, 2024!)
What sold me on the Take Back Bag was that they take ANY textile in ANY condition: clothes, socks, undies, sheets, towels, handbags, shoes, etc. The bags fit up to 15 lbs. I’m excited to try it out!
Give away clothes in a “Buy Nothing” Facebook group
You might have seen the hype about “Buy Nothing” groups on social media. They’re neighborhood-specific groups, typically on Facebook, where neighbors give away items they don’t need and request items they do need. I personally love mine for giving things away. I’ve diverted so many things from the landfill thanks to that group and have a pile of clothes I’m going to give away soon. I love it because you know your old clothes will get used!
(Note that the real Buy Nothing had issues with the Facebook groups for reasons I don’t fully understand, so they might not all be using the Buy Nothing name anymore for fear of getting in trouble. Ask around if you’re having trouble finding your group.)
Donate clothes to thrift stores or to organizations helping people in need
Of course, you can always donate clothes to thrift stores. I recommend selecting a local thrift store if possible (here in Boise, I recommend Idaho Youth Ranch or Dick Eardley Senior Center), but Goodwill, Savers, and Salvation Army are good in a pinch.
Another great option is to donate your useable clothes directly to organizations that help people in need, such as homeless shelters, women’s groups, Dress for Success (businesswear for women), support for refugees, etc.
Sell clothes to local consignment shops or in a thrift store like Indy Clover
If you want to try to recoup a little bit of money on the clothes you’re getting rid of, sell your clothes to consignment shops (local is best, but Plato’s Closet and Uptown Cheapskate are good options). These stores are often really picky about what they buy and there doesn’t appear to be a rhyme or reason as to why they pick some items over others.
A great alternative to typical consignment shops is a thrift store like Indy Clover. You rent a booth for a week, set your prices, and people shop your booth. You take home 2/3 of the sale price! It’s a pretty cool concept. Read my tips for selling at Indy Clover. There are stores in Utah and Idaho, and they are slowly expanding into other states.
Sell clothes on retailers’ own secondhand marketplaces
A somewhat new trend I’ve noticed is retailers offering their own secondhand marketplaces. I’ve sold things on ReAmour, Amour Vert’s secondhand shop. It works a lot like Poshmark in that you take photos, describe the item, set a price, and receive a shipping label and 80% of the earnings in money (or 100% in store credit).
Another example is J.Crew, which offers a secondhand shop in partnership with ThredUp. You can earn J.Crew credit for sending in women’s and kids’ items from any brand to ThredUp. Madewell has a similar secondhand shop. I’ve never personally sent clothes to ThredUp but I’ve heard they can be just as picky as local consignment shops and often offer low payouts.
If you need new jeans and love Madewell, I do recommend donating your old denim to Madewell, especially if they offer $50 off a full-price pair per pair donated like they did in August last year! (They normally offer $20 off a new, full-price pair. Donate jeans you wouldn’t be able to get $20 for!)
Sell clothes on Poshmark or eBay
If you have the time and patience to sell your clothes yourself, try listing them on Poshmark or eBay.
I used to resell my pre-loved clothes on eBay, which is fine and some people have a lot of success on there. I moved over to Poshmark almost nine years ago and it’s worked out well for me so far. Poshmark is a little less “set it and forget it” than eBay, but on the flip side you don’t have to weigh packages to determine shipping costs ha. There are pros and cons to each!
Here are a couple of blog posts I wrote featuring my tips for selling on Poshmark (check the comments too!):
Other websites you can sell your gently-used clothes include Mercari, Depop, Facebook Marketplace, and Nextdoor. I don’t have experience with those but I know other people have had success selling their clothes on those sites.