Her Campus Logo Her Campus Logo

It must be a girl thing. We seem to never want to throw out anything. Even though we will never have a prayer to fit into those 00 jeans again, we keep them. For inspiration for weight loss? For a glimpse of how hot we were before puberty? Who knows. It’s time to do some spring, er, summer cleaning, and transform your closet from one overflowing with clothes that don’t fit or were cute a few years ago to one that is full of clothes that are cute NOW and get enough wear to justify keeping. 

 

1. Sell them

Take your unwanted clothes to a thrift shop and sell ‘em. Before you head off, sort your clothes by season and style. Of course, check for stains or rips on your clothing, as those items won’t sell. Make sure your clothes are interview ready: cleaned, ironed and sharp.  Shop around and see which shops will give you the best rates (not all thrift stores are created equal). 

If you’re feeling ambitious and have a lot of unwanted clothes, yard sales are always an option. Advertise, sort your clothes by price, and wait for the money to flow in. Generally the rule of thumb is to price items around 25% of their original value, but go with your gut; you can always bargain later. 

One last option is eBay! If you’re Internet savvy and not looking to spend an entire day selling things outside in the heat, this might be a nice option. This way a huge consumer base can browse your clothes. Unlike a yard sale, however, you will have to pay a fee for each item you list and sell. 

2. Donate them 

Why not do some good with clothes you’ll never wear again? There are tons of organizations that accept lightly used articles of clothing. Find a Goodwill or a Salvation Army in your area and donate your clothes to people who need them. 

For items like suits or prom dresses there are excellent charity options. Dress For Success helps underprivileged women find jobs. The organization preps the women for interviews and provides them with a suit to wear to it! That’s where you come in, if you’ve outgrown any blouses, blazers or even professional shoes, visit and help a struggling woman get a job. 

DonateMyDress.org and Becca’s Closet will take your prom dresses, or dresses from any special occasion, and distribute them to women who can’t afford to buy them.  Don’t leave those formal dresses sitting in your closet, hidden from the outside world. Give them to women who will wear and treasure them. 

[pagebreak]
3. Make the Old New

If your clothes are looking tired or outdated, whip out your sewing machine and make a few adjustments to them. Melanie Yates writes a blog called “She’s In Love With The Captain” and is always transforming and tweaking her clothes. She has several suggestions for updating your clothes:

  • Replace the buttons on an old cardigan or coat. Pick up new fun buttons at the fabric store to update the look. 
  • Switch up the hem: If a skirt is too long and bulky, shorten it! 
  • Turn those retro flare jeans into skinny jeans.  Melanie walks us through the process: “Turn your jeans inside out and pin the edges of your jeans together, about up to your knee, but still leaving room to bend your knees. Then sew along where you placed the pins. Turn the jeans right side out and try them on. (They will be a little snug because of the excess fabric, but try to overlook that.) If they are too big/small, you can still take out the stitches and adjust the size of the leg hole. If they fit, you can snip off the excess fabric and wear them!”

Check out her blog for more ideas! 

4. Get That T-Shirt Pile Under Control

You probably have way more t-shirts than you’ll ever wear. You don’t need that many for working out or sleeping, and you certainly don’t need to hang on to those oversized t-shirts from your camp days, or every single sorority t-shirt that’s been passed down from your Big Sister. 

If you’re not ready to start using them as rags, t-shirts can still undergo serious transformations. HC Style Editor Elyssa Goodman transformed an old ugly T-shirt into a new tote bag!  Here’s how it’s done:

  • Cut out the sleeves of the T-Shirt.
  • Trace a large round object (like a plate) past the original neckline.
  • Cut your line
  • Turn the shirt inside out and sew the bottom of it shut.
  • turn it right side out, and voila!

Or cut your t-shirt into strips that are ½ and inch or so thick. Then tie the shreds of shirts together and make throws for your couch, or pillowcases.

5. Swap Your Clothes with Friends

Your friends are constantly shopping in and perusing your closet anyway. Why not make it official? Sort out the clothes that you don’t want anymore (be ruthless!) and have your friends do the same. Then go shopping.  By swapping clothes with your friends, items that no longer fit you will find a new home in a closet not too far away.  Any items your friends don’t want, you can donate or sell. 

Sources:

Melanie Yates, Style Blogger (http://shesinlovewiththecaptain.blogspot.com/)

Elyssa Goodman, HC Style Editor

http://www.instructables.com/id/FASTEST-RECYCLED-T-SHIRT-TOTE-BAG/

http://www.instructables.com/image/F66X3KKFUPUP10F/FASTEST-RECYCLED-T-SHIRT-TOTE-BAG.jpg

Her Campus Placeholder Avatar
Julianne Grauel is a sophomore Professional Writing major at Carnegie Mellon University and is originally from the California Bay Area. At Carnegie Mellon she is a peer tutor for writing and an active sister in her sorority, Kappa Alpha Theta. This past summer, she interned at Gentry Magazine and hopes to work for a magazine after college. Julianne loves football, sushi, sunshine, and dance parties. She probably consumes far too much Red Mango froyo and can’t get enough of Project Runway. In her free time she likes to travel, watch sports center, take spinning classes and, most of all, shop.