We wear 20% of our wardrobe, 80% of the time. This means we reach for the same 1-2 pairs of black pants, our favorite pair of jeans, or our go-to blazer or sport coat while the other items just sit there.
The first step towards being your most stylish self is being able to see and KNOW what you have in your wardrobe. It's time to get rid of that 80%, but what do you do with it?
While it's tempting to just throw everything away, there are many items that can be recycled and put to good use.
Shoes
Shoes are tricky because they take FOREVER to decompose. Thankfully, Nike has a recycling program that allows you to bring up to 10 gym shoes (of any brand) to a Nike or Converse retail store.
You can also mail them to the recycling facility, listed on the website, NikeReUseAShoe.com. (The rubber, foam and fabric are ground up and used in new Nike products or for sports fields and playgrounds.) For other shoes, see below. :)
Old Clothing
Good condition or not, there are several places to donate your old clothes. H&M, The North Face and Levi's will let you bring in old clothing, shoes and accessories (from any store), in exchange for a discount on current items. The best part - your donated items are reused or recycled.
Earth911.com is an extremely comprehensive site that enables you to search by categories (paint, batteries, beauty products, tools and more).
I typed in "textiles" and my city and it gave me a list of several organizations (complete with addresses and telephone numbers!), where I could donate old clothes. A "Sheer No Nonsense Pantyhose Recycling Program" also popped up! Am I such a geek that seeing that excites me?! I love knowing everything can go somewhere instead of just sitting in a landfill. It makes me feel like I'm doing my part. :)
PlanetAid.org is another great resource for donating old clothes. You can search their website for the location of one of their yellow donation bins.
This nonprofit makes recycling clothes and shoes easy as these items are re-purposed or sold in developing countries. The proceeds go towards development projects like Teacher Training, Child Aid, and Farmer's Clubs in Africa, Asia and Latin America.
Jeans
I always help a client get rid of jeans that never fit right or simply are out of date (super wide leg, lots of whiskering (those white horizontal lines across the top of the thigh), pockets that are too low in the back, which makes you look like you have a saggy butt!). These can be recycled, too!
The Blue Jeans Go Green program organizes denim drives with different retailers. Once again, donating mean you will get a discount to buy a new pair. What goes around comes around!
Jeans are recycled and many of the old jeans will be used as insulation for needy communities. Visit their site, bluejeansgogreen.com, for the next donation drive.
Wedding Gowns and Formal Dresses
While it would be easy to take these items to a resale shop, any of these pieces are a nice opportunity to give back.
BridesAcrossAmerica.com helps give wedding dresses to military brides. Any other dresses and formal accessories (jewelry, bags), can be mailed to Project GLAM in New Jersey, which helps girls whose families can't afford these items for prom.
If you're in Chicago, then check out the GlassSlipperProject.org, which also supplies dresses and accessories for young women attending prom.
Bras
Bras are another item you don't want to throw away because many of the pieces can be reused (the underwire, hooks).
You can donate old bras at a Soma store or mail them to their recycling location listed on their website.
To resale or not?
Luxury goods are a big deal in consignment shops, but the biggest money maker (and easiest to resell), are handbags. Of course you can also resell jewelry, sunglasses, and clothing, but again shoes are tricky.
Some stores will only accept new shoes, while other ones will take shoes that are gently worn. Basically, wearing used shoes kind of grosses people out. :) Something to think about next time you are considering a designer purchase.
Throwing things in the trash is never the way to go. It costs us money and our health! (Taxpayers are spending up to $1.1 billion EVERY year by throwing textile waste in landfills, which is based on the average charge for dumping items in a landfill of $100 per ton.)
And, let's not forget that when textiles are dumped in a landfill, they can contaminate the earth, groundwater and emit greenhouse gases, which contributes to global warming (and we all know we don't need any more of that!). Thankfully, these organizations have stepped up and have made it easier than ever to reuse, recycle and move on!