5 Signs It’s Time to Donate Your Clothes

The donation of clothes has risen massively during lockdown as people are spending more time at home and having clear outs. But with things starting to return to some normality, what will this mean for old and unworn garments that are crying out for a new lease of life. Well, we have some top tips for knowing when it’s time to give up the garb.

The general rule is based on a 6month cycle to allow different seasons and trends to pass. There’s no point getting rid of a winter coat that you haven’t worn in a few weeks because it’s coming into summer, and also if you really do love something that has been sitting in the wardrobe for months, it’s not a sin to hang on to it.

There are 1000s of clothing pieces hanging in wardrobes of people across the globe that haven’t ever looked quite right, but the truth is, if it didn’t fit properly 6 months ago, when will it? With the exclusion of body shape changes such as pregnancy, many of us simply don’t revisit clothes that we know we don’t like the fit of and would rather opt for a newer item of the same style, colour or cut that can be worn now.

If you truly love the item and can’t bear to donate it, then many people have explored customising clothes to either make something new or fix the problem. Too long? It’s easier than you think to lift the hem. Too loose? Tighten with a belt, add buttons or even unpick the seam and resew if the fabric allows.

 

How many times have you looked in the back of a wardrobe, set of drawers or even old suitcases and found clothes you’d completely forgotten about? Finding pieces you’ve not thought about for 6 months or longer probably hints that you don’t really need them and someone else could fair from having it instead. Donating items that still have lots of life in them is the best way to prevent landfill, support a local charity and also make room for those clothes that you take notice of.

 

Fashions come and go and with that tonnes of clothes are left to gather dust until the trends re-emerge. Nostalgia is great and finding pieces from the past is always exciting, but if you’ve found that your style has changed drastically or has stayed the same for a while, chances are you know what you like and the pieces you once loved will continue to fill space in a corner of your room.

Fast fashion has a lot to answer for in terms of styles rapidly changing and contributing to the mounds of unworn clothes, but that doesn’t mean they have to be thrown away. Just because you’ve changed, doesn’t mean the clothing has and there will be someone who can make the most of an item or turn their hand to create something unique from it.

 

We’ve all been there, bought something because it looked good or was a bargain and then paid the price in terms of pain and discomfort. Whether it’s trainers that are too small, jeans that are too tight or a top that itches, there’s no point keeping them for months on end.

Often these items can be sold as ‘almost new’ as the wear is minimal (unless you truly persevere with the annoyance) so often charities can actually get more for the item. Of course, if you wish to sell on yourself, then consider donating some of the proceeds to a local charity to help support their services.

 

Whether it’s a present you’ve been bought or an item that makes you scream ‘what was I thinking?’, keeping hold of clothing in the hope it’ll grow on you is just stopping someone else from loving it. Many clothes in UK wardrobes still have tags on because they were bought as a backup option rather than because they were wanted. If you’ve ran out of time to return it, then it could be time to donate it.

So, these are our top tips on telling when it’s time to donate clothes to help support charities. To donate to The Air Ambulance Service, you can go straight to your nearest store , contact our team about our kerbside collection service or leave at one of our many clothing banks