How to recycle your clothes once you've cleared out your wardrobe

This time of year is the perfect time for a wardrobe edit. It's very satisfying to clear out your wardrobe and have a seasonal change over or just refresh your memory as to what you actually have in your wardrobe.

But if you've ended up with a huge pile of things that need some attention or need to go but you've haven't got the faintest idea who's going to give it some attention or where exactly it's going to go, don't let it sit there for months baffling you, read on for the solutions:

Repair

Have something that's been attacked by moths or needs some repairing or altering? If you have a much loved garment that needs fixing, then here are some places to check out before chucking out:

Love Cashmere Care Service - I saw an article over on Permanent Style about this cashmere repair service and it looks and sounds amazing! I must confess, I haven't used it myself yet but if you have any unloved looking cashmere, I would definitely try sending it here to give it a new lease of life.

British Invisible Mending Service - These guys are the experts at repairing moth holes in wool coats and suits. It doesn't come cheap but if a pesky moth has eaten your favourite coat then surely this will be cheaper than buying a new one and better for the planet too?

Savva Tailors - before chucking something out, are there any alterations you could have done to make it more wearable or to repair it? Reline a jacket? Move the buttons over on a shirt to make it a tiny bit roomier? Take in a blazer? I use Savva Tailors in London for all my alterations with personal shopping clients, but if you're not in London, I'd suggest asking for recommendations on a local forum.

Restore

Do you have bags, briefcases or shoes that are lurking in the back of the wardrobe because they need some TLC? Or does a jacket need a new set of buttons, or a covered button to replace a missing one, a new zip on some trousers or a leather jacket or a belt that requires a new buckle? Here are a list of places to bookmark:

The Restory - they will repair, recolour and generally restore your bags, shoes and (I believe) leather jackets. They offer a pick up and return service worldwide - which is free in the UK. Send them a photo and details to get a quote.

The Jaunty Flaneur - Tom and his team specialise in polishing your shoes to perfection, plus repairs and a patina service.

MacCullouch & Wallis - if you need to repair or replace something this shop offers a wide variety of trimmings including belt buckles, zips, buttons and patches.

The Button Queen - specialists in buttons including vintage buttons, toggles and clasps. They also offer button covering and dyeing.

Barnett Lawson - lots of trimmings (some of which may be a bit too girly!) - it's in a basement & doesn't have a shop front, so you'll need to ring the bell!

DM Buttons - these guys can do buttonholes, covered buttons (I recommended a client to go here to replace a button that had fallen off his cap), eyelets, rivets (for jeans), and studs.

Donate

A charity shop will be most peoples first port of call for donation. They will also take things that are too worn out to sell and will appreciate it if you separate them into a bag labelled 'rags' or you could drop them into one of the recycling textile bins local to you. (Click here to find one in your area).

Don't forget your friends and family (you know what they say - one man's trash is another man's treasure!) but if they're not interested, here are another couple of options:

Suited and Booted - this is a great charity who help vulnerable, unemployed and low income men to get back into work by providing them with suitable interview clothing. The perfect place to donate your unwanted suits, shirts, ties and shoes. And what a great feeling, knowing that you're helping another man to massively improve his self esteem and chances of gaining employment by donating things that would otherwise sit unloved and going to waste in your wardrobe.

Wrap Up London - diarise Monday 12th - Wednesday 14th November 2018 to drop off any coats you no longer want to Wrap Up London. They'll be at various different underground stations on those dates...you can find exact details of the locations here. Alternatively, arrange your own collection with your colleagues at work or at a club you belong to and drop off or send your haul to their HQ in Chiswick.

H&M, Marks & Spencer, Zara, and Levis all have recycling boxes in their stores. With some of them you receive vouchers towards new items, or M&S offer points on their Sparks card. The clothing doesn't have to be from their store.

Sell

If you have things in your wardrobe that you just haven't worn, alleviate the guilt and recoup some funds for future purchases by selling it on. Here are a variety of ways to do it:

Ebay - everyone knows about eBay, so why not put aside an afternoon to actually get your things listed. If you have quite a few things. I always find it's easier to do it in phases. Set aside blocks of around half an hour or so to do the following: take photos, write measurements and other details in a word document, list on ebay. It's so satisfying when it's actually done!

L'Homme Designer Exchange - If you have designer items that you'd rather not list on eBay then try out this consignment store for men. They'll take a percentage of what they sell.

The Dresser - And here's another 2nd hand designer clothing shop which also takes menswear.

Vestaire Collective - If you'd prefer to do it online then open an account and list your things on Vestaire Collective. Or if you have a mountain of things to sell (around 50 items or more) and can't face doing it yourself, take advantage of their concierge service where someone will do it for you. They take 35% and will come to your home (in Greater London) to collect or send a courier.

Hardly Ever Worn It offers a similar service - set up your own account or have someone do it for you via their VIP service. They also take 35% of the sales.

Need some help with deciding what should stay and what should go and organising it afterwards? Then contact me for details on having a Wardrobe Edit.

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