Cluttered Closet Clean-Out
If anyone’s seen my room, they know it is a mess covered in clothes and hoarded items over the years. How I wish I had school uniform as a kid! I was so desperate to be “cool” and in my silly little head I thought that I had to wear Abercrombie and Hollister to be that. So I became a shopaholic. I bought so many clothes over time my closet started to look like a department store. I feared looking like an outfit repeater.
But in the end, that was stupid. I took up so much space in my room for clothes and closets. I couldn’t say no to free shirts at my school even though I didn’t need them (or ever wear them).
Consumers Against Toxic Apparel: The Toxic Truth
When I became the Official Spokeswoman for CONSUMERS AGAINST TOXIC APPAREL, I was ashamed of my past actions because it was against what this incredible company stood for, preventing excessive and fast fashion. I needed to learn how to clear the clutter in my closet and in my own head.
When I started working, I needed more work clothes. But instead of shopping I just fished around my mom’s closet to find a few essential pieces I can wear every two weeks.
It’s been two months since I last visited my hometown in Orlando. My parents were sweet enough to keep my room, but it was still smothered in excess clothing I never wear. I decided to clean out my clothes, but I was worried where I could give it a new home.
I learned through CATA the dangers of fast fashion and increased waste in the textile industry. I couldn’t bare the idea of all these clothes going to waste. Goodwill can only accept 10% of the clothes they receive because they are not resellable, and most donation bins throw away majority of those clothes creating more landfill we do not need.
It is similar to a previous post I made REDUCE REUSE THEN RECYCLE. Focus on less clothes in general. BUT if you messed up, do your research on recycling because it’s not all the same. I had to divide and conquer to see which pieces will have the best sustainable impact.
De-Clutter the Clothes
- I am reselling the clothes I find sellable (pageant wear, designer clothes, etc.) because I KNOW it will go to someone who will reuse it.
- Excess fabric went to my mom and Nina who will be making repurposed outfits and photo backdrops from them (like bedsheets)
- My old customized shirts (embroidered with my name or pageant title, school clubs I loved, awesome memories) my sweet little sister is making an old blanket for me of them. She cuts the prints in squares, creates 1 inch fringes around the border, and will tie knots as a “no sew” method (I do this for t-shirt reusable bags and it’s great). She also came up with the idea of making a pillow from all the leftover scraps of those shirts! I’m so proud!
- And for the ones that won’t sell, like school shirts, I donate to a local company. It came down to two places, STRAIGHT ST, a non profit supporting the homeless (if you’re in Orlando PLEASE check it out!) or THE FULL EDIT, which actually focuses on repurposed fashion through wasted textiles. It’s better to donate things like large sweaters to the homeless because they will need it in the cold.
Depending on the type of clothes you have should you put it in a donation bin, resale shop, homeless shelter, or upcycled organization. It is important to take your time and do your research to find the best places for each clothing type.