In today’s fast-paced society, trends come and go so fast it’s hard to keep your wardrobe up- to-date. So what do you do when you no longer want your old clothes? Well, your clothes can have an afterlife and upcycling them is an efficient way to put them to good use.
Upcycling is the process of reusing clothes whether it be through donating, selling or remodeling. The most common thing to do with your clothes when they no longer fit or suit you is to donate them to the Salvation Army or to a local clothes drive. Sophomore Kaileigh Wright said she goes through her drawers and gets rid of clothes almost every few months.
“A lot of my clothes never get worn and just sit in the back of my closet,” Wright said. “It would be pointless for me to keep them when so many other people could be using and benefiting from them.”
Not only does donating clothes help the less fortunate, it can also help you to get rid of the clutter in your closet.
Selling old clothes to a thrift store is another option for getting rid of unwanted clothes, although there’s no guarantee about how successful this option will be.
Junior Nida Ansari said that based on her experience selling some of her clothing to thrift stores, you shouldn’t get your hopes up too high.
“You don’t get much for your money,” Ansari said. “I gave three full bags of clothes, a pair of boots and some of my brother’s clothes and only got around $35 from it.”
It’s important to note that if you’re trying to sell to a thrift store you should make sure your clothes are of good quality, fairly modern and are not damaged.
For creative souls, reworking and revamping old clothes could be the best and most fun option. Pinterest shows myriad ways to turn an old t-shirt into a bracelet, headband or vest.
Sophomore Mallory Finch, an international relations major from Charlotte, N.C., founder of The Pink Rose Boutique, frequently redecorates old articles of clothing.
“I think of the style I want and I cut or add pieces to the clothing,” Finch said.
For example, she has turned old leggings into a shirt, added lace to a tank top and reshaped old t-shirts into tank tops.
Her advice for redecorating old clothes is “always have a shirt to practice on first. Nine times out of ten you’re going to mess up on the first try.”
Mackenzie Scibetta can be reached at mackenzie.scibetta@student.shu.edu.
