| Savings & Tips
revamp your wardrobe for less

Think the only way you can change up you and your family’s wardrobe is by spending money? Think again! See our list below of some creative ways to revamp a wardrobe without shelling out this year’s tax return or breaking the bank.

Evaluate What You Currently Have

First, take a look at what you currently have in your closet or drawers. If you haven’t worn an item within the past year, consider selling it or donating it. Sometimes the simple act of organizing where you keep your clothes will help you see items in a fresh light, or find items that may have been hiding! Separate items that no longer fit, haven’t been worn in a long time, or you just don’t like.

Once you’ve picked out items you’re willing to let go of, it’s time to sell, swap, and sew (if you’re crafty)!

Where to Sell Used Clothing

You can sell used clothing online, on your mobile phone through an app, in certain stores, and even on your own. Here are our top picks for places to sell your gently used clothing and accessories. These are also places where you can trade and shop at majorly discounted prices!

  1. Plato’s® Closet: They buy and sell gently used clothing for teen and twenty-something boys and girls, and primarily buy items that have been in the malls within the past year or two. Items are typically priced up to 70% off mall retail prices, so Plato’s Closet can be a great place to trade in old items for newer ones! Read more about how it works.
  2. Once Upon a Child®: Do you have containers full of your younger children’s clothing, toys, and baby gear? Then try the sister store of Plato’s Closet –Once Upon a Child, and sell the gently used items your kids are no longer wearing or playing with. Understand how it works before finding a store near you.
  3. Poshmark: Sell clothes and accessories from the comfort of your own home! Simply download the free app to your mobile phone and start snapping pictures of items you’d like to sell. Write short descriptions of the items and list them for your followers to see. You can “share” your items through Facebook and Twitter as well. Once an item sells, Poshmark will email you a prepaid address label. All you have to do is package your item and drop it off at the post office. Or, schedule a USPS pick-up to your home. See how simple and fun it can be to sell on Poshmark.
  4. thredUp®: Don’t want to break a sweat getting top dollar for your gently used, brand name items? thredUp could be right for you. Request one of their “Clean Out” bags and fill it with women’s (including plus sizes), maternity, juniors, and kids pieces as well as shoes and handbags. thredUp’s team will review your items and pay you up to 80% of the resale value. Get the full scoop.
  5. Indoor/Outdoor Yard Sale: Have the whole family clean out their closets for this all-day endeavor. Leave your items on their hangers and run a clothesline across your yard to display them, or, borrow portable clothes racks from family or friends. Advertise your sale like crazy; put up signs, hand out flyers in your neighborhood, and write an ad on your local Craigslist® page detailing your items. Help make sure you have a successful yard sale with these tips from the folks at Moving.com.

Where to Swap Clothing

While you can trade-in clothes at Plato’s Closet or Once Upon a Child, you can also organize your own clothing swap. Talk to your coworkers, neighbors, and friends to organize a community wide clothing swap. Make it a fun event to remember with Young and Thrifty’s tips for organizing the perfect swap.

How to Repurpose Your Clothing

Sometimes all you need is a little shift in perspective. With a few scissor snips and knots, you can turn shirts into skirts, tanks into pretty tees, scarves into vests, and so much more! Just check out Listotic’s 30+ ways to refashion your clothes.

If you’re short on time and just want a quick clothing pick-me-up, try rotating the items in your closet. After you wear an item, hang it up in the back of a closet, pushing the unworn clothes to the front. This will help spread out wear on your favorite items and help you see items you may have forgotten about.

How do you plan on freshening up your wardrobe this year? Share your suggestions and ideas with our community below!

 

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