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What Not To Wear: Clean Out Your Cluttered Closet
By: Mary Dance '08
STAFF WRITER

After spending nearly four hours washing, drying, and folding my laundry, I reached the most daunting portion of my evening: time to put it all away. I cursed the individual who decided many years ago that any Sweet Briar girl could fit every piece of clothing she owned, from workout clothes and pajamas to class-appropriate clothing and work attire, into one too-small closet and meager dresser, but my ordeal led to a clothing epiphany of sorts.

It was at that point that I realized I could clean out my closet; noting the sweater that I had never worn, the dress that just failed to fit, and the tops that I hadn’t touched in years, I realized that, perhaps, these items, still in good condition, could have a purpose better than merely filling sought after space in my closet and dresser. With this, I began to seek a place to send my no longer desired items of clothing.

Cleaning out your closet is undoubtedly some of the best fashion advice out there, as we all have items that do little more than eat space. There are several types of clothing guilty of such. First, the too worn, too loved, too old piece that just needs to go. Whether it’s stained, full of holes, ratty, or pilled, clothing does not last forever, and certainly should not be worn forever. Difficult though it may be, these items of clothing need only find their way to the nearest trashcan.

Second, a different type of clothing that too has seen its day: fad items. Fads are inherently dynamic, but fashion is currently in a very transitory place, and things are changing more rapidly than usual. Pieces that are clearly past their “in” phase should not be thrown away, but should be either boxed up or given away.

Third, the worst space-eater of them all: the piece that just doesn’t work. Whether it no longer fits, or it never truly fit or flattered at all, you may trust that it likely never will. A piece of clothing owned for weeks, months, or even years with what seems like no opportunity on which to wear it or no occasion on which it looked good should absolutely be let go.

While taking worn out pieces to the garbage remains a relatively simple process, ridding oneself of clothing still in good condition seems slightly more difficult. For this, there are two types of venues that accept used clothing, both with their own pros and cons.

1). Donating clothing to the nearest Goodwill or Salvation Army. This remains the simplest of options. Though Goodwill’s website recommends donating only “what you would give to a friend,” the stores’ criteria for donations remain relatively low, requiring neither new nor potentially popular pieces. As the stores’ employees are available to offload goods and provide a tax receipt if desired, the process of giving clothes here takes little more than a short drive.

2.) Consignment or resale of clothing remains the second, perhaps more difficult option. Like Goodwill and Salvation Army, consignment stores resell used clothing. While these stores offer money in return for clothing given, my past experiences have shown consignment to be little more rewarding than donation. Though receiving money in return for clothing can feel rewarding, my struggle with consigning has often remained that individuals determining whether or not to accept an item or its appropriate worth often have little knowledge of particular brands, newness of items, or pieces’ potential popularity. Nonetheless, it is absolutely worth a try, particularly for “timeless” pieces or those with labels easily recognizable.

Sweet Briar’s nearest Goodwill is located South on 29, at 238 Amelon Square and accepts donations any time from 9:00-5:00 Monday through Saturday and 12:00-5:00 on Sundays. Though drop-off times remain significantly more variable and call-aheads are recommended, ETC Consignment, Nice as New, Inc. and Rags to Riches are all located in the Lynchburg area to buy new and used clothing. With this in mind, don’t be afraid to let articles of clothing go to those who will get better use of them, whether through differing fit or affordability.