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Clothing Marketplaces
From T-shirts to designer shoes, there are a wealth of online sites where you can sell clothes, including Poshmark, ThredUp, The RealReal and Grailed. “Currently, I’m seeing a huge surge in popularity with Vinted, and many of my clients having great success decluttering their closets,” says Leonard.
You’ll need a little patience with this route, because most outlets insist you keep your clothes until someone buys them. Then you pack them up and send them off.
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Specialty Clothing Donations
For wedding dresses and other gowns, Hardman recommends the Priceless Gown Project and Becca’s Closet, where your fancy duds can be reused by someone who could not otherwise afford them. “No need to leave them to gather dust in the closet,” he says. “Make your cherished memories available for someone else to enjoy.”
You can also give away your suits, ties and other business attire at Project for Pride in Living and Jails to Jobs.
“With COVID came home offices, and many of us never returned to our office buildings,” says Leonard. “If you’ve made the shift from suits and smart clothes to a more relaxed work attire, give someone unemployed a helping hand by donating to one of these charities.”
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Women’s Shelters, Homeless Shelters and Food Banks
For obvious reasons, these can be great places to donate clothing and other supplies. Leonard says they’re especially good for offloading items thrift stores won’t take, like bras, surplus toiletries, cosmetics, perfumes and gift sets.
“There are also a number of charities that send bras to women in Africa, where it’s proven that they can improve women’s safety,” she says.
Other places to get rid of bras are Free the Girls, which helps survivors of sex trafficking, and The Bra Recyclers, which have drop-off points around the country.
As for that pantry of food you’re unlikely to eat, you can find your nearest food bank via Feeding America. “In 2022, 49 million American turned to food banks for assistance, so consider clearing out your cupboards and donating,” says Leonard.
