How to give your clothes a second life

All the clothes in our wardrobe, including those we've forgotten and abandoned, can have a second life and not be wasted. First, we need to find them, in closets where 30 percent of the collected items never leave the drawers or hangers. Then we have to choose between donating (the main option), selling and bartering, and reusing. 

But let's take a closer look at how the three possibilities translate into concrete terms.

Repair, fix, customize

The first solution involves a simple intervention on the suit. Sometimes, simply sewing on a few buttons, making a small mend, or shortening the sleeves or legs can be enough to quickly restore your suit to its former glory. Ready to wear, it's ready to be worn again. Redecorating your suit also includes the option of adding a touch of novelty to personalize it . Patches on jackets, when the fabric has worn away at the elbows, are a solution that can lend elegance and uniqueness to your look.

Recycle and reuse

Here too, it's all simple and fun, as upcycling is generally considered . An old pair of jeans, which for various reasons you no longer wear, can be transformed into a pair of shorts, or even a sturdy shopping bag. Similarly, all textile clothing can be recycled into household cloths, which then become indispensable when cleaning the house.

Trade live or online

The swap party experience is truly unique, and it's also a way to build new relationships, perhaps with people who live in your building and whom you've never even met. The process, thanks in part to social media, is widespread and easy to implement: you create a group of people interested in exchanging clothes, even clothing and accessories, online, and then set a date to meet up, perhaps at the home of one of the swap party participants , with all the items ready to be exchanged. What you've been wasting, abandoned in a closet, can be exchanged for a piece of clothing that will become one of your most-used seasonal wardrobes. It goes without saying that swap parties can also be organized online only, but we recommend not giving up the in-person exchange. The pleasure you get is attending a market crowded with people you want to meet and spend time with, and not just to exchange clothes.

Sell ​​at markets or online platforms

Selling, after all, is also an exchange, only in this case, money is involved. The second life of a garment, through its sale, materializes in the form of money collected through two possible options: at a secondhand clothing and garment market (there are many of them everywhere, and there are websites that even list the locations, region by region, as well as the days and hours), or on one of the many specialized platforms for the sale and purchase of used textiles online.

To donate

In reality, the last resort should always come first in the hierarchy of solutions. This is because it's simply a matter of making arrangements with a parish, a volunteer association, or an organization that provides activities or services to those in need in the local area. Donating an old dress, a garment we don't wear and is still in excellent condition, isn't just a simple gesture of generosity (and we always need it...), but also a small exercise that helps us look at others, realizing that some people have so few clothes they can't afford the luxury of wasting them.

Many designers, even famous ones, and fashion industry leaders claim to create "sustainable" garments, but they're actually the opposite. They pollute, and above all, they exploit workers, which is absolutely contrary to the values ​​of sustainability. Stories, characters, and tales of a great Italian hoax: sustainable fashion. All in this book.

Read also:

• How to extend the life of jeans
• Why upcycling is good for your health and the environment
• The dark side of fashion, when companies pretend to be green. Meanwhile, 100 billion garments end up in the trash every year (photo)