I’ll admit it… I hold onto my clothes for too long just in case I want to wear them again. Every so often, I reach a point where I truly realize that I need to purge my closet and actually do so on a day I have to myself. Since my college days, I’ve brought the clothes I no longer needed or wanted to a local Second Time Around consignment store.
While I think Second Time Around is a great company, let’s face it, we’re all looking for a little more convenience in our lives. So during my last closet clean out session a few months ago, I did some research and found a few great online consignment stores that give you a list of accepted brands, a pre-paid shipping label and all you have to do is send away and wait for your PayPal funds to come in once your items are approved. I sent everything I could to Twice and the rest to ThredUp (this is because ThredUp doesn’t have a specific list of brands they do not accept). And of course everything else went to Goodwill). I have to say, I did get a decent amount of money for the items I sent.
Fast forward to today… I think I may have uncovered an even better way to donate my clothes. Fashion Project, an online clothing donation company, aims to raise money for charity through online clothing donations. The company currently has more than 800,000 nonprofit partners and donates 55% of net proceeds to charity. To top that off, they’ve partnered with Nordstrom and Lord & Taylor to reward you with gift cards for your clothing donations! Donation + gift cards = cleaning out my closet this weekend. It’s a great combo of the ideas behind Goodwill and Twice.
Here’s how it works:
- Donate clothing. Clean out your closet and donate your apparel, handbags, shoes and accessories in like-new or gently-used, clean condition.
- Fill it, ship it. Order a free donation bag or print a free pre-paid label at home. Fill your bag (or box) and give it to USPS. Fashion Project will email you when your items are received.
- Get rewarded. Once your items sell on Fashion Project, 55% of the net proceeds will go to support a charity you choose. And as a thank you, Fashion Project will send you either a $40 Nordstrom gift card or $20 Lord & Taylor gift card for every 5 qualifying items. Note: the Lord & Taylor program will end August 3 and you will have a choice of supporting Dana-Farber or the Jimmy Fund.
At first glance the lists of accepted brands for the Nordstrom and Lord & Taylor appear to be the same, but make sure you check out the qualifying brands list for each before sending in clothes. If you have clothes that don’t qualify, try bringing them to your local consignment shop, Goodwill or Salvation Army.
Will you be cleaning out your closet this summer? If so, where will you donate or sell your clothes? Let us know in the comments below!