Hold a Professional Clothes Drive

Fall is here. Now may be the perfect time to take a good hard look at your wardrobe.

Why not ditch the pieces that no longer fit, are out of style or just plain not you anymore. Perhaps you have clothes that are new, in perfect condition and you have no intention on wearing them? To make yourself feel good and help others in need, gather some friends, (or better yet) some office colleagues and start a professional clothes drive.

A simple email, collection center, and designated charity will do the trick. We suggest you chose Dress for Success, where women in transition benefit from donated business outfits. if you want to check into some local Los Angeles resources, dive into our 2007 post written for a reader who wanted to lose her 1990's business suits and didn't know how to.

Here are some tips we put together recently for a Professional Clothes Drive for one of the world's largest professional services firms in Downtown Los Angeles:

Clear Out Your Closet:

Let's face it, everyone knows it's hard to let go of clothes that you really like even though you have not worn. Below are three closet-clearing tips from fellow CLARE Foundation volunteer and organization expert, John Trosko of OrganizingLA.  John has a few tips up his sleeve to help you clear out the old, to make way for the new, and in the meantime, help make a difference in someone's life:

The 15-Minute Rule:

If you want to make a difference in your closet and don’t have a lot of time, set a time limit and “go shopping” for things that are ready to be donated.  But keep your focus on this specific task and don’t allow yourself to be distracted.  It helps if you can carefully choose a friend to help you clean out your clothes closet.  You’ll want a person who will constructively criticize your taste, but with a sense of humor to make it fun.

Suits That Are No Longer Suit-able:

Nostalgia’s tug is strong— but use this opportunity to clear out the larger key pieces such as men’s suits, ties, dark belts and dress shoes.  For women, perhaps you have a dress-for-success ensemble that isn’t suitable for your current work environment—why not donate it along with some sensible low-pumps and simple jewelry?  Never donate another person’s clothes, always check with them.

Stop Tripping Down Memory Lane:

3.)  Remember, avoid keeping items in your closet as a benchmark of your achievements.  Professional Clothes Drive for the Clare Foundation honors needy individuals with basic essentials and you’ll want to donate good, clean, gently-used or new clothing.  You’ll feel better knowing your unwanted clothes will benefit others!

If you're putting together a professional clothes drive, feel free to use the tips above, just give us credit. O rcontact us if you'd like to explore something more.

What ideas have you implemented for your clothes donations?  Please share them below.

Image above courtesy J Crew and Uncrate.

Related Posts:

Reinvent yourself with Closet Therapy's Barbra Horowitz (9/05)

What do I do with 1990's business suits? (2/07)

Build a connection with a charity (3/06)

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Comments

[fioricet]

Is that a Valentino?

[Claire Tompkins]

Hi, John,
I often recommend to my clients that they keep a shopping bag in the closet so the minute they decide a garment is no longer wanted, they can put it right in the bag. When the bag is full, off to the Goodwill it goes. They take action the moment they make the decision.

[moreclick]

Thanks for sharing, I love reading you should post more often...