Do you ever find yourself thinking, "but I will wear that… one of these days.' Once you've finally decided you're not really going to wear that old shirt any more, or those pants no longer fit as well as they used to, there comes a time to pare down. Instead of tossing your clothes in the garbage, swap 'em, sell 'em or donate 'em.

Swap 'em. Hold your own swap party. Invite your friends or co-workers to bring unwanted clothing to swap with one another. Set the ground rules first. All exchanges are free, and items should be in good condition. Of course, shoes and accessories might be more swappable if you and your friends don't wear the same size clothes. (Read Rebecca's tip on throwing a swap party.)

Want to swap on a larger scale? Find an upcoming Swap-o-Rama-Rama near you. For a small monetary donation (usually around $5 or $10) you bring as much as you can carry in and take as much as you can carry out. Volunteer staff sort donations by type (women's skirts, men's pants, children's shirts, etc.) and the best part is Swap-o-Rama-Rama events have DIY stations and sewing machines so you can alter and redesign your new finds.

There's also sites like Freecycle and Craigslist if you've got a special treasure to give away (Craigslist has a 'free' category).

Sell 'em. Hold a garage sale (or yard sale, or stoop sale.) Get your neighbors involved too. That way you can get them to clear out their closets and have some help promoting your location.

Donate 'em. National charity organizations such as Salvation Army and Goodwill will accept clothing donations. Check around in your community for homeless shelters, women's shelters, churches, and other non-profits that accept clothing donations. Some second-hand stores accept lightly-used clothing and donate what they don't think they can sell. By donating, you'll also get a tax write-off, so make sure to get a receipt.

Amy says: I've got bags and bags of clothing my roommate and I have ready for donation, which are stored right now in our entry way. I'm currently looking for a local donation center that picks up (the Salvation Army has too wide of a pick-up window, 8a-4p). If I can't find one, I'll probably sign up for a car share service and take them myself. That way I can call some friends and take their unwanted clothes too.

Salvation Army
Goodwill
Swap-o-Rama-Rama
Freecycle

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency - Municipal Solid Waste: Textiles

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