When I was in college, I had a couple of girls approach me and ask if my parents owned a clothing store. I replied NO… why? They answered, we notice that you always have on a nice outfit and thought you might have a hookup. I was flattered. The truth is, that I did not in fact know anyone who owned a clothing store. Instead, I actually only owned two pairs of well fitting jeans and a few skirts. The rest of my wardrobe was from my older sister who was a bank manager. I was not afraid of hand-me-downs.
Being raised with 3 older sisters, and five brothers, handing down clothes was just the way things worked. If it didn’t fit you, then it fit someone else. This was a simple rule. Now we all did get new clothes from time to time, such as 3 new outfits when school started, a coat for Christmas, and a small birthday shopping spree. We integrated these new items into what we already had and always looked clean and presentable. To this day, I am not afraid to trade clothes with another woman, borrow an outfit or two, or accept free clothes no one else has worn.
This brings me to tips for free wardrobe:
1. Let your girlfriends and sister know that you will gladly take free items that they don’t think they can use. I always like to start close to home because I feel more comfortable if I know whose body the clothing was on.
2. Go to a clothing swap where you can trade your items in person. Clothingswaps.com helps you to organize and find clothing swap opportunities.
3. Check out listings for free clothing on freecycle and craigslist. (Arrange safe places to meet and collect goods. I prefer a mall parking lot.)
4. Check out the free clothing swap websites online. This is a booming business that goes beyond Craigslist grabs but instead allows people to trade what they no longer want for what they can use without ever leaving their home. Rehashclothes.com for example allows you to list items you don’t want and to trade them for other things. They also trade books as well.
The biggest problem with clothing swaps is getting the correct fit. If you get something home and it does not work for you, put it back in a container for your next swap, or pass it along to a friend or relative who regularly gives clothes to you. While these tactics may not make your entire wardrobe free, I guarantee you won’t have to spend more than $300 a person a year just like my parents did when they were raising 9 children.
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Andrea Hermitt writes for parenting (specifically teens), the home blog, and also the frugal blog, and homeschooling at families.com.