Donate or Sell Your Clothes Before Christmas So You Can Start The New Year With A Fresh Wardrobe!

When cleaning out a client's wardrobe, one thing I hear a lot is a worried 'How much money did I spend on clothes I'm not wearing?' when they look to the pile of clothes we're removing. With the new year fast approaching, many of us get the cleaning bug. We want to cull our wardrobes, our pantry's, our garages, heck, even our makeup bags - but sometimes we don't just want to throw the items away - we'd prefer to donate or sell them.

And because having more money and space for shoes is everyone's dream - I'm making lists again and this one is a great go-to for those of you with things in good enough condition to pass on.

WHERE TO DONATE YOUR CLOTHES IN SYDNEY

DRESSED FOR SUCCESS

Is a charity that passes on work-attire and work-related clothing to women looking for jobs. They're based in Australia and have bases in Adelaide, Perth, Sydney, Brisbane and Mornington Penisula. Passing on things like shirts, trousers and blazers - even handbags can help a woman make a first impression and land that dream job.

To make donating easier, you can post your items to them - rather than having to drop them off to one of their bases. Jump on their website to find your closest address to post to!

SALVATION ARMY & SMITH FAMILY

If you've got an old formal dress, jeans, and practically anything but swimwear and underwear, the Salvation and the Smith Family are a wonderful charity that are especially busy around Christmas. This not only helps families in need but promotes recycling so our chic pre-loved clothing isn't used in landfill.

COSTUME HOUSES

If you've got any items that you think aren't quite an everyday wearable, there are costume houses based around city areas that accept donations. This contributes to Australia's entertainment industry and again promotes recycling so these clothes are used before anything new is made.

WHERE TO SELL YOUR CLOTHING

HIGH STREET & DESIGNER SELLING

GLEBE MARKETS

For me, Glebe markets have the best selection of women's pre-loved fashion on offer, these are held at the Glebe Public School and are on each Saturday.

PADDINGTON MARKETS

So apart from holding a really yummy food market, Paddington markets are also home to some great pre-loved fashion finds. They're on Oxford Street and are held each Saturday from 10 am.

ROZELLE COLLECTORS MARKET

If you have some seriously fabulous items to pass on, Rozelle Collectors Market is a great place to sell them. You can team up with another store holder or get your own stall, their market is held every Saturday and Sunday at Rozelle Public School!

DEPOP & CAROUSEL

These phone applications are set out very similar to Instagram. It's easy to use and you can set up your own mini-store to sell not only clothing and jewellery but decor, electronics, books and artwork too!

EBAY & ETSY

One of my favourite business women, Sophia Amoruso started selling vintage clothing on Ebay and eventually started Nasty Gal Clothing, she's now a millionaire and it just goes to show what a powerful tool Etsy and Ebay are when selling your pre-loved goods. Like to shop online too? I've got so many online shopping tips for you!

YOUR LOCAL BUY AND SELL GROUP

You'll find that your local city or suburb has a 'Buy & Sell' Group on Facebook. Where I grew up we've got 'Budget Bitches' and 'Illawarra Buy & Sell' and if you don't mind a little haggling - these are great options!

CONSIGNMENT STORES

Consignment stores are a rather American thing but there are plenty around city areas, particularly if you're wanting to sell anything designer or relatively expensive.

IF IT'S VINTAGE

Before approaching one of Sydney's vintage clothing stores with your threads, do your research. Not every vintage store will want to sell what you're offering. Some sell chain store vintage at affordable prices, others sell designer vintage at designer prices. Some only take garments from certain eras and others may not buy from the public at all. Have a look at what's close to you and try to find the best home for your vintage. I personally love Zoo Emporium & The Frock Exchange.

SELLING DESIGNER CLOTHING IN SYDNEY

Some stores specialise in selling pre-loved designer clothing. Here is my list of places to try:

• Di Nuovo - Paddington

• Blue Spinach - Darlinghurst

• ReStyle Your Closet - Sydney / Online

• The Real Real - Online

Please note, each of these options take a commission from your overall sale, often the business who also have physical stores and an online presence charge a higher commission to sell your items. Before taking your items to these stores, it's best to email or phone to enquire if they're able/willing to sell your items.

PHOTOGRAPH TO SELL

When trying to sell your clothing online, the best way to have an effective outcome is to photograph the item in an appealing way. Style a flat lay, model the item with hair and makeup so your effortless bitchiness becomes contagious- and try to make it appeal to yourself. If you think it's photographed in a stylish, enticing way - it's more likely to sell in preference to hanging it on the back of a door and hoping for that magic sale to happen!

COLOUR MATTERS

Remember, lighting in photography is key. Take photos of your item when you've got the best natural sunlight to work with so that the colours of your garments are easily seen in the photos.

There's a white balance setting on most cameras, use this so that when you're taking photos against a white background, the white stays white and doesn't turn grey. Remember to get up close to the fabric too so that you can post a closer image of the print and colour the buyer will receive.

Try to avoid putting filters on the item as this doesn't properly represent what the buyer is getting.

VISIT THE NEWSAGENTS

When photographing small items like accessories and shoes, a quick trip to the local newsagents or craft shop to get two large white pieces of cardboard will help to give a simple background for your items to sit on. This looks way more appealing in photographs and makes it much easier for people to see what you're selling.

PREPARE THE CLOTHING

Steaming or ironing the clothing after washing is important, you wouldn't buy a dress online if it looked crinkled on the model - would you? Give it a little love and make sure it's sitting properly when you take the photo so you can get the most out of your time and money.

USE A MODEL

I like to use a mannequin that is sized to my clothing size so that people can see how the clothing should fit. This also makes it easier to photograph quickly, I don't have to worry about hair or makeup, just slipping the item on my mannequin and ensuring it's sitting correctly!

TAKE MULTIPLE SHOTS

Any extra details on the item, like beading or buttons, snags or prints, should be photographed up close. Remember to take shots from multiple angles, I like to do a front and back, side, cuff and collar shot so that people can see exactly what they're buying.