Kledingbankprogramma | Duurzame moderecycling

The WowStore Clothing Bank Program is an idea we are still working on, and it is not open yet. Until it is, here is a practical guide to handing the clothes you no longer wear to someone who will wear them.

Where the Clothing Bank Program stands

We would like to make it easy to pass on clothes you no longer wear, straight from your wardrobe. We have not built that yet. There is no launch date, no collection address and no reward scheme today, and we will not publish any until we can run the programme properly.

So please do not post clothes to us: we have nowhere to receive them. When the programme is ready, the details will appear on this page first.

In the meantime, you do not need us to give your clothes a second wearer. Everything below works today, wherever you live in the EU.

Sort your wardrobe in one afternoon

Take everything out of one wardrobe section at a time, not the whole room at once. Make three piles:

• Keep: you wore it in the last year and you like how you feel in it.
• Fix: you would wear it if the button, hem or zip were sorted.
• Pass on: it does not fit, does not suit you any more, or you keep skipping it.

Be honest with the third pile. If you have not worn a piece through a full cycle of seasons, someone else will probably get more out of it than you do. Before you add it to the pile, try it once more with something different in the Mix & Match Studio. Sometimes a new pairing is all a piece needed.

Fix before you pass on

A missing button or a dropped hem is often the only reason a piece sits unworn. Most small repairs take less than an hour with a basic sewing kit: a few needles, neutral thread, spare buttons and a seam ripper.

For anything bigger, such as a broken zip on a coat or a lining that has torn, a local tailor is usually quicker and cheaper than you expect. Ask for a price before you leave the piece.

If you are not sure how to wash or press something after mending it, our fabric care guide explains what each fibre likes. A repaired piece might move from your pass-on pile back to your keep pile.

Ways to pass clothes on

Pick the route that suits the piece and your time.

Swap with friends

Host a swap evening: everyone brings a few pieces, you try things on together and take home what fits. It costs nothing and it is a good excuse to see people.

Sell second-hand

Good-condition pieces with a clear photo, the size, the fabric from the care label and honest notes on any wear tend to find a buyer. Photograph them flat or on a hanger in daylight.

Give to a charity shop

Call or check the shop's website first. Many shops only take clean clothes in wearable condition, and some cannot take shoes, underwear or large items.

Use a textile collection point

Many municipalities have textile containers or collection days. What they accept differs from place to place, so read the sign on the container or your municipality's website before you drop anything off.

Pass them on at home

Children's clothes, coats and occasion wear often find a second wearer in the family or among neighbours. Ask before you hand over a full bag.

Prepare clothes for the next person

Whoever wears your clothes next will be glad of a little care:

• Wash or air everything and let it dry fully before you pack it.
• Close zips and buttons so nothing snags.
• Keep pairs together: shoes tied or banded, sets folded as one.
• Pin a short note to anything with a flaw, so the next person knows what they are getting.
• Use a bag or box you do not need back.

It takes ten minutes and it makes each piece far more likely to be worn again.

Buy so that passing on is easy later

The clothes that are easiest to pass on are the ones that fit, wash well and go with other things. Before you buy, check the measurements against a piece you own using our size guide, and work out what a piece will cost you each time you wear it with our cost per wear calculator.

Save pieces you are considering in your Virtual Closet for a few days before you decide. And when you are ready, start with pieces that work many ways: sweaters and cardigans, jackets and coats and everyday clothing that fits the life you actually lead. Our Mix & Match Wardrobe is built around that idea.

How giving works when you shop with us

5% of each sale goes to a cause you choose. After your order you pick one of three causes: CARE International, Cool Earth or Project Zero. The donation is paid out through PayPal Giving Fund UK. Those three causes, together with how we run our own store (honest product data, fair prices), are matched to 11 of the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals.

That is the heart of the 1% Movement: small choices × millions of us = change. It is a giving promise we can show you, and it is the only promise we make on this page.

Questions people ask

Is the WowStore Clothing Bank Program open?

No. It is an idea we are still working on. There is no launch date yet, and any details will appear on this page first.

Can I send my old clothes to WowStore?

Please do not. We have no way to receive clothes today. Use a swap, a second-hand sale, a charity shop or a municipal textile collection point instead.

What condition should donated clothes be in?

Clean and dry, with zips and buttons closed. Charity shops usually want pieces someone could wear straight away; check with the shop before you bring damaged items.

What can I do with clothes that are too worn to wear?

Cut them into cleaning cloths, keep them for messy jobs, or check whether your municipality's textile collection accepts worn textiles. Rules differ by place, so check first.