Focus on Fashion

Everyone has that one shirt they bought thinking it would look amazing on them. They thought it would accentuate their closet and make everyone gush about their fashion sense.

Ultimately, it was left in the corner of the closet or in the deep recesses of a drawer.
I have one of these shirts.

It’s a filmy swath of purple and tan spirals and flows like a fairytale gown, or at least that’s what I thought when I first saw it.

Now, every time I try it on, I just have to change into something else.
What do we do with these items of past longing?

You could take the too-small shirt, the odd-lengthed skirt, platform go-go boots or rhinestone-studded jacket to Plato’s Closet and make some extra spending money.
These items more than likely will just be lumps of color taking up space in your room until your mom throws a yard sale, so why not try to get some dough to put towards a new outfit?

Or you could always give the clothing to others.
Giving clothes to charities such as Goodwill or United Way are great
options.

With it being this close to the holiday season, I’m sure someone would love to be able to either give or receive the looked-over items in our closets.
If you don’t know where to donate, go online and look at various websites for charities like these.

Goodwill’s site says it sells the items to help people with disabilities or employment challenges through training or community-based programs.

The United Way of Central Indiana’s site says its goal is to help “sustain vital human services for those who need help most while reducing such needs for future generations.”

Fashion isn’t just about making you look good; your clothing can help another person in a time of need.

So, as we transition into the cooler months of the year, give your closets a good look-through.

Everyone has clothes they don’t wear anymore, and no one needs a piece of fabric that’s just taking up space.

— samkirby@indiana.edu