What are the major expenses in your day-to-day life? If you’re anything like me, I’m sure housing and food immediately come to mind. How about clothing? What we wear can be a huge expense, and it’s one of those essential expenses you have to spend on. However, there is some good news – you can drastically reduce this expense. How? Learning how to get free clothes can help you keep on track with your personal financial plans while looking sharp and fresh.
Personally, I love getting things for free wherever possible. There’s something special about finding a colorful or unique shirt or skirt that fits just right – and doesn’t cost me a cent! “Easier said than done – really, how can I get clothes for free?” you might say. Guess what? Getting free clothes is quite easy and fun – if you know where to look. Get free clothes and save hundreds, if not thousands of dollars per year.
Read on to learn how to get free clothes.
Ways to Get Free Clothes Online
The first step in learning how to get clothes for free? The most convenient way: looking online. There are many different ways to get free clothes online. Let’s get into the top platforms for finding gently-used goods that cost $0.
Where to Get Free Clothes Online
1. Freecycle
Freecycle connects you with other people who are looking for and offering free stuff. Search for items in your area to find what you’re looking for. You can also post an ad so you can try and match with people who are selling items you want and need.
2. Enter Contests
Tons of companies give away millions of stuff for free each year, including vacations, cars and even clothing. Search online for various sweepstakes and giveaways that offer free clothes to winners.
3. Become an Influencer
Got a large following on social media – or are you dedicated to growing one? If you have enough followers, apply to companies and ask them if you can represent their brand by trying out their products and services. Oftentimes, you don’t even need to ask – companies will send you free stuff. In exchange, you’ll review their products and promote it on social media according to an agreement you arrange with the company!
4. Earn Points and Redeem for Clothing
While you aren’t getting clothing for free directly (you’re still spending money), taking online surveys and redeeming rewards can help you earn money to buy clothing with. Sites such as SurveyJunkie and the UserTesting app and website are great side hustles that allow you to participate in paid market research online, surveys and testing out websites. Once you hit a certain amount of money, redeem your points for a gift card or PayPal cash.
Once you have the cash, transfer the funds to your bank. When you have enough, you’ll be able to purchase that beautiful jacket you’ve been eyeing for months!
Other Ways to Get Free Clothes
Go to a Clothing Swap
Here’s a great way to get free clothes without spending a dime on new wears: a clothing swap! What is a clothing swap? Essentially, this is an event where people bring their gently-used goods and exchange them for new-to-them clothing.
Clothing swaps are great for several reasons:
- Spend almost no noney
- Declutter your closet of stuff you don’t wear
- Help the environment
- Make new friends
Reasons to Go to a Clothing Swap
Reason #1: Spend Almost No Money
Firstly, clothing swaps are an easy way to spend next to nothing on new-to-you pieces! Outside of your time and the money spent on transportation to get to the event, you won’t spend a dime on new clothes. If you’re really watching your spending, a clothing swap is a great way to keep your wallet fat.
Reason #2: Clean Out Your Closet
Take a look in your closet. How many items of clothing do you own? Probably more than enough. Do you really wear all of the clothing you have all the time? Chances are, if you’re like most people, you might only wear 20% of the clothing in your closet. Decluttering your closet, giving away clothing and trading it in for a few new pieces (maybe not as many as you had before!) is a great way to become more mindful of what you own versus wear.
Here’s a quick tip to help you choose what can go and what can stay. Move all your clothing to the right side of your closet rack. When you wear a piece of clothing, move it to the left side of the rack.
At the end of one month, check to see which items were not worn – the pieces still on the right side of your closet. Outside of clothing for special occasions and out-of-season clothing (eg. if it’s summer, you won’t wear a winter jacket), you can likely give away anything you didn’t wear.
Reason #3: Help the Environment and Reduce Negative Impacts
Another fantastic reason to participate in a clothing swap outside of getting free clothes? By repurposing and reusing clothing, you aren’t tossing clothing in the landfill. Additionally, you aren’t contributing to the emissions produced by factories and trucks that make and transport your clothing. Another important note: when you recycle clothing, you aren’t buying fast-fashion pieces likely made by people in unfair conditions, such as sweatshops.
Reason #4: Make New Friends
A clothing swap is an event where people meet with one common interest: getting free clothes! This is a great opportunity to meet new people. Browse what people have to offer and chat them up. Feeling shy? A clothing swap is a great way to make some new connections. Don’t know what to talk about? Remember – you already have one thing in common – you love finding new clothes at a bargain! Chat up that friendly stranger about her favorite dress style (midi or maxi?) or boots (heels or flat?). Before you know it, you’ll have made some connections with likeminded people!
Reason #5: Look Chic and Fashionable
Last but not least, my favorite reason for participating in clothing swaps to get free clothing: the fashion! If you’re looking for a low-risk way to try out flare jeans or a sleeveless dress, free clothing is a low-risk way to experiment with your look. I know that for me, I have specific cuts of clothing I know look good on me. If I want to try out a new style, I’m quite apprehensive. I do try on clothing at the store before purchasing it, but sometimes I end up not buying special items. Why? I can’t justify dropping $70 on a dress with a unique style I may get tired of wearing after a few months.
Getting funky styles for free is great because if you get sick of a certain piece, you can give away the clothing to someone else. You won’t feel as if you wasted money on something you never wear!
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How to Find a Clothing Swap Event
So you’ve decided you want to participate in a clothing swap, but how do you find one? You can browse websites such as Clothing Swap to find events in your area. Additionally, are you can browse Facebook to see if any clothing swaps are going on in your city.
Small-town dweller where there’s not too much going on in terms of events? Can’t wait to find some new-to-you, free clothes? Why not get a few friends or family members together and arrange a clothing swap? Set aside a couple hours on a Saturday or Sunday afternoon. Send out invitations you made from Canva and offer food and refreshments during the event. You can even make it a potluck event. If the weather is nice, why not do it in the backyard?
Want to do the online thing? Websites like Swap Society allow you to swap clothing for a nominal price. While it isn’t free, this is a great option for those of you who don’t want to go through the logistics or work of arranging and attending an in-person event. Why not try a clothing swap app, too? Check out this article to find an app that works in your country. Some apps only work in the UK, so check first before downloading.
Whatever format you do or however fancy you make your clothing swap event, it’s a great way to catch up with family and friends, all while practicing being frugal and thrifty!
Drawbacks of Clothing Swaps
One downside to a clothing swap in terms of getting free clothing: it technically isn’t entirely free. Outside of the money spent on getting to and from the event and your time, you’re still giving away clothing – this is the ‘cost’. You could get away with showing up to a swap empty-handed, but this isn’t too nice of a thing to do! The entire purpose of a clothing swap is to exchange clothing with likeminded people. Go and find some deals, but make sure you show up with a few pieces you no longer wear or need. Offering old clothing will not only benefit others, but you’ll feel satisfied having helped people and cleaning our your closet!
Repurpose Old Clothes
Do you have any old pieces of clothing that have seen better days? If you learn how to sew, you’ll not only know how to mend clothing rather than throwing it out, you’ll be able to get creative and make completely new pieces from old clothing. Got an old sweater? Cut up the pieces and make a patchwork skirt. Got some old corduroy pants? Sew a cute tote or handbag. Learning how to repurpose old clothes is creative and fun!
If you want to share your creations, why not try opening an Etsy store? Increasing your income is a great way to keep and earn more money.
Enjoy getting creative with clothing!
Ask a Thrift Store for Clothing
Every year, thrift stores receive hundreds of thousands of donations. Often, they receive many more donations than they can accept that vary in quality and style. Additionally, most thrift stores screen the wares donated to them to check to see if the item is in good shape and is something someone might actually buy. For this reason, thrift stores often have bags of clothing that are unsellable. The stores might recycle the clothing.
While the obvious route of saving money by frequenting thrift stores is to buy clothing secondhand at a fraction of the retail price, our goal is for you to get free clothing. How do you go about finding free clothing at a thrift store? Don’t be afraid to call up your local secondhand shop and inquire about any clothes they might have for free! If a store says that there are some extra clothes laying around, go to the store and check out what’s available. Know how to sew? You can take previously unsellable clothing and repurpose it.
If you’re a bit shy about asking, why not send the store an email address, if available? Remember, the worst thing they can say is “No, not right now.” It takes some getting used to, but putting yourself out there gets easier. One more thing: if a store doesn’t have free clothing, don’t get too hung up on it. Move on and try a new store. If you can’t find any stores with free clothing, opt for clothing swaps or hand-me-downs.
Hand-Me-Downs: Another Way to Get Free Clothes
Want an easy way to get free clothing? Ask friends and family if they have any clothing they aren’t wearing that you can have. There’s nothing wrong with wearing someone’s gently-used clothing. The clothing might have been sitting in your cousin or friend’s closet for months, and they’re happy to get rid of it. Not only are you getting some fashionable new-to-you pieces for free, you’re helping your friend clean out their closet!
Frugal vs. Cheap with Free Clothing
I’ve shared a few fun and easy ways with you to get free clothing. However, don’t be afraid to splurge on quality items. Sometimes, it’s worth buying classic pieces for the full retail price, such as black heels or a blazer. While you may be saving money short-term by buying used classics, it’s generally a good idea to buy high-quality items that you can wear time and time again as part of a capsule wardrobe. If a friend has a pair of basic jeans or a basic black t-shirt they don’t want anymore, by all means, take it! However, don’t rely on free clothing as a way to stock your basic capsule wardrobe.
Additionally, if you’re constantly trying to pinch pennies and get free stuff from family or friends, you might come off as cheap. Don’t adopt a scarcity mindset and be afraid to spend any money at all. Getting free clothing is a great way to save money, but don’t get carried away!
Do You Need All Those Free Clothes?
Another note: not everyone has the privilege of buying retail-priced clothing. While it’s exciting to pay $0 for that new pair of jeans or scarf, do you know someone who needs it more? Ask yourself, “Do I need clothes for free?” If the answer is no, you might want to consider limiting your thrifty hauls and giving some of your clothing to someone in need first. Personally, before I pursue finding some more free clothes, I like to do my part by donating any old clothing I’m not using to a secondhand shop. Those who frequent thrift stores often can’t afford to buy retail. When you donate to a thrift store, you’re also helping the store. How? The store makes a sale and the proceeds typically go go towards a charity, often in your community!
Another personal note – I like to buy my core, staple pieces retail, then get special pieces secondhand. Why? When you buy items new and at a retail price, they’ll last a lot longer than buying it from a fast-fashion place.
Conclusion: How to Get Free Clothes
There are so many different ways to get free clothes and benefits to wearing gently-used pieces. By learning how to get free clothes by contacting family and friends, taking on side work to redeem gift cards, clothing swaps and learning how to sew, you’ll be well-equipped to find fabulous pieces for zero dollars!
Enjoy, get creative and have fun with frugal fashion!
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Janita is a frugal living expert and owner of Frugal Fun Finance. With over five years of personal experience finding and trying out the best ways to make and save more money, she's eager to share her knowledge. Janita's strategies have helped her save thousands of dollars for funding investments and traveling to over 20 countries.
Janita completed training in personal finance at The University of Western Ontario and McGill University, two prestigious Canadian universities. Her expertise has been shared on GoBankingRates, Yahoo Finance, and NASDAQ.com.
