Refresh your wardrobe for a Cause: Fashion Project

I recently read Overdressed: The Shockingly High Cost of Cheap Fashion by Elizabeth L. Cline and was quite shocked to learn about the process involved once clothes are donated to Thrift Stores. Essentially, the turnover is quite high and many clothes end up being sold in bulk overseas. Some items will be resold while others end up in a foreign landfill. That takes the "feel-good" out of donating, doesn't it? Well Fashion Project came up with a phenomenal solution to the high end items you wish to donate and tops my list of Socially Responsible companies.

FASHION PROJECT - clothing, shoes, accessories
I absolutely love Fashion Project's business model. Fashion Project resells high quality fashion with 55% of proceeds* going to the donor's charity of choice. They make the process incredibly simple:

1. They will send you a donation bag with pre-paid shipping for your high quality items or you can print a pre-paid label at home. 
2. You pick the charity that you want your contributions to go towards from their extensive list of charities.
3. Send in your items and Fashion Project will do the rest! 

Easy as that. They'll alert you when they've processed your donation and you'll receive a much higher tax deduction that you would by donating to a thrift store. Plus you'll feel pretty awesome about the impact of your donation. Personally, this has helped me part with many items that I simply haven't touched in the past year and it was so fulfilling to pack up a donation bag and select a charity that touched my heart. Charity's range from well-known organizations such as DRESS FOR SUCCESS & the BREAST CANCER RESEARCH FOUNDATION to smaller organizations such as KATE'S CLUB which empowers youth after the death of a parent or sibling.

SHOP TILL YOU DROP
Need to do some shopping? Look no further - Fashion Project only resells quality merchandize and is forthcoming about any flaws in the product. If you don't like purchasing items second-hand, rest assured that Fashion Project has a great selection of 'New With Tag' items. Plus - they've managed to acquire many celebrity donors so stay on the lookout and you could purchase a red carpet item for only a fraction of the price. Majority of purchases are refundable but once you see the dollar amount that your purchase has raised towards charity, you'll give returns a second thought!

Fashion Project's Mission: "to help you become a hero just for buying a pair of Jimmy Choos." What other reason do you need to give your wardrobe a make-over to kick off the new year?



*As stated on Fashion Project's website, 55% is donated after a $20 processing fee is deducted. If your item sells for less than $20, Fashion Project generously waives the processing fee.