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The idea of having new clothes or updating your wardrobe is always fun and satisfying. Nonetheless, the associated costs? Not that much.
And if you’re like me, who always wants to save money, you probably avoid spending excessively on new clothes unless necessary.
Thus, I am constantly excited to find ways to get free stuff. I’ve already experienced receiving free stuff without the price tag – from free DoorDash to free makeup and free Starbucks drinks and gift cards. The joy of getting something without paying is unmatched – it’s like getting free money!
Nope, I’m no Scrooge, but hey, a lot of companies offer their products free of charge in exchange for consumer reviews. Plus, there are cashback reward sites that I regularly use to get the most freebies.
Are you a fellow budgetarian or an expert bargain hunter? I bet you’ll be happy to know you can get clothes with zero fee.
From hand-me-down items and professional attire to unique brand-new pieces, here are clever hacks to get free clothes for men, women, and children. I repeat, these are FREE.
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Best Ways to Get Free Clothes Online
All the strategies below can help you get your hands on some fresh clothes without the price tags. They only require little to no effort at all. Plus, there are no hidden fees, I promise.
1. Freecycle & Free Sharing Platforms
Giveaway sites like Freecycle and free sharing platforms (i.e., Buy Nothing) are some of the easiest ways to get free clothes. Instead of trying to sell clothes on popular clothing apps, or keeping them at home collecting dust, people turn to the internet and offer unwanted or old clothes to the online community.
Freecycle is a great platform to get freebies. You can find just about anything there – whether you’re after a chic sundress, children’s attire, materials for your next DIY project, or a snug throw. The community thrives on a pay-it-forward spirit, offering items with the chance of finding something special in return.
Basically, if you want to get free clothes at no cost, you’re also encouraged (NOT REQUIRED) to give away things you no longer need or use. The same goes with Buy Nothing. It’s a community hub where you can score some great free finds locally, and it won’t cost you more than a thank you.
To join these free clothes apps, you must sign up on the site or app. After you become a member of an online local community, you can start exploring the items offered free or request a thing you need. However, no one is required to deliver your requests.
To effectively get or request free stuff online, read the rules of the community you participated in. For instance, some groups may want you to give away something for free before you can request free stuff from others.
2. Earn Free Clothing Gift Cards
If you’re looking for free brand-new clothing to add to your wardrobe collection, try money-making apps, reward sites, and credit card cash-back programs to build up points for clothing gift cards.
You can earn cash and reward points on the best survey sites like Swagbucks, Branded Surveys, MyPoints, and Survey Junkie. By completing daily activities such as watching video content, shopping on the web, responding to quick polls, and answering surveys, you can gather points. These accumulated reward points can be used to redeem free gift cards for your favorite brands.
Your well-earned gift card reward is the perfect companion for a shopping spree at fashion favorites such as Old Navy, Gap, American Eagle, Nike, and Athleta, to name a few. For a broader selection, consider gift cards from Amazon, Target, and Walmart.
Also, Lululemon lovers, you don’t want to miss this. With their Like New program, your old Lululemon outfits could turn into gift cards worth $5 to $25. Right now, this swap is on offer in Texas and California, but they’re gearing up to roll it out from coast to coast.
3. Fashion Blogging & Influencing
Starting a fashion blog or growing your social media account is a fun way to get free clothing.
If you are passionate about writing, consider starting a blog. On the other hand, if you excel in photography, especially in taking Outfit of the Day (OOTD) photos, Instagram provides an excellent stage for your skills. Meanwhile, video enthusiasts skilled in production and editing should consider starting their own YouTube channel or TikTok account.
On all these platforms, you need a large following to get free stuff. This is the hardest part, but once you gain massive followers, you can start reaching out to different brands for potential partnerships like getting clothes to promote.
To do this, you need to send emails or direct messages to their social media platforms. Your message must indicate how you love to promote their products and how the collaboration could benefit you and the brand.
If you already have a huge following, sometimes it’s the brand themselves that will offer a collaboration. Do you see social media influencers giving free Shein discount codes as they showcase their clothing haul on their platforms? That’s because the brand reached out to them to promote clothes from Shein.
4. Craigslist & Local Classifieds
We know Craigslist as a platform to buy and sell things. However, did you know that you can also find free stuff here? In fact, if you’re looking for free clothes online, this is the first site you should check.
Craigslist will not only allow you to find high-quality items. But it also makes sending free clothes to you more convenient. After all, it’s a local-based platform.
On the free section of your region’s Craigslist, you will find many items such as baby wear, workout essentials, and other basic and unique clothing for both men and women.
Refine your options by entering specific clothing preferences into the search bar. For example, if you’re on the platform for formal attire, key in “formal outfit” or other relevant keywords to tailor your search.
Meanwhile, if you only wish to get free clothes from people you know, you can check your Facebook community or neighborhood groups to see whether free items are being offered. Like Craigslist, Facebook groups can help you reach out to people giving away clothes in your area.
5. Social Media Giveaways
Participating in social media giveaways is a fun way to get freebies, especially for students who want to save money.
Fashion and apparel industries have invaded social media for their marketing strategies. To promote their business, one of the famous tactics of almost all companies is to host social media giveaways.
This hack may require a lot of patience and may be the hardest hack to get free clothes. But if your entry has been chosen, the clothes you’ll receive are 100% brand new. After all, why would businesses give you hand-me-down clothes?
Giveaway contest mechanics are almost the same: following a brand’s social media account, commenting on a post, and tagging a specific number of friends. Brands get to choose the winners; most times, they do it through raffle draws.
When you have spare time, check out your favorite brands’ social media accounts to see if they are hosting any giveaways. You can also use the following hashtags to search for giveaway content on Instagram:
#clothesgiveaway
#giveawayclothes
#(insertnameofbrand)giveaway
#shirtgiveaway
#Giveawaycontest
And before I forget, here’s another caveat. Go to Reddit and type in the search bar “clothes giveaway.” You will get plenty of results, which you can filter by date to help yourself find the latest giveaway contests to join.
6. Become a Product Tester
Your job as a product tester is exactly what these words convey. You test the products from a brand and you will give feedback on their products.
Product testing helps companies collect opinions about their items before or after release. The best example of this is Influenster.
For these purposes, brands may give you free clothing in exchange for an authentic review. Many consider the free clothing as payment, while others still offer monetary compensation.
If you’re an athlete, it will be easier for you to get product testing opportunities from fitness and footwear brands.
After all, you are the most appropriate person to do a review because brands know you can highlight both the strengths and weaknesses of their products, helping them make necessary changes.
However, a lot of brands offer product testing programs regardless of profession. You simply need to sign up for their program, provide your clothing sizes, and wait to be contacted.
Here are some top fashion brands that do these:
- Adidas (free Adidas gear)
- Under Armour (Athletic clothing)
- Reebok (free shoes and clothes)
- Saucony (free clothing)
- New Balance (free casual or leisure items)
- Allegra K Fashion (free clothing)
- Glamorise (free bras, shapewear, and more)
- Summer Infant (baby clothes, gear, and more)
- Shein (free men’s and women’s clothing, baby clothes, pet clothes, makeup, and accessories)
Best Ways to Get Free Clothes Near You
There’s a world of free clothing options right under our noses. I once asked my cousin if they had clothes they didn’t need and ended up with a bunch of chic outfits, several unworn, and still had price tags on! Or you can get creative and organize a clothing swap with your friends. My sister did one last summer, and it was not just fun but also a stylish way to recycle fashion. Also, have a look at local nonprofits. They often have initiatives to distribute free clothes, and it’s a great help for the community.
7. Clothing Swaps
Have you ever attended a clothes-swapping event? If not, I suggest you try. This, in my opinion, is the most fantastic way of getting unique clothes for free because organizers make participation guidelines. I’ve participated in events like this before and the experience has been unique and rewarding.
There, I discovered some fantastic pieces, met new faces, and saw the joy in people finding clothes they loved, as well as the satisfaction of those parting with items they no longer needed.
If you don’t know any community that holds clothes exchanges, try joining swap groups on Facebook or Meet Up. You can organize your own and invite the neighborhood to participate. This is also a smart move if you want to know the origins of each cloth.
Should you decide to host one, you must establish clear rules like clothing conditions, a specific theme (casual or formal), and the limit of items. Emphasize that quality over quantity matters for the event.
8. Craigslist & Local Classifieds
Want to get free clothing today? Don’t underestimate Craigslist! Craigslist and local classifieds like Facebook groups are excellent destinations to score free clothing within your vicinity.
These platforms are not known as free clothing sites, but you will be surprised by the number of people giving away free clothes online.
The clothing items that are up for grabs are usually outgrown baby clothes to various teenager’s, men’s, and women’s clothing. These are from people who want to clear their closets. Just hop onto Craigslist’s “free section” or join your local free stuff Facebook groups to find free giveaways.
When I checked my local area’s Craigslist site, I found a box full of women’s clothing from someone who wants to relocate to another city and a mom offering her baby’s old clothes and other baby supplies.
You might assume that people who give free stuff here are unwearable clothing, but that’s not necessarily the case. Yes, some items are a hit or a miss, but for the latter, you might only need to extend your patience (and maybe a spin in the washing machine!).
It’s important to remember that when you’re out picking up clothes, you need to follow some safety rules. For instance, only meet up in a well-lit public space. If you can’t have someone to accompany you, tell any of your friends or family where you are going and the person you’re meeting.
9. Garage Sales & Estate Sales
I’m 100% sure that you can get free items during garage sales and estate sales. It’s not the only local event where you can get cheap clothes, but it’s also the best way to find free clothes.
Some homeowners are participating in garage and estate sales to declutter their old stuff. And every single one of them (or most of them) wishes that all their items be sold or disposed of.
I think these events in my neighborhood are fantastic. There’s a neighbor known for hosting garage sales with a selection of Lululemon sweaters, a real hit among the community. A great strategy for getting some of those items for free? Show up early to the event, support them by purchasing a few pieces, and then casually inquire about any freebies – that’s how you might just get your hands on those dresses you’ve been eyeing!
You can also close a deal by offering sellers to help them set up their booth, clean up after the sale, or ask for the remaining unsold clothing. At the end of the event, sellers are often tired, so they will most likely get rid of their stock. Some of them will gladly give their stuff at no cost to you.
10. Charity Organizations & Non-Profits
If you’re tight on budget, you can get both basic clothing and professional attire from shelters, charity organizations, and other religious groups near you.
Many of these organizations offer free stuff to those in need. Don’t feel afraid nor ashamed of reaching out to them if you ever find yourself needing free clothes to use for your day-to-day life.
Don’t know of any non-profit organizations near your area? Call your local 211 service and ask them for free clothing programs within the community. You can also reach out to these reputable organizations, in case, they are nearby:
- The Salvation Army
- Goodwill
- AMVETS National Service Foundation
- The Arc
- PickUpMyDonation.com
- Big Brother Big Sisters of America
On the other hand, if you’re a student, you might want to check your school or university’s donation program. Most schools organize this type of event to help out students who are struggling financially.
FAQs
Is There Any Way to Get Free Clothes?
There are a lot of ways to get free clothes. You are not only limited to local communities because the internet provides more avenues to help you add something to your wardrobe without spending a single penny.
Brand-new clothes are often given through social media giveaways, freebies from top clothing apps, free trials for product testing, and PR packages sent to influencers.
Then there’s Freecycle, Buy Nothing, Craigslist’s free section, and various Facebook groups – these are awesome for finding free stuff both online and in your local area. Moreover, clothing swaps, charitable institutions, and donation drives are the easiest channels to secure free clothing in your neighborhood.
How Can I Get Lots of Cheap Clothes?
To get lots of cheap clothes, keep an eye out for end-of-season sales where you can get new items at steep discounts. Don’t underestimate thrift stores and garage sales either – you can find some real gems there. A clever hack is to buy gift cards in bulk from your favorite brands during the holidays. More often than not, these come with bonus cards, maximizing your spending power. When you combine these cards with extra discounts, the savings can be pretty substantial.
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