Wondering if it’s time to donate your purse? This guide will help you determine when it’s time to let go of your handbag. Plus, you’ll learn just how powerful that purse donation can be.
First, we need to talk about personal style. Personal style is just that, personal. And one of the best ways to show off your style is through the addition of accessories. From jewelry and belts to hats and shoes, accessory options are endless. But most people’s favorite fashion accessory is the mighty purse.
Purses come in every shape and size. Not only that, but different styles of purses serve different purposes. You wouldn’t want to take a small clutch to the beach any more than you would want to take a tote bag for a fun evening on the town. But sometimes, no matter how much you once loved a purse, you start to wonder if it has overstayed its welcome in your closet.
Use this guide as a quick checklist to determine which purses should stay and which purses you should donate.
Donate Purses You Never Use
When you’re looking through your handbags, look at each one individually and ask yourself—Have I used this purse in the last year? If the answer is no, it might be time to add that purse to your donation pile. Any purse you’re not regularly using is taking space in your closet. Space that could go to a purse you would love and use regularly. This is especially important if your closet space is limited.
If you’re struggling to identify purses you don’t use, try this simple trick. Tie a ribbon around the handle of each handbag in your closet. Every time you use a handbag, untie the ribbon from it. In 3-6 months, look back at the purses in your closet and see which ones still have a ribbon. Consider donating purses with a ribbon. Feel free to make exceptions for special occasion bags—especially if those purses are sentimental to you.
Donate Purses That Don’t Fit Your Current Lifestyle
Owning five beach bags when you hate the beach, or five nighttime clutches when you seldom attend evening events, is the definition of owning purses that don’t fit your lifestyle. Again, these bags are taking space in your closet that could go towards purses you genuinely love.
If you need help deciding if a purse fits your lifestyle, try this. Look at each bag individually and ask yourself—where would most people use this purse? Some possibilities are running errands, date night, travel, etc. Once you determine where you would use a particular purse, decide if you even need the purse for that task. Again, if you never go to the beach, you might not need a beach bag in your closet.
Don’t Keep Multiple Purses With The Same Style
It’s great to own bags that fit your lifestyle. But how many bags that serve the same purpose do you need? Look at the purses you have and determine if any two or more look and function similarly. If so, choose the purse you love and use the most to keep, and consider donating the other.
If you’re having a difficult time identifying similarities between your purses, organize them by use again. Once you have your handbags in these groupings, it’ll be easier to see what overlaps you may have in functionality and style.
Know When Your Style Has Evolved
Speaking of style, let’s talk about how it can change over time. Just like the seasons come and go, your style will evolve. How much it changes depends on you. For some people, their style is constantly changing, always in a state of fluctuation and experimentation. For other people, their style changes slowly as they grow their collections and discover new designs.
The best thing you can do for yourself, and the space in your closet, is to accept when your style has changed. It can be difficult to admit when a purse you once loved no longer fits your aesthetic. But it happens all the time. Need an easy way to determine if a purse no longer fits your style? Lay out three of your favorite outfits—try to include a variety among the three. And one by one hold up your purses to these outfits. If you come across a purse that doesn’t fit with any of your three outfits, you may have outgrown that bag’s style.
Donate Your Purse To Make A Difference
Knowing when it’s time to donate a bag can be difficult. Obviously, you should never donate a handbag that is still bringing you genuine joy. But if it’s not, it’s time to move along.
And one thing that could make your donation decision easier is knowing your purse donation is going towards a good cause. At One Purse, the donation of every handbag goes directly to helping survivors of sex trafficking. So instead of sitting in your closet collecting dust, your purse donation could help change someone’s life. Now that’s something you can feel good about.