No. 01
Donations
Donors can send well-preserved clothing and shoes free of charge in a large cardboard box to the organization in Helmstedt. The Deutsche Kleiderstiftung provides parcel labels for download on its website. In Helmstedt, the parcels are then opened, sorted by hand, and categorized by product group.
Click here for the website: kleiderstiftung.de
No. 02
Repair
Often, simple tricks and a bit of skill are enough to repair a defective favorite item. For trickier cases, it's worth visiting a tailor or even a dry cleaner. There, even seemingly hopeless cases can shine in new splendor.
Otherwise, you can often turn old clothes into practical everyday helpers or home textiles such as dust cloths, pillowcases, or even hair ties. Let your creativity run wild!
No. 03
Swap
So-called clothes swap parties are becoming increasingly popular. Here, everyone brings clothes they no longer wear and can then swap them for the discarded "old clothes" of others participating in the party. Most of these parties take place privately – why not ask your friends?
Swap parties offer a great happening and sense of community.
Over drinks and snacks, you can exchange ideas and advise each other in a relaxed atmosphere.
At some stores, you can also drop off your sorted-out clothes by the bag and receive a voucher from the respective store in return.
This is a good alternative if you also shop there regularly. The clothing handed in is usually recycled and thus returned to the textile cycle.
No. 04
Rent
Renting clothes is also on-trend. More and more providers offer a wide selection of fashionable and timeless items that can be rented with a monthly subscription. If you no longer like the clothes, they are simply sent back. If you have rented a new favorite item that you no longer want to part with, there is also the option to buy the item.
Tip: At Kleiderei Köln and Freiburg, you can currently find great LANIUS favorites.
For particularly valuable favorites with small holes and other defects, we also offer our repair service and cooperate with the professional artistic darning workshop PlisseeBecker.
We encourage you to have your LANIUS favorite items professionally mended – and as a gift, we'll cover the shipping costs to PlisseeBecker in Cologne throughout the EU. Learn more here
No. 05
Sell
If you want to make a little money from your former favorites, there's nothing wrong with that, and here are a few options:
On Vinted (formerly Kleiderkreisel) or eBay Kleinanzeigen, for example, you can upload as many items as you want and sell them on your terms. Listing and selling can be quite time-consuming, but this is probably where you'll make the most profit.
Sites/apps like Momox or Zalando buy items for a small price. However, the clothes must first be sent in and checked before you receive money for the items. The effort is limited, but so is the turnover. For high-quality clothing, you can assume that somewhat better prices will be achieved. Therefore, investing in sustainable, timeless, and high-quality clothing is worthwhile in this case.
Flea markets are also highly recommended for selling clothes. It's best to check locally when flea markets are taking place again. Girls' flea markets, for example, are highly recommended for current fashion as well as vintage items.
Tip: You can now officially sell particularly well-preserved LANIUS favorites through our partner Buddy&Selly as part of our Care – Repair – Resell Services. In addition to the proceeds, you will receive an extra €5 voucher code for the LANIUS online shop.
If your sorted-out clothes cannot be repaired, given away, sold, or upcycled, they can, of course, also be disposed of in the trash. Defective and heavily soiled clothing should NOT be disposed of in used clothing containers!
By the way:
How does LANIUS handle complaints, old stock, and sample items?
It is important to us that no manufactured goods have to be destroyed. Therefore, we only produce on demand with pre-orders – i.e., at the request of (wholesale) dealers – and plan only a small quantity for our warehouse. Furthermore, we only produce 2 collections a year – and thus try to avoid overproduction. More on the topic: "The Future of Fashion is slow – Why we only make two collections per year?"
Nevertheless, we also don't have a 100% sell-out. Where does our old stock go?
We donate old stock and/or pass it on to online shops that value the longevity of each garment produced as much as we do. At Otrium, for example, you can already find LANIUS favorites from older seasons. Further collaborations with online shops are in planning.
We also have our own outlet and even a warehouse sale for our goods in Cologne. There, claimed but still wearable favorites, or items from older seasons, are offered at reduced prices.
In the future, we also wish to collaborate to give a new life to discarded, defective items through upcycling. This way, no LANIUS item has to end up in the trash.
