In light of Tumblr exploding with Abercrombie & Fitch hate (for many reasons), I've recently been wondering what clothing companies do with their unsold product. Googling it isn't producing as much information as I'd have thought (I doubt there is a book in publication listing what companies do what either).

Honestly, I don't know if I should be surprised or not that it's not easy to find out which companies destroy unsold clothes.

As far as I've been able to find companies can either have their unsold clothes destroyed. They can sell the clothes to Salvaged Goods companies (who either sell the clothes in outlet/discount stores, or re-purpose the materials via recycling.), or donate them to various charitable organizations (most notably ones that clothe the homeless, or those living in impoverished conditions globally).

A&F proudly destroys their unsold product to preserve their "Cool and Beautiful People Only" image. Ralph Lauren also insists that stores that sell their products destroy unsold product to preserve the high fashion image of the label, and H&M is also known for doing this.

Wal-Mart says it donates the clothes, but people have caught various locations destroying them.

Notably Macy's and Brooklyn Industries are in the habit of donating unsold clothes to Clothing Banks. The Gap use to, but doesn't seem to any more.

Mainly there is a lot of general unspecific comments about stores selling their clothes to places like TJ Maxx and Marshall's, but I haven't been able to find out which ones.

Maybe the question should be what happens to the clothes that even outlet stores can't sell? Are those donated, re-purposed or destroyed?

Personally I don't feel comfortable buying clothes from companies that only add to textile waste, and pollution. Even if a company wants to preserve their label (which don't get me started on how lousy that sounds. They don't want anyone who can't afford $50 for a shirt to wear their label? They'd rather destroy clothes than have people living in underprivileged demographics wearing them?), they should at least have them recycled! What's the point in filling dumps with mutilated clothes?


What do you guys think? Does anyone know what more companies do with their unsold clothes? (Does anyone know what Suzy Shier does, I love their styles, but I can't bare to shop there if they just destroy them!)

Just thinking about the amount of waste we as consumers produce can make you crazy. There are times when I think about it and feel disgusted and want to change, but it's hard to fight against the status quo.

I really don't know what most clothing stores do with unsold product, but sadly it doesn't surprise me that a lot of it is destroyed. I imagine it costs more to repurpose it or distribute it to charity. I'm just as guilty of throwing away some old clothes that I knew would not be accepted to second-hand shops rather than trying to find a place that recycles worn out clothes. But I'm not even sure the process of "recycling" clothes is even that good for the environment. I imagine a lot of chemicals are required to complete the process.

Clothes are clothes. Having a brand doesn't magically make whoever wears it into royalty or whatever. That's some stupid elitist logic those companies have. I'm glad I never buy from them. Then again, I don't know what the places I buy clothes from does.

Most of my clothes are bought from Target, Ross, or overseas and online through eBay.
I think it's stupid how those high and mighty companies would rather destroy the clothing along with their reputation rather than donating it to those in need, or at least saving the fabric to salvage for future products. Fabric doesn't expire like milk, after all.

Actually, I never even thought of A&F or H&M as high class to begin with(I don't go out much). I thought they were just average class mall brands on par with Gap.

As someone who sometimes buys fabric, I don't even throw out fabric unless it's way too small to make even doll clothing pieces with. I save it all for later.

I also don't find A&F or H&M to be particularly high-end brands. I buy from H&M occasionally because they're one of the few clothing shops in my city with reasonable prices and clothes that will look okay on my body style. Most Japanese girls don't have big hips or busts, so it's hard to find flattering clothes.

I'm not a fan of elitist brand attitudes or brand worship either. It's never, ever appealed to me. But that said, I think even cheap brands have pretty questionable practices when you look closely.