By Kim WilkinsonTuesday 7 Jun 2016LifeReading Time: 2 minutes
Celebrity stylist Alex van Os is urging Aussies to clean out their wardrobes and donate the winter woollies they no longer wear, to their local Red Cross op shop.
Alex is a rising star on the fashion scene, having styled celebrities like Ricky Martin and the international coaches on The Voice, as well as working on The Bachelor, I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here, and Home and Away.
But behind all the glamour, she’s also as a dyed-in-the-wool op shopping fan, the woman behind the “Op Shop To Runway” Instagram page and an ambassador for the Red Cross. Her passion for mixing vintage op shop finds with new fashion pieces has brought a new generation of customers to the Red Cross op shop stores.
Courtesy of Alex van Os Instagram op_shop_to_runway
In a bid to help Red Cross to build up their op shop stock and support Australians in need this winter, Alex offers the following five rules of thumb for a successful wardrobe culling session.
- Can you wear it three ways? If you have a clothing item you love but haven’t worn in a while, see if you can wear it at least three different ways. If it can’t create at least three different outfits for you, it’s time to let it go.
- Give it a year. If you haven’t worn that favourite fashion piece in over a year, then need to give it away.
- De-clutter and donate. Organise your clothes by colour and category and at the same time make a ‘donate pile’ for anything you plan to give away to a charity shop.
- One for one. If you buy something new then think about what it is going to replace, and remove that from your wardrobe. It’s not about being wasteful, but about making more considered, smarter choices.
- Weekly Tidy-Up. Once everything is under control, take ten minutes each week to tidy up your wardrobe and make sure everything is in the right place. It saves time on the go, and hours of de-cluttering time later.
Australian Red Cross spokesperson Kate Dear says every donation made to their op shops helps people in need.
“The money raised from your knitted scarves and fleecy jumpers can be turned into a daily phone call to help elderly Australians stay safe and independent at home,” she said. “They could be used to provide a shower and a hot meal for a teenager facing homelessness, or clean drinking water for communities living in poverty.”
The Australian Red Cross relies on public donations and support to continue its work with vulnerable people and communities in Australia and around the world. Their work includes emergency response, international aid, support for immigrants and Australian indigenous communities, working against suburban disadvantage.
To find your nearest Red Cross Op Shop where you can make a winter donation go to www.redcross.org.au/winterwoollies.