Wardrobes across the country hold about $15 billion worth of clothing that has never been worn.
With nine in 10 Aussies admitting to clinging to clothes they never wear, the garment glut has amassed into a hidden fashion fortune, according to research from the Red Cross and Uber.
Their annual clothing drive on Saturday is expected to see people donate a record volume of quality pre-loved items.
Free couriers are available until 4pm to pick up donated clothes straight from doorsteps across Adelaide, Brisbane, Canberra, Melbourne, Perth and Sydney to Australian Red Cross stores.
A third of Australians admit sitting on more than $500 worth of unworn clothing.
One in five say they have more than $1000 worth of never-used garments sitting idle.
Quirky wardrobe habits and trends have added to the stockpile, from holding onto “just in case” outfits to the resurgence of cargo fashion and the 2010s ‘Tumblr’ indie style.
For those 'warehousing' clothes, colder weather layers dominate the items waiting for a second home, with jackets, jumpers and coats topping the list of clothes sitting unworn, followed closely by jeans and t-shirts.
Global pop icon and campaign ambassador Melanie C, formerly known as Sporty Spice, is opening her personal archive to donate three memorable looks including an iconic tracksuit, stage outfits and screen-worn pieces.
"I’ve spent 30 years in the game and my closet is bursting at the seams," she said.
"So I’m decluttering and donating to the Uber x Red Cross Clothing Drive."
Australian Red Cross retail head Richard Wood encouraged Aussies to donate clothing that’s clean, wearable and in good condition.
”Our Australian Red Cross Shops rely on community generosity to supply high-quality pre-loved clothing and every item sold translates into funds for critical humanitarian responses," he said.
The clothing drive builds on last year’s efforts where 125,000 kg of quality pre-loved clothing was collected.
This generated an estimated 110,000 shop-quality items, enough to stock five Australian Red Cross Shops for an entire year.
