Dress for the NHS: Donating with a difference

By Orin Carlin, Style Editor

The Croft Magazine // Three University of Bristol graduates have launched an online platform which aims to encourage people to simultaneously declutter their wardrobes and support the NHS.

The playfully named Closet19 is the collective brainchild of recent graduates, Sally Patterson, Lucy Clumpas and Bella Stratton. This certainly will not have been the first COVID-19-related donation website to have seemingly emerged overnight, but frankly the way in which you can support them seems much less traumatic than attempting to randomly run 5K - despite never having run any further than the few metres required to flag down your Uber driver.

The concept is simple: users upload their unwanted, good quality item of clothing to Closet19’s website and once someone has bought it, their payment is automatically sent to NHS Charities Together, which supports NHS staff and volunteers alike.

Having browsed their website, I can confirm that they are stocking some great pieces looking for a decent home, ranging from the likes of Topshop denim skirts to Urban outfitters sheer T-shirts. The reasonable pricing will naturally appeal to students and I would urge you to take a look at their website perhaps instead of your nightly trawl through Depop.

Many of us have in recent years become more exposed to the perils of fast fashion and Clumpas very rightly describes their new venture as, ‘a guilt-free way for people across the UK to get their shopping fix ethically, all while raising money for an important cause.’

Well done and keep up the good work Closet19. Although they need your support – check them out on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram if for no other reason than indulging in some much needed retail therapy!

Featured: Sally Patterson

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