Sample size of just me, but I’ve done some volunteering before and the amount of clothes that people donate is huge. But the chance of people in need actually wearing what was donated was small.
The guidance that my group was given was essentially, if it couldn’t be worn to a job interview or a religious service (think men’s chinos and a button up shirt, women nicer pants/skirt and good quality blouse), then throw it away. So I am not surprised.
I think the disconnect here is between the expectations of the donors of who the end users are, and their needs. I would have expected that donated clothes would end up with the homeless, who at least here (NYC) have a need for layers. I would not have expected donated clothes to have resale value, and to merely be functional. The idea that donated clothes should be job interview quality is new to me, and I guess probably none of my current wardrobe would qualify.
In Central America there's quite an industry here that resells donated clothes, used clothes and lightly used return products from stores from the U.S.
Clothes are sorted by brand/quality/size and some of them are job interview or even tv interview quality (after some minor size adjustments).
Earlier this year a group of our senators made a photo op while buying and wearing clothes from those stores. This was obviously a PR move, but quite popular with some voters.
I think you’re correct in very different market expectations. People effected by homelessness would be more interested in layers for protection from weather and I guess wouldn’t care much for how something looks so long as it’s clean/functional.
But the vast majority of people shopping at thrift stores or accepting donations and similar aren’t homeless, they’re just people without much money. They probably have plenty of old tshirts and jeans but might not easily have the money for a pair of khakis and an oxford shirt to wear to an interview for a new job as a retail clerk or cashier, or maybe receptionist at a business.
I would assume that the latter are, thankfully, more common than the former. In most cities.
The guidance that my group was given was essentially, if it couldn’t be worn to a job interview or a religious service (think men’s chinos and a button up shirt, women nicer pants/skirt and good quality blouse), then throw it away. So I am not surprised.