Sometimes.

Unfortunately we have limited space and cannot accept everything that is offered to us. We host several collection events per year where we accept materials for recycling (including adding to our collection) and 1 free box of recycling per month for members.

Please see our recycling service page for how to recycle and redistribute your materials with Conscious Costume.

Conscious Costume is a specialty recycling service, where you have the peace of mind that textile circularity experts are rehoming each item with care whether to vulnerable communities, our costume rentals, or a recycling facility. We’ve done the research for you so you know everything you give us is getting the best next life possible.

Our greatest community needs right now are the following items and we will accept these free of charge:

• Well constructed period garments of all eras, particularly Regency Era

• Well constructed or in good shape vintage

• Plus size costumes of any era

• 2 and 3 piece matched suits

• Matched sets of costumes for any era

• Religious garb including nun wimples

WE DO NOT ACCEPT ANY PROPS OR NON COSTUME/TEXTILE ITEMS.

Your recycling fee helps us keep Conscious Costume running! There are costs associated with storing, organizing, and redistributing materials.

We understand you could donate for free to a thrift store but did you know that only 16% of the clothes that are donated to thrift stores actually make it to the sales floor? At Conscious Costume, we do our best to rehome every material we receive in a sustainable way, your recycling fee helps make this happen while maintaining low rental fees for our community.

Check out our Recycling Services page to learn more and schedule an appointment.

Lots of places! 

We do our best to ensure that all costume materials are allocated to new uses after each production. This includes:

• Fabric

  • Pieces over ½ yard will go in our Members Free Store or may be resold.

  • Smaller pieces of unknown fiber will go in our free scrap bins and be available to the community for free at fabric sales and other events

  • 100% cotton knits, 100% cotton wovens, 100% polyester knits, and 100% polyester wovens will be recycled via our partnership with National Safety Apparel

• Notions

  • Added to our Members Free Store

  • Donated to educational programs

• Equipment like sewing machines, steamers, scissors, etc...

  • Added to our Members Free Store

  • We are exploring having an equipment rental library but so far there has been limited interest

• Costume pieces

  • Incorporated into CC's rental collection for rentals and resale

  • Saved for annual October costume swap co-hosted with the Chicago Green Theatre Alliance

  • Resold online or at our location.

• Clothing

  • Donated relevant and needed clothing to community partners

  • Contributed to clothing swaps hosted by CC and other community partners 

  • Resold online and at our location.

• Shoes

  • Donated relevant and needed shoes to community partners

  • Kept costume shoes for rental or resale

  • Recycled sneakers via GotSneakers

• Boxes & packing materials

  • Recycled via EcoShip

  • Used to ship CC sales

• Socks

  • Donated to community partners 

  • Recycled via GoldToe's Terracycle program

List of Community Partners

For each of our major swaps, we reach out to community organizations for help repurposing the clothing, textiles, and costumes that are brought. We find that we often have an overabundance of donated materials that needs to be rehomed very quickly. We prioritize working with small, local non-profits, if you’d like to recommend a group, please get in touch.

• Lincoln Park Community Services (LPCS)

• Lincoln Park Community Center

• La Posada Family Shelter - Casa Central

• Cornerstone Community Outreach

• San Jose Obrero Mission - Family Intervention Center

• The Night Ministry - Open Door Shelter

• Harbor Lights Chicago Social Services

• Chicago Refugee Coalition

• RefugeeOne

• Care For Real

• Care for Friends

• Nourishing Hope

• Refugee Alliance

• Refugee Community Connection

• Heartland Alliance

• Trash People: The Parlor

• Sullivan High School Newcomers Academy

• Refugee Chicago

• Farnsworth Elementary School

• Dream Delivered

• Chicago Public Schools

At our October 2024 costume swap, people brought an average of 18.5 lbs of textiles each and only took an average of 9 lbs. Still, 62% of materials left with an event attendee that day. The remaining 38% of textiles, clothing, and costumes went with either Conscious Costume or Sharehowse (a local organization that distributes donations to nonprofit organizations, charities, families, teachers, students, disabled adults, and artists). 

Storing your recycling until the right person comes along can add up! When we receive your recycling, we first sort through and determine where it has the greatest value. Then we either have to store it for future rental at rates that are accessible to student and low-budget artists. Clothing resales only make up 4% of our annual budget (unlike a thrift store!) and we are primarily funded by Members and Rentals.

NO! Anyone can rent, Circle members are just really awesome people who are invested in Conscious Costume as a resource so they get special privileges: permanent alterations, discounts, longer rental times, complimentary consulting, etc…

We rent costumes out for any performance activity: film, theatre, dance, opera, etc…

At this time, we do not offer rentals for private use such as parties, but all are welcome at our October Costume Swap to find something for Halloween!

There are two easy ways to pull costumes, first is to visit us on Monday afternoons from 3:00-6:00, second is to make an appointment through our online booking system.

Unfortunately, we are unable to check our stock for individual items and can only provide general information about what we have available. If you’d like for us to pull on your behalf or check for a specific item, pulling fees are $30 per hour.

There are two easy ways to return your costumes, first is to visit us on Monday afternoons from 3:00-6:00, second is to make an appointment through our online booking system.

Sign up for our newsletter to never miss an event or check our events page.

We co-host a swap with the Chicago Green Theatre Alliance in mid October.

Plus an assortment of other swaps or events throughout the year.