How Upsized Works
Upsized CIC is a community children’s clothing exchange and circular fashion platform for families across the UK. Our goal is simple: make it easier and more affordable to dress growing children, reduce textile waste, and create meaningful community impact. Here’s exactly how the process works — from passing on outgrown items to accessing great-quality clothes in the next size up.
At a Glance
- Pass on quality children’s clothing you no longer need.
- Get tokens as a thank-you for contributing.
- Follow the exchange process through Upsized’s online platform.
- Use your tokens to access the next sizes your family needs.
- Top up with low-cost extras if you want more than your tokens cover.
- Support the project by becoming a £10/month supporter to help it grow.
Why Families Love Upsized
New clothes are expensive, and children grow fast. By exchanging instead of repeatedly buying new, families can save money, reduce clutter, and keep quality garments in use for longer. We prioritise clean, good-condition items and a process that feels simple, fair, and family-friendly. As a Community Interest Company, any surplus is reinvested to strengthen the service, support families, fund community initiatives, and keep costs fair.
Step 1: Gather What You No Longer Need
Start by sorting through drawers and wardrobes for items your child has outgrown. We accept most children’s clothing from newborn through teen sizes, along with coats, shoes, and accessories such as hats, gloves, and school uniform basics. Please make sure everything is clean, stain-free, and in good condition — if you’d happily receive it yourself, it’s ideal for Upsized.
We can’t accept: damaged, torn, badly stained items, or underwear and socks without tags. This helps keep quality high for everyone.
Step 2: Start the Exchange Process
Once you’ve sorted your items, use Upsized’s online process to begin your exchange. This allows us to review what’s being passed on, organise the next steps, and keep the experience straightforward for families across the UK.
Step 3: Donate & Receive Tokens
When we receive your contribution, we sort and quality-check it. For fair exchanging, we issue tokens based on what you’ve added. Think of tokens as a simple, cash-free way to access the next sizes your child needs. As a guide, a standard contribution earns a token bundle that covers a typical refresh — for example, a few tops, a jumper, and a pair of trousers in the next size up.
Tip: The better the quality and the more seasonal the items, the more useful they are to other families — and the more tokens you’ll typically receive.
Step 4: Use Your Tokens to Access the Next Size Up
Once your tokens have been issued, you can use them through the Upsized exchange model to access the clothing your family needs next. We aim to keep the experience easy to navigate, fair in value, and focused on practical family use.
- Simple pricing: most items are designed to be accessible within the standard token model.
- Top-up options: low-cost add-ons are available if you’d like more items than your tokens cover.
- Quality first: all items are checked for good condition, so families can exchange with confidence.
Step 5: Keep the Circle Turning
Children grow, seasons change, and wardrobes evolve. When your child outgrows today’s haul, you can contribute again and repeat the cycle. Every time you exchange, you save money, cut waste, and help another family do the same. That’s the heart of the circular wardrobe.
Optional: Become a Monthly Supporter (£10/month)
If you believe in what we’re building, consider a small monthly contribution. Supporters help cover the costs of running and improving the service, expanding reach, and growing our wider community impact. As a thank you, supporters may receive benefits such as early access opportunities and occasional bonus token bundles.
What We Do with Surplus & Unclaimed Items
Not every contributed item will be matched immediately. We rotate stock across sizes and seasons, and we handle surplus responsibly. Good-quality items may be held for future exchange, directed to partner organisations that support families, or used in ways that help fund operations. Anything unsuitable for reuse is recycled rather than binned.
Fees, Tokens & Fairness
We use a simple £7 trade fee to help keep the exchange system running. Your exchange value comes from the tokens you earned when contributing — generally, the more and better-quality items you add, the more you can access in return.
Some items sit in higher tiers (for example: supermarket → high street → sports brand → designer). If you choose something above your token tier, there’s a small top-up to keep things fair and consistent:
- Moving up one tier costs £9
- Moving up two tiers costs £9 + £14
- Moving up three tiers costs £9 + £14 + £19
Most families only pay the £7 trade fee, but the top-ups help us balance fairness, recognise quality, and keep great items accessible to everyone.
Impact You Can See
Upsized exists to make a measurable difference. On our impact page, we publish live or evolving indicators such as items kept in circulation, textiles diverted from landfill, family participation, and funds channelled into projects that support children, families, and communities across the UK.
How We Keep Quality High
- Careful sorting: every piece is checked for condition.
- Seasonal curation: items are organised around what families need most.
- Clear labelling: sizes and categories are easy to understand.
- Feedback loop: we listen to what parents and carers need and improve the service over time.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to contribute to take part?
No — the platform is designed to stay flexible. If you haven’t contributed yet or need more than your tokens cover, low-cost top-ups can help keep things accessible.
What if I can’t use my tokens straight away?
Your tokens can carry forward for future use, subject to the platform’s current terms. The aim is to keep the system practical and family-friendly.
Is everything second-hand?
Mostly, yes — and that’s the point. You’ll often find items in excellent or “as new” condition, with occasional new-with-tags contributions. All stock is checked to be presentable and ready to wear.
Where does my money go?
Upsized is a Community Interest Company. Any surplus is reinvested into strengthening the service, improving operations, supporting delivery, and expanding impact for more families.
Can I volunteer?
Absolutely. As Upsized grows, volunteers and supporters can play an important role in helping with outreach, operations, family support, and community initiatives. Get in touch.
Our Promise
Fair, friendly, and transparent. We’ll always prioritise quality, affordability, and dignity. Upsized exists to make family life easier and kinder to the planet.
Next Steps
- Sort a bag of clean, good-condition children’s clothes.
- Start your exchange.
- Receive your tokens after quality check.
- Use those tokens to access the next sizes your family needs.
- Consider £10/month support to help Upsized grow.
If you’d like the full story behind the project, read About Upsized, or message us via Contact. We’d love to have you be part of Upsized.