AITA for selling my clothes instead of giving them to my sister?

In a teenage bedroom bursting with style, a 15-year-old faced a closet conundrum. Her wardrobe, a treasure trove of outgrown treasures, sparked envy in her 11-year-old sister, Kaydence. But hand-me-downs came with a catch—Kaydence’s knack for turning pristine sweaters into tattered relics. Tired of watching her favorites vanish into a drawer-shaped void, the teen hatched a plan: sell her clothes to friends, pocketing cash for her savvy.

The scheme hummed along until Kaydence tattled, and parental wrath crashed in like a storm. Grounded, with her phone on the chopping block, she hid her earnings like a mastermind. Was she a selfish hoarder or a clever entrepreneur? Readers perk up, sensing a clash of loyalty and independence. When family expects you to share, where’s the line? This tale of threads and tempers begs exploration.

‘AITA for selling my clothes instead of giving them to my sister?’

I (15f) have a younger sister, Kaydence (11f). We are close in clothing size because I'm pretty thin. She likes to beg for my old clothes but any time I've given her some (including ones I wanted to keep but was forced to give up) she either manages to destroy them the first day she has them or wear them once and then they sit in her drawers for the rest of eternity/throws them out basically.

We also go clothes shopping every season so we both end up having a lot of clothes. I don't really want to have a giant stockpile of clothes I don't wear anymore but I don't want to give them to Kaydence either since they just go to waste. I decided to start selling them to my friends and classmates by posting them on Snapchat and Instagram.

It also works out since my parents don't give us allowances so I have my own pocket money. I've made a lot of money by doing this and have over $100 saved. Unfortunately she found out after I refused to give her a sweater I sold to one of my friends already and she told my parents.

They basically busted my door down and demanded to know why I was selling my old clothes. I told them that Kaydence doesn't take care of her clothes like I do and that I am tired of letting her let them go to waste because it's not like she doesn't have her own clothes anyways.

They got mad and said that she's my sister so I should be giving her my stuff and said I was selfish for selling my clothes instead. They demanded I give them my money so they could buy her replacements of the clothes I sold and tried digging through my room to find the money but luckily I was smart and hid it well.

Now I'm grounded and they said if I sell my clothes I either have to give them the money or they will take my phone away. They also say they're going to do backpack checks to make sure I'm not sneaking any clothes out.. I feel bad since they are my parents adn I should probably listen to them. Am I the a**hole?

A teen’s closet shouldn’t ignite a family showdown, but here we are. The OP’s hustle—selling clothes to dodge her sister’s careless streak—clashes with her parents’ old-school “share with family” mantra. Kaydence’s habit of trashing or ignoring hand-me-downs fuels the OP’s rebellion, while her parents’ punishment feels like a power grab over her budding independence. It’s a sitcom-worthy spat, with backpacks checked like airport security and cash hidden like pirate loot.

This tussle mirrors a bigger question: who owns a teen’s stuff? A 2023 Pew Research study found 68% of teens crave financial autonomy, often clashing with parental control. The OP’s parents, by demanding her earnings, may see clothes as family property since they foot the bill. But the OP’s logic—why waste what Kaydence ruins?—holds water in a world valuing sustainability.

Dr. Lisa Damour, a teen psychology expert, notes, “Adolescents need space to make decisions, even small ones, to build confidence”. Damour’s view suggests the OP’s side hustle is a healthy flex of agency, not selfishness. Her parents’ heavy-handed response risks stifling that growth, especially since Kaydence has her own wardrobe. Damour might urge a compromise: let the OP keep some earnings while teaching Kaydence to value shared items.

Advice? The OP should propose a deal—sell some clothes but save a few for Kaydence, proving she’s not dodging family ties. Parents could set ground rules, like approving sales, to ease their fears of rebellion. Stashing cash safely, maybe in a bank account, avoids future raids.

Here’s how people reacted to the post:

Reddit brought the sass and smarts to this one, dishing out takes that range from sneaky tips to sharp scolds. Here’s the raw scoop from the crowd:

ksujoyce1 − NTA, but your parents are. Just give your clothes to your friends (for a donation should they choose), but your friends need to pick up the clothes from your house. If your parents try to search your friends’ bags when they leave, they should immediately call their parents to come over, and maybe your parents will see the error of their ways.

Either way, your parents are required to feed, clothe, and house you until you’re an adult, or they kick you out (legally). ETA: I understand is your parent say they bought it so it’s theirs. But that’s kind of an a**hole thing for parents to say/do.. Or loosen the seams before you give them to your sister. She’ll damage them anyway.

whopeedonthefloor − NTA. Layers girl, laaaayers. They’ll never know what all you’ve actually got on when you leave the house. Good job hiding that money. You seem to have a knack for this, might think about making this a clothing resale job/business while you’re in hs/college.

nebagram − 'They demanded I give them my money so they could buy her replacements of the clothes I sold'. F**k that. When you were given these clothes (as you say you don't get an allowance, I'm guessing your parents bought them for you) was it with the explicit understanding that you'd then give them to your sister? If they were really your possessions, then the answer to that question should be 'no.' NTA.

SecretJournalist3583 − Info: did your parents buy the clothes for you in the first place?

Professional-Use7080 − It will be an unpopular opinion, but YTA, a minor one but still TA. The clothes your parents buy are for you to wear, not for you to make a profit. You are not the one paying for the clothes, so it is not your decision what happens to them once you are no longer wearing them.

The reselling is not a bad idea, goes nicely with the reuse/recycle mentality, but you need your parents consent for IT to be acceptable. What I have not seen mentioned here is that there might be another layer to the situation. Selling personal stuff left and right MAY look like a desperate way to get cash.

That would rise a few red flags to any parent. Fueling some kind of addiction would be my first guess. The parents do have a reason to be uncomfortable if they share that line of thought.. Your sibling having too many clothes is a different issue.

findthecircle − If your parents are buying these clothes, is it possible they expect you to pass them on to your sister? That's pretty typical in my experience....clothes are passed on to siblings, cousins and family friends.. I think YTA for not discussing this with your parents, and I get why they're pissed.

Individual_Money8404 − YTA. In other comments you said your parents bought your clothes. Keeping teens in clothing is ridiculously expensive, especially when you're trying to outfit them in whatever the latest styles are. You didn't have the right to sell them, much less keep the money from selling items that intrinsically aren't yours.

On a side note...little siblings want your styles and your clothes because they want to be like you. They look up to you. It's a compliment, no matter how annoying it can be. You also don't have to like how your sister treats your old clothing, but it's just clothing. Don't be petty with something that doesn't fit you anymore.

Bluevanonthestreet − Who originally bought the clothes? ETA - I see now that your parents bought them. I would absolutely not be happy if my teen was selling clothes that I bought. Especially if I had a younger child that could wear the clothes. Let your parents deal with her destructive tendencies.

guitarguywh89 − YTA Your parents bought the clothes with the idea they could pass them on to their other daughter when the first outgrew them. You want to sell your own clothes then get a job and buy them in the first place

1000thatbeyotch − NTA. Don’t worry about the backpack checks. Just wear the goods and hand them over once you get to school. Kaydence sounds entitled and your parents are enabling her. Can she not purchase your clothes from you the same as your friends are doing? See if this would be an option.

These Redditors aren’t holding back, but are they onto something or just stirring the pot? Let’s dig into what clicks and what clashes.

This closet caper leaves us wondering where fairness fits in family. The OP’s clever clothing hustle ran headlong into parental rules, sparking a debate about sharing versus self-reliance. Grounded but unbroken, she’s got us thinking—when does “mine” outweigh “ours”? Have you ever clashed with family over stuff that felt yours? Drop your stories or hot takes below. Let’s unravel this thread of loyalty, independence, and maybe a little teenage rebellion together!

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