3 Easy Ways to Upcycle Your Wardrobe
I wouldn’t do what I do if I couldn’t do it sustainably.
That is why I choose to work with upcycled fabrics. I am sure you’ve heard a lot about upcycling on trendy blogs or Etsy descriptions, but what is upcycling?
Upcycling is where you take an older garment or piece of fabric and turn it into something new. You can cut a pair of pants into shorts or even use bits and bobs left over from other projects to make applique patterns. Just because a pair of pants has a hole in them doesn’t mean they need to be binned. Upcycling challenges us to find new and creative ways to reuse the clothing that we do have and give it longer shelf life.
In a 2019 article by Business Insider, they cite that the Fashion Industry is responsible for 10% of all global emissions. Which is huge. That’s a large % of pollution. But when you think about it, it makes sense. Most people buy new clothes yearly. The idea that you can’t re-wear a dress to an event or else it looks tacky has been in fashion magazines since I was growing up. Additionally, thrifting has been looked down upon by certain people who see it as a negative thing. (Big shout out to people like Aisling Bea and Luinluland, both amazing women who are very strong advocators for thrifting and feeling good in your upcycled clothing! Honestly, follow these women because they are super inspiring.)
But it’s important to challenge these conceptions of “new.” Of course, I am not asking anyone to make their whole wardrobe from scratch. That would be insane and would require so much time. You don’t have to thrift absolutely everything either. Thrifting can be time-consuming and overwhelming, especially when you don’t know what you are looking for. I think we need to learn how to upcycle the clothing that we do have to feel happy and confident in how we look every day.
Here are 3 simple things you can do to refresh your wardrobe that are more eco-friendly than buying fast fashion every time a new style comes onto the scene.
1. Embroidery
Obviously, I would talk about this since this is primarily an embroidery blog. Embroidery is a great way to breathe new life into an old garment. I embroidery on old sweaters, button-downs, t-shirts, crop tops… the whole nine yards. It is an absolutely fantastic way to add your own sense of style to anything you own. For example, I had this lovely little crop top for a while. It was made of jean material. It was very durable, and I loved it. But after 2 summers of wearing it, I began to feel nervous that people were judging me for wearing it sooooo much. (They probably weren’t, after all, no one ever thinks about us as much as we think about ourselves.) After letting it sit in my closet for another summer, I decided to change it up. I pulled it out, redecorated it, and magically, it felt like a whole new piece. Here are 6 simple stitches to get you started on your next wardrobe revamp!
Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash
2. Dyeing
We’ve all had that amazing pair of black jeans that over time became less witchy and just plain frumpy. The fibres started to turn grey or lighten up to a blue. The pants became flat and worn. It just wasn’t fair. Instead of giving them away to goodwill, or worse, tossing them to the curb, a simple way to revitalize your fabrics is to give them a fresh dye job. It’s really simple. You can pick up fabric dye at most arts and crafts stores, but if you want to be even more eco-friendly, there’s a whole world of natural dyeing out there that is begging for you to get involved. An added bonus is that it helps you connect with nature and the plants that are native to your region!
Photo by Alecsander Alves on Unsplash
3. Rag Rugs
You’ve got a pile of threadbare t-shirts, and they don’t bring you enough joy to make a cool quilt out of them, but they are still really nice and soft and shouldn’t be consigned to just being a rag for your next cleaning project just yet. There is a happy middle ground. Make a Rag Rug. We had a few of these around my house when I was growing up, and they are so simple to make, and they look so cute. There are a few different ways to make them. You can make them on a loom, crochet, or braid them together. But at the end of the day, they all have their own look. I personally love the braided one.
There are so many things you can do to reuse your old clothes. You don’t have to just toss them in the bin. Next time you are trying to figure out what to do with your closet, get creative! What can you alter to make it fit better? What might look cool if you distressed it? Or acid-washed it? Just have fun with it! You’ll feel great about finding a sustainable way to revamp your wardrobe while looking super trendy.
