Reusing your clothing in a new yet creative way is the best way to help save the planet and look chic at the same time. Fast fashion is riddled with pollution, toxic materials, and unethical working environments; therefore, it makes sense to try to avoid buying into these larger brands. A great way to keep refreshing your wardrobe whilst simultaneously saving the planet (and some extra cash) is by upcycling your clothing.
Scrunchies
These 80s inspired hair ties have come back into style with a bang. Instagram is full of pictures of girls wearing bright and vivacious scrunchies; however, some can cost you up to $15! These are super easy to make, and can you don’t need much fabric to make your own. Find an old t-shirt that you no longer use and grab some elastic strips. Cut the bottom of your old tee into a 3.5 by 15-inch strip. Place the strip down on the table pattern side up and fold it in half. Glue all of the edges together with a hot glue gun or some fabric glue. However, leave an opening for you to thread the elastic through and tie a knot. Once you have knotted the scrunchie together, you can glue it shut.
Cropped Knit Sweater
Oversized sweaters are a must-have in everybody’s wardrobe; however, it is often hard to find the perfect style or color. You want it to be big and loose but not too long that it looks awkward. Cropping sweaters is a relatively easy ‘Do It Yourself project. All you need to do is draw a mark across the bottom of the sweater and use a pair of fabric scissors to cut. You could opt for a frayed look. However, if you want that clean finish, you will need to use a coverstitch machine to finish the hems.
Off the Shoulder Shirt
This creative reuse is great because it involves no sewing, and it can be reverted to its original form whenever you please. This way, you can steal your boyfriend’s shirts and put them back into his wardrobe before anyone notices. To get the off-the-shoulder look, you need to do up the two buttons at your bust level and the third one after those. Pull down the shirt to expose your shoulders, and then flip the collar into the shirt. Then tie the remaining part of your shirt into a bow or simply tuck it into your jeans.
Trends constantly come and go, with new collections being released every few months at extremely low-price points. This becomes extremely problematic because most of these clothes end up in a landfill polluting our environment. Try not to contribute to the problem and focus on finding a solution. Have a look at charity shops and see what’s on offer, you could even find clothes there to up-cycle. If not, ask your neighbors or friends if they have any unwanted clothes and get creative!
