Have you ever stared into the depths of your closet and thought: I have absolutely nothing to wear?
Enter the world of upcycling.
Heres how to upcycle clothing and give yourself a whole new(ish) wardrobe.
Garrett combined fabric from two old pieces of clothing to create the outfit on the right. Photo courtesy of Halima Garrett
First, What is Upcycling?
The term upcycling comes from the idea of recycling an old item, but with a twist.
Upcycling is not just reusing something, but tweaking that item to make it better than before.
An upcycled garment often bears little resemblance to its former state.
Take Colorado-based designerMaggie Henricks of Create Good Company.
She crafts boyfriend skirts out of mens dress shirts.
Finally, she decided the best option was to rework some pieces.
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In fact, her website boasts anentire lingerie collection each reworked piece contains at least one vintage lingerie item.
Heres the best part about upcycling: your clothing will be one of a kind.
Know What to Salvage and What to Cut Up.
Did you know?
The same goes for an item with sentimental value.
Ask your mom and yourself before you cut up her old wedding dress.
Garrett has proven that its possible to upcycle old clothes without the skills of an advanced seamstress.
The easiest way to dip your toes into upcycled clothing is by starting small.
Try cutting a pair of pants into shorts or cutting a long-sleeve shirt into a short-sleeve T-shirt.
Use Your Wardrobe as Inspiration.
Is there something in your closet that you absolutely love?
Would you love to replicate it?
Thats a great place to start when upcycling.
Use the garment you love as a model for how you want another item to fit.
Or if you like the color combination of an outfit, consider using that combination in an upcycled piece.
After all, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.
Do you love the fabric of a dress but hate the fit?
Make it into a two-piece set with a tank top and skirt.
Are you sick of your old jeans but they still fit well?
Try sewing on a patch of fabric to the knee.
Look at Your Old Clothes as Parts of a Whole, not as a Single Garment.
That helps her to get inspiration.
Measuring the size of your garment can help to think of a way to creatively rework it.
Youtube Tutorials are Your Friend.
Youtube videos are usually the best place to start for any technical skill.
Garrett recommends searching for tutorials on no-sew upcycle or minimal sewing upcycle.
The fact that videos under that designation exist shows that no-sewing upcycling is possible.
Three of Garretts favorites areAngelina of BlueprintDIY,Mimi G StyleandShania O. Mason.
When Looking for Guidance, Be as Specific as Possible.
Do you want to make the top or pants tighter?
Do you want to put slits in a dress?
when you obtain a tentative visual in mind, that makes it easier to search online for guidance.
you might then find a specific tutorial in line with the exact alterations you want to make.
When You Find Your Niche, Stick With it.
Have success reworking one item?
You dont necessarily have to branch out.
Stay there and see what else it’s possible for you to do within that framework.
Henricks is focused on the mens dress shirts arena.
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