Oh the plight of feeling like we have nothing to wear even though our closets are full. It’s hard to restructure our mindset of old is bad, tired and boring. But by being mindful of our choices and with a bit of creativity, we can keep the life of our garments going strong. Through brainstorming creative styling ideas, breathing new life into our clothes or, if the garment is truly just had it, repurposing them into one-of-a-kind creations, you’ll have a closet that continuously excites.
Most importantly, extending the lifecycle of your clothes keeps the material from winding up in landfills and creating excess waste. You don’t have to partake in the “buy-buy-buy” consumer mindset that marketing campaigns and deep discount sales make so appealing when you have what you need and you have the tools to constantly recreate your wardrobe.
Rediscovering Old Pieces
I love polishing old treasures in my closet that I’ve either forgotten about or have gotten bored of. Mixing and matching and being bold enough to try something new is what fashion is all about. You can be more creative when you’re not buying fast fashion that falls apart after a couple washes, long lasting clothes grow with you. I hate to be cliché, but think Carrie Bradshaw, she was always taking a chance on innovative styling.
Something fun to try is taking a piece of clothing used for one thing and morphing it into something completely new. Take a shirt that you can style as a skirt or a skirt that you can style as a dress. Play around with it, the options are endless. Let me know what you come up with!
Giving Your Clothes Some Love
These days we’ve been programed to throw away worn or broken items in exchange for new, but a simple fix of a hem, adding a missing button or patching up a garment is easy and oftentimes adds character. It’s good practice to keep a simple sewing kit at home, you can take one of those you get in hotel rooms, or just grab the essentials from your Mom’s sewing kit.
If you’re not a skilled sewer yourself, you could always ask a friend or take your clothes in to be altered. Instead of going to buy a new top, you can take in one you already have to be altered and update your look. This is why it’s good to invest in high quality pieces that last a long time, if you tire of the style, you can update the look with a little tweak of the fit.
Time For a Make-over!
There are endless projects you can do with worn out clothes, I started a whole business out of this when I was in Hawai’i, repurposing old textiles. Depending on what shape the piece of clothing is in, you could either transform it into something new and wearable, or completely break it down to use for something else.
I tend to get holes in my jeans in the crotch area, and one of my favorite upcycling projects is to make denim skirts. Although, there’s only so many denim skirts a girl can have, think about cutting up the fabric for other projects, such as weaving, patchwork, quilting, or even a household rag.
If you really don’t have the time make something or repurpose the fabric on your own, look into organizations to donate to, or places that recycle or buy used clothing. There are a lot of options here, and you’ll need to do your research. Not all thrift stores are created equal, and it’s important to understand how textiles will be recycled and repurposed. By donating to the wrong organization your clothes could still end up in a landfill or be sent off to Haiti to occupy a landfill there.
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If you go through this article and you still feel like you need new additions to your closet, consider doing a clothing swap with friends. Make a day of it, invite friends over for brunch and have mimosas while swapping your forgotten duds. Having a fun Sunday with close friends will be just as worth the new finds you’ll walk away with.