Increasing landfills and carbon footprint—is not the latest in the news. Our beloved fashion industry bags the title of being the second-highest polluter in the world. Designers, retailers to fashion houses and influencers even, are jumping on the bandwagon of putting ethical fashion—from being just a buzzword—into use. And if there’s one trend that’s gained prominence over the last few years in the fashion scenario, it’s sustainable fashion. Organic clothing, faux skins, rising eco-friendly labels to celebrating eco-fashion, sustainable fashion is imperative and now, more than ever, the need of the hour.
Ethical fashion isn’t just shopping from sustainable brands, it goes way beyond that. Practising sustainability, really, starts at home and incorporating organic means into your daily lives isn’t too hard. Up-cycling old garments and revamping old clothes still remains the best solution for garments and also proves to be a win-win situation. Not sure how you can repurpose and up-cyle your clothes? Here are a few ideas that will get you going!
Scroll ahead to check out how you can do your bit in making fashion more sustainable:
1. Revamp
A single piece of clothing has the magical ability to look brand new if revamped in the right. The oldest and most sustainable way to give your clothes a new spin is by opting for tailoring. Think skirts and dresses made from oversized shirts, co-ord sets from hoodies etc. Or you can simply look at adding embellishments to your garments or fabric detailing like lace. If stitching isn’t your forte, a glue gun with fabric glue will come to your rescue.
2. Dyeing
If you’re bored of the same hues in your closet, give your wardrobe a new colour palette and opt for dyeing instead. Dyeing at home isn’t as hard as it sounds, and can turn out to be a fun activity, too! Instead of using artificial colour, you can go the sustainable route and pick natural dyes from plants and vegetables for the process. Here are a few ideas to help you out.
3. Amp up your interiors
Old clothes instantly give way to plenty of creative ideas to up your DIY game. Looking to giving your space a Pinterest-aesthetic? Using pre-loved clothes to add accents to your interiors will do the trick. With the added perk of being cost-friendly and sustainable. From wall decor to making rugs out of worn-out fabrics, stitching up pillowcases to blankets and more. Need to gift a friend? Replace the cliché wrapping paper and make use of old clothes as an option the next time you want to wrap a gift. The inspirations to amp up interiors with clothes are endless!
4. Make new accessories
Instead of hoarding pricey accessories, learn to make these quirky pieces at home itself. Neckpieces, bracelets, earrings to headbands and hair ties, there are so many ways to churn out sustainable and new jewellery with fabric scraps. Here’s an example of how you can turn your old t-shirts into headbands.
5. Make sustainable bags
If not jewellery, try your hand at sewing up a handbag with worn-out clothes. Denim is a superb material to make sturdy bags out of. If you wish to avoid the hassle of sewing and stitching is, simplify the process using a glue gun. Revamp an existing bag by sticking fabric pieces onto them giving it a brand new look! Doesn’t being sustainable look like fun?
We hope that these suggestions prove helpful to you. Do you know of any more ways to repurpose clothes? Drop your suggestions in the comments below!
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