Recycled fashion
Keeping up to date with fashion trends can be a costly affair, but doesn’t always have to be. If you delve deep into your closet, or that of your parents, even grandparents, you may find classic pieces that can be worn as fashionable pieces today.
We all know fashion trends run in cycles, so you may well find a current trend lurking in the back of a wardrobe, which happens to be a vintage piece. It is also worth noting that the quality of a vintage piece is undoubtedly going to be of better quality than any fast fashion garment purchased today.
Recycling beloved pieces previously owned by family members may maintain a little financial value, but their sentimental value is priceless. If however, your family members cleared their beloved vintage from their closets many years ago, how else do you find fashion pieces of the past? Opportunity shops, flea markets, clothes swaps, estate sales and jumble sales are all places where recycled fashion can be purchased and fashion bargains found.
An unseasoned second hand shopper may associate old fashion pieces with moth balls and musty smells, although opportunity shops have come a long way in recent years, particularly larger chains that have volunteer assistance to sift through abundant donations, only selling clothes without smell and disrepair. If you do find a great vintage piece with a funky smell, don’t give up on it. Following the appropriate cleaning method for a vintage garment’s age and fabric should result in odours diminishing and hopefully disappearing altogether.
With a little DIY and sewing skill, you can also tailor unfashionable clothes into on- trend pieces. Simple fashion changes such as a hem alteration or a new colour with dye can totally transform a dated piece of clothing into a fabulous garment. If you are not particularly skilled with a sewing machine and find piece of clothing that you can’t adjust yourself, hunt down a local seamstress or friend to do it for you, getting a second hand clothing garment fitted to your shape is a cheaper alternative to buying a new tailored piece
Whether you choose to wear your Grandmother’s tweed coat, your Mother’s Mod dress, your Sister’s unworn Milano Blahnik heels, or a modified thrift store find, recycling beloved pieces not only benefits to your bank account, but also benefits the environment by saving fabric from landfill and the necessity to buy new clothes; a fashion win-win for all.
If you enjoy repurposing and vintage, you’ll love ‘What is Vintage Styling‘ and ‘Retro Cake Desserts‘ on our sister site, StyleHunterHome. Check it out today.
