Do-it-yourself fashion is really hot these days, but aside from it being a very eco-friendly way to reflect one's style, there are a few additional factors that contribute to its constant popularity. Most people, creative or otherwise, love the fact that their unique personalities can be reflected in the one-of-a-kind garments that they wear. Making highly customizable clothing and accessories guarantees that you won't look like a sheep baaaahing along with the rest of the flock. Of course, the wallet-friendly factor is another plus, but beyond that, it's actually really satisfying to spend time turning raw materials into a completed work of art that you can display on your body.
There are so many unique ways to turn something old and outdated into something completely original and exciting -- you just have to start thinking outside of the box and simply allow your imagination to take over. This form of recycling or upcycling really benefits our environment since perfectly usable materials are kept out of the waste stream when we breathe new life into them. We've seen examples of this with TerraCycle's waste-to-consumer-treasure marketplace, where they've repurposed the wrappers from many snack staples available on our grocery shelves into multipurpose items such as messenger bags and backpacks. You can always embrace the do-it-yourself battle cry by turning:
- old plastic bags into your own cool messenger bag
- seen-better-days denim or sweaters into a variety of fashion and household items
- old books into a purse
- large socks into a tiny dog sweater
- old t-shirts into yarn, wild dresses, men's shorts or even a string bikini
A sewing enthusiast by the name of Sue recently posted an account of her first green fashion upcycling project in her blog "Sue's Sewing and Happenings." Created for a local quilt show and for her company's "Off The Clock -- Art On Your Own Time" wearable art showcase, Sue stitched together 140 empty mylar Capri Sun juice drink pouches to create this outrageously slick and totally wearable post consumer culture artifact.
Created via Vogue jacket pattern #8480 (for anyone who's really curious), I don't think it's a stretch of the imagination to say that any woman would be thrilled to add this to her wardrobe. Have you taken on a similar repurposing project where you transformed what is normally considered waste into a wearable piece of fashion? Would you please describe the materials you used and explain your process below? Were you happy with the outcome? Are there any great resources that you regularly turn to for inspiration?
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