We often wonder what we should do with old clothes that no longer fit or have their share of wear and tear. Fortunately, there are several ways that you can be mindful and sustainable with some of the things that we no longer need.
In this post, we’ll walk you through several creative ways on how you can give your clothes a second life and to make an impact:
1. Shorten the hems on dresses, skirts, or pants
Do you have a dress, skirt, or pants that you feel doesn’t have the right length anymore? Or are you thinking of making an upgrade to fit a current trend?
You can pin it to the length you want, turn it inside out, and make sure that both measurements are equal. You can use a hot iron to press the new fold.
Then, you can use a thread, and needle, or a sewing machine that you can follow around the new hem that you’ve made.
2. Resize baggy sweaters
Similarly, you can also resize a couple of your boxy sweaters to have a more flattering fit. Resizing is pretty simple.
All you need to do is turn your sweater inside out, put it on, then pin the excess. You can take it off afterward and sew along with the pins.
3. Cut-out crop t-shirt
Similarly, you can cut off the bottom half and sleeves of a t-shirt. You can use a sewing machine to take off the sides of your crop top.
You can also fold your shirt in half and cut the triangles near the shoulders. See to it that you’re only cutting the tee’s front layer. You can then cut a longer triangle on the t-shirt’s bottom edge. If you are looking for other designs aside from a crop top check these diy t-shirt cutting ideas for more adventurous looks and styles.
4. Turn old tee into a raglan refashion
Do you have old clothing that has a heavily replicated pattern? Then why not turn this into a raglan t-shirt refashion?
Raglan teens seamlessly bridge the seasonal gap between the summer and fall, giving a more classic, American look. This project is easy to do and pretty inexpensive.
5. Add patches to an old jacket
If you’re looking for ways to update an old jacket, bringing it back to life, there has been a trend for patchy appearances of jackets, giving off a DIY-inspired look.
So, rather than paying a fortune buying a brand new version, you can certainly create your own using an old jacket. You can iron embroidered patches and appliques to create a punk-inspired look or cover the whole jacket panels for contrasting fabric if you’re looking for something bolder.
6. Transform into an off-the-shoulder shirt
Hate the neckline of your shirt but don’t want to let it go? You might want to lop it off and turn it into a cute DIY off-the-shoulder top.
Cut the bottom of the shirt to the length that you want, and then cut off the top part underneath the sleeves. Then, place two seams along either side that you want tighter. Finally, use the excess fabric to make sleeves that you can attach by sewing them to the main body.
7. Turn a crew-neck shirt into a v-neck
Do you have an old tee with a neckline you’re not quite a fan of? You can turn it into a v-neck instead. All you need to do is use the seam ripper to get rid of the front of the neckband up to the shoulder seams.
Then, fold the shirt in half lengthways. Measure not more than 3cm down from the original neckline. Cut on a diagonal using sharp scissors, and then cut the neckband in half. You can then stretch out the two halves, pin them back onto the shirt, and sew these together.
8. Revamp fades clothes with natural dyes
You can either opt for a single color or if you want to be more creative, indulge yourself in some tie-dye. You can also come up with your natural dyes that come from food scraps like berries, avocado skins, pomegranate for pinks and reds, carrot and orange peels for orange, turmeric for yellow, spinach for green, tea, and coffee for browns and black.
Place these into saucepans with twice the amount of water, medium heat, and let them simmer for an hour. Then, allow the liquid to cool down before you strain them into mixing bowls, buckets, and jars.
Over to You
So, there you have it. There are several creative ways to transform old clothing pieces into something innovative and practical.
One of the best ways to do this is to claim these dated outfits and turn these into fresh and useful pieces of clothing. Save these from trash, and re-establish their position in your wardrobe as truly cherished treasures.
Iskra Banović is our seasoned Editor-in-Chief at BlueFashion. She has been steering the website's content and editorial direction since 2013. With a rich background in fashion design, Iskra's expertise spans across fashion, interior design, beauty, lifestyle, travel, and culture.
