Today’s economy poses some unique wardrobe challenges. Unless you have a lot of money to spend on the latest trends, you have to be creative in your approach. Reconstructing and revamping apparel is easy with the right kind of tools and attitude. Here are my suggestions for creating brand new clothing using the stuff that you already have in your closet:
1. Determine what items in your wardrobe need a facelift. Anything with an ounce of life still in it can be reused and repurposed. Don’t discount the value of a stained t-shirt or holey sweater. With the bad parts trimmed away, there are a lot of things you can do with a recycled piece of clothing.
2. Drag out your sewing basket, fabric paint, and stencils. Beads, buttons, fringe, iron-on patches, fabric pens, and scraps of fabric can be used to embellish your clothing which gives them flair and makes them look new again.
3. Draw out a design on paper. It is always easier to plan out a design if you have it sketched out on a piece of paper. You can even create your own custom patterns and cut them to size this way.
4. Start cutting, sewing, embroidering, and stenciling your duds. Got an old pair of jeans with holes in the knees? Why not add a colorful patch and bring them back to life. Want to do something special with your old t-shirts? Cut them into squares and sew them together to form a funky new scarf.
Additional Sources of Inspiration
With a little bit of imagination, you can create a whole new wardrobe without breaking the bank. In fact, entire books have been written on this subject. Why not check out Megan Nicolay’s Generation T: 108 Ways to Transform a T-Shirt or AlterNation by Shannon Okey and Alexandra Underhill? Both provide plenty of inspiration for Do-It-Yourselfers.
You can also check out your local arts and crafts stores for patterns and embellishments. They typically have everything you can think of that can be used to adorn jackets, shirts, pants, and skirts. They also have a large selection of fabrics in every style, color, and pattern. Let your imagination run wild.
When it comes to dressing to the nines while still paying heed to a budget, the internet is a great resource for gathering ideas. Do a simple web search and prepare to be blown away by the unlimited options provided to you. Recreate the ideas that you like the most or come up with something completely your own. When it comes to refashioning your pre-existing wardrobe, the sky is literally the limit!
brilliant advise i agree that you don’t have to throw things away