September’s theme is sustainability. This month, I’ll be guiding you on how to be more conscious with your clothing choices.
Revisit last week’s blog here. This week I have some styling ideas to upcycle what you have to help you re-wear your clothes more often.
Your clothes and your wardrobe
The most sustainable garment is the one that’s already hanging in your wardrobe.
You’d be surprised by what you have that you can re-style and upcycle.
After all, when you understand what suits you, (colour, style, shape, fabric to fit and flatter who you are) and how to make them work, you’ll be able to make better, more informed decisions about what you buy and wear.
I consider myself to be more of a slow fashion and conscious shopper. I don’t buy masses of clothes, although I browse and help clients. I intentionally buy clothes which I know work for me and that I’ll wear. I’ve had some garments for many years and wear them time and time again. This includes some less sustainable items, because I re-wear them and take care of them. My wardrobe isn’t minimalistic or creative, but varied and colourful.
How functional your own wardrobe is will largely depend upon your style. Everyone has a different style, and this can help, or hinder your wardrobe and buying habits. With a little guidance and knowledge, you can make your wardrobe work well for you. Clothes in the right colour and style for you that fit and flatter your shape, will always make better choices.
When you have been to see me for a colour or style consultation, I encourage you to assess your clothes. Do the garments that you have fit and flatter you? Do they represent who you are and how you want to show up to the world? Are they representative of your lifestyle and how you spend your time?
You’re likely to find that certain garments just don’t work for you. You’ve not been wearing them after all, you just didn’t know why!
Don’t just wear your clothes, style them
Before deciding whether to keep them or get rid of them, how about if you can actually change them. Doing so may mean that something does then work for you. With a couple of tweaks, you can go from wearing your clothes, to styling them.
Let me show you a couple of examples. In first picture, I am wearing a merino wool jumper. It’s a little long and a block colour. Break it up and styled with a clever tuck, a necklace and colour to my lips it looks so much neater and flattering.
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- Jumper tweak
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- Top tweak
In my second example, the cotton top left loose over a satin skirt hides my shape and proportions. It makes my legs look short and adds length to my upper body. Neither are flattering or required, but a few tweaks and hey presto! Simply adding a necklace, bracelet and a twist and tuck to the top was all the changes I made which transformed the silhouette and style of what I was wearing.
Tweaks to try yourself
Some changes require skills, whereas others do not. For anything you can’t do yourself, is there anyone you know who can? Or, can you join a crafting group to get guidance and help you?
A bit of needle and thread can transform the buttons on a jacket or cardigan. Switching up an old fave to modernise or simply add a velvet or lace trim detail.
When garments are too long, they can swamp a frame. A seamstress or guided sewing group can help, if it’s not something you can tackle alone.
Got a dress that doesn’t fit your proportions? Cut it in half to transform it into a skirt and top! This will take more skills, but if you’re good with a sewing machine, why not give it a go!
Sleeves all wrong or too long? Take them off or cut them down!
The tricks above require very little skill as adding jewellery is an easy way to elevate an outfit. You could add embellishments, buttons or some embroidery detail to a plain top, jeans or jacket instead. Why not wear it back to front instead to change the look of the top – trust me, it’s worth a go.
Changing the colour of your clothes requires some effort, but not a lot of skills! So, if something is the wrong shade of colour for you, you could simply change the colour. It’s exceptionally easy to do with a clothing dye. Dylon do some fabulous ones which you pop in the washing machine. Rit do dyes for synthetic based fabric, like polyester. You could also experiment with vegetable-based dyes too! I’ve used the Dylon dyes to change the colour of a few garments over the years.
Get more use out of your summer dresses by wearing with a jumper in the cooler months. Try a long-sleeved top or blouse underneath to add layers for autumn. Pull on some woolly tights and boots for winter or wet weather.
By extending the life of your clothes and wearing them for longer or throughout the year, you’ll get more joy from what you wear! Sometimes we lack inspiration or confidence to try something different. But, what’s the harm in giving it a go? You could create yourself a brand new outfit, without spending a penny!
Gaining the knowledge can take time if you’re not sure what to look for and it can be costly if you keep making mistakes.