Upcycle Clothing for Your Wardrobe With the Team

Everyone understands the importance of a unique, bespoke piece. The joys of having one of a kind clothing can be surpassed by little else for the fashion forward. One of the easiest ways to achieve that is through taking the time to upcycle. If you would like to undertake the project yourself, it is a time investment worth doing to upcycle clothing for your wardrobe.
We at the Hipster House love to indulge in sustainability. Wasting less resources will never be out of style. Despite seeming like there is little difference between upcycled clothing and fast fashion for trendy items, one should know there is actually a huge disparity not only for the environment, but also in quality.
We are by no means trying to scare you straight to the path of sustainability. However, it is always good to be educated. Here are some terrifying facts about the clothing industry:
In 2018, the U.S. alone put 11,300,000 U.S. tons of clothing into landfills (that is approximately 10,251,187 metric tonnes) –American Apparel and Footwear Association, International Trade Commission, the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Office of Textiles and Apparel, and the Council for Textile Recycling.
According to a BBC article, by 2030, it is estimated to be more than 134,000,000 tonnes worldwide!
–BBC
In the world of consumable resources: it takes approximately 3,000 litres of water to make just 1 cotton shirt.
There is so much available information online which shows the harm new clothing has on the environment. Many big clothing brands have made strides towards more environmentally conscious practices, but are not where they need to be yet.
During the quarantine, RDJ dove into creating upcycled clothing. By using discarded clothing from family members, she has created various clothing pieces ranging from a 2-piece set to a romper for her nephew. One of the easier products she made was a grocery tote for her sister from an old shirt that had sentimental value but was not getting any wear time. While some of these projects are a little advanced, upcycling can be as easy as changing a hem with some hand stitching.
So, take the time to upcycle clothing and go thrift shopping. Members of the Hipster House enjoy going to a store to assess quality in person while hunting for the perfect piece. However, it is easier than ever, and quarantine friendly, to use thrifting and clothes swapping apps on your phone. There are more options out there than one would think. Next time before you run to Amazon or Primark for that new crop top or blazer, look into a more sustainable option. Taking the time to upcycle clothing for your wardrobe will be very rewarding. The earth and the Hipster team thanks you for doing your part.
If you are looking to try upcycling your furniture as well, check out our article here.
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