fashion
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Recycle, Recycle!

Ever find yourself with a closet full of old clothes you can't do anything with? Yeah, tell me about it. I used to go through this ordeal every single day, until I came to the conclusion that I was going to have to do something with my old clothes.

Me being the packrat that I am, I simply cannot throw away my old clothes. I just have a weird emotional attachment towards them. While cleaning out my closet one day, I grabbed everything and threw it in a pile. Sitting and looking at my mess, I decided how much I adored some of the fabrics, some of the styles. Then, it dawned on me. Why not try some DIY (do it yourself)?

Now I'm not talking any of the fancy stuff involving sewing because none of that is for me; I just grabbed a pair of scissors, picked up a shirt and hacked away. I spent days and days doing this, and soon found my wardrobe filled with old "new" clothes that I was just dying to wear. All my baggy shirts I turned into v-necks, which I'll end up belting eventually and wearing with tights and jeans. Some old sweaters of mine I cropped the sleeves off, and am going to wear as casual t-shirts.

What I'm trying to get at is, if you already have an overflowing closet of old clothes that you don't wish to wear, why not recycle them and try to fix them up instead of throwing them out? It's fun, not to mention the money it will save you.

Comments (9)
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brilliant thinking!

I have this same problem too, I don't wear half the clothes in my wardrobe yet I can't seem to find the confidence to let them go! They're like a comfort, the huge baggy shirts and the grandpa-like cardigans, but DIY is a wicked idea. I'll have more choices for daily outfits without having to spend money or throw out my old rags!

cool idea

This is a good idea that not many of us are thinking of when we look in to our closets. Its easy to just cut stuff up, but I know that if I went in to my wardrobe with a pair of scissors, there would be more damage then anything...I think investing in learning to sew can be an even better alternative, and that way you can do even more with your old clothes. For example you could learn how to make a pillow case out of an old blouse.

I'm such a packrat, so this

I'm such a packrat, so this is the perfect way for me to continue use of pre-tween outfits from way back when. I often find myself cutting my dad's giant tee's into scoop-neck tank-dresses!

:)

I have a lot of clothes at home that I can definitely do this with! I think this a good way of getting a new style & unique clothes without spending money and without throwing out clothes.

good plan stan

I thought this was a very good article because it gives original ideas without having to spend money!

:D

I like it, it's just a shame i'm terrible with scissors. I can't even cut a piece of paper properly.

Smart Thinking

I wish I'd thought of that a long time ago! Especially with the economic downturn and many on tight budgets, this is a brilliant idea =)

That's a wicked idea! My

That's a wicked idea! My closet is getting overloaded but it's so hard to throw away clothes. This is something I could be doing in the near future.. :)

Sewing Can be fun

I took a sewing class at Haute Kootoor Sewing Studio. It was lots of fun we made our own dress and there was only 4 other students in the class. Teachers were amazing and the studio is really cool. I plan on taking more classes on the weekends.

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April 2012 Issue: Youthink Magazine