Fashion Revolution 2016 - Upcycle

Flashback Summer: Fashion Revolution 2016 - Upcycle

Oh, upcycling!  That is today's Makers for Fashion Revolution Week, and of course it's one near and dear to my 1940s-loving heart!  We vintage wearers know, of course, that upcycling is just the modern term for "make do and mend."  Ladies of yesteryear were creating new fashions out of old ones long before it was a trendy thing to do.  They did it out of necessity and practicality.

I've had a few of my own refashions that you might recall:

The 1930s Gray Dress
90s MuuMuu to 40s Playsuit
Straw Hat Refashion
Middle East Skirt Refashion
Turn a Button-Down into a Vintage Style Blouse
Sweater Makeover

I also have these photos of a jabot I made out of old hankies.  I'm still working on an outfit to style it with!


Flashback Summer: Fashion Revolution 2016 - Upcycle

There are so many awesome vintage resources that have to do with turning old clothes into new ones.  Here are just a few:

"Grand Ways to Eke Out Dated or Worn Clothes"
"Another Angle on Fashions for Victory"
1940s refashioning article and illustrations

Flashback Summer: Fashion Revolution 2016 - Upcycle

For myself, my main action step for this year is to give newer second-hand clothes a shot to be refashioned.  You know, the ugly 80s and 90s garments that are unlikely to come back into vogue ever again and are probably destined for a landfill without a refashion.  They're relatively inexpensive, and it would be a great way to cut down on clothing being thrown away.

Do you have any favorite makeovers that you've done for old garments?  Are there any vintage make do and mend resources that you love?

6 comments

  1. I really love upcycling. And yes for 1980's dresses, they often have so much fabric in them. I'm always looking at opshops for larger garments in good fabrics, saves money as well in the end

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    1. So true! And the 90s had a lot of long, rayon skirts and dresses that are great, too!

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  2. Your hankie jabot is incredible! Love, love, super love! Will you be sharing a how-to on that with us?

    Have a fabulous Friday,
    ♥ Jessica

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    1. Aw, thank you so much! I thought about doing a how-to, but it's kind of hard to do when you guys can't buy the same hankies I have. But I'll think about an all-hankie type of general tutorial or something!

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  3. I sometimes have a hard time upcycling if an item is still in good condition. But if something is worn/damaged, or as you said not likely to be used again in it's current form, then reusing it is a great idea. Can't wait to see what you do with the hankie jabot! Neat idea! Hankies can be found by the 100s so these are great to reuse. :)
    -Emily

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    1. I agree, I don't usually epicycle items in nice condition, just messed up or hideous ones. And I personally have 100s of hankies, I think, so I'm trying to go through and use them for something! Many are far too pretty and delicate to use as napkins, so they need to become wearable.

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