Recycle your Wardrobe

It is common for people to wear 20% of their wardrobe, 80% of the time.  You will be one of these people too if you often say "I have a wardrobe full of clothes but nothing to wear!"  Whether you happen across a new boutique, find a bargain in the sales or have a special occasion to go to, you may have good reason to make a new purchase. But our closets tend to be like a one way street, one way in and no way out!  Then a 'closet jam' occurs.

Now that spring is here, it is the perfect time to clear the jam. Pull out anything that you haven’t worn in the last year, items that don't fit, clothes that were given to you as gifts but never worn, and anything that looks like it came from another fashion era.  Do not be afraid if you are left with little; if you don’t wear a good chunk of your clothes, then that may be the proportion that you just pulled out of your closet!

But what do you do with all the trash? There is a good chance you are looking at a pile that cost you a lot of money and looks like it will go to waste. Suddenly the skirt you bought in the sale last winter with the tag still on, doesn’t look like a good steal anymore.

Simple options:
-    Offer the clothes to a Thrift Store
-    Have a clothes swamping party with friends
-    Take back any items that are returnable
-    Make alterations to items to make them fit better
-    Become a trader on EBay

Or you could be even more creative, and that is just what the team at Panache (www.getpanache.com) are doing in St Augustine. Clothing is a recyclable item; you can pull it apart and create something new.  Panache are hosting a fashion show (April 9th) with designs that are recycled using discarded clothing as well as recyclable materials.  A dress is created out of several old Henley tee-shirts and another dress is made using skirt fabric, mesh and bottle caps and so forth.  This is not a new idea, as I recall myself transforming a pair of old Levis jeans into a denim skirt. It actually became my favourite skirt for several UK summers, and now sits in my 'antiques' section of my wardrobe, i.e. rare items never to be discarded.

But it is innovative, and something we should consider doing ourselves. Most items we purchase do reflect some aspect of our style and we are sad when we realise that for some reason, be it cut or fit, they simply have to go. So, why not turn them into something that does work instead?

Sarah offers consultation to help you design a wardrobe with minimal waste.

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©2006 Sarah Whittaker  [www.thewardrobeshrink.com].
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Sarah Whittaker has been featured in numerous newspapers and magazines worldwide, and writes The Wardrobe Shrink Newsletter full of the latest fashion trends, celebrity style and honest image advice.

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