5 Eco-Friendly Sustainable Fashion Hacks To Give Old Clothes New Life
- It’s tempting to throw out old clothes when they become frayed or worn
- However, it’s easy to fix or alter your garments on the cheap
- Little to no specialist knowledge is required to make old clothes look new
- Latest Deals reveals 5 hacks for breathing life into your worn wardrobe
Whenever you head to the shops, it feels like there’s always a fresh new style or fashion trend that everyone is loving - and you will be getting some serious FOMO. However, instead of bankrupting yourself by trying to keep up with a race you’ll never win, there are plenty of ways to keep up with the crazes - while also avoiding sending your old wardrobe to an early grave.
Even if your clothes are looking worn, need fixing or it’s time for an alteration you’d rather avoid in favour of that sparkly new outfit you saw the other day, there’s no need to waste money. Tom Church, Co-Founder of money-saving community LatestDeals.co.uk, says: ‘You may think that fixing, altering and upcycling clothes is only for those who know their way around a needle and thread, but the reality is that anyone can make some changes to their clothes and breathe new life into them. These are our top tips for cutting down on clothes waste and looking good on a budget.’
Keep A Buttons Collection - Avoid Paying Out For New Ones
You will no doubt have noticed that sometimes you’ll get a spare button on a new item of clothing. Have you ever made an effort to keep track of it? If not, now is the time to begin cultivating this habit. Start collecting spare buttons in a small jar and you’ll be surprised at how many you’ll pick up over time. This way, when a button falls off your favourite jacket or pair of trousers, you can easily source a new one without having to buy a brand new pack - which will be a waste of resources as well as money. Plus, you’re more likely to get the button you need if you saved the spare one. Even if you use a different one, you can make a fashion statement by opting for an eclectic mix of styles.
Skip Sewing With £3 Hem Tape And No Sew Buttons
Not everyone will be a natural with a needle and thread. Even if you’ve tried countless tutorials and had a go on a sewing machine, you may have given up and resigned yourself to throwing out your old garments once they’ve begun to fray. However, all is not lost - you don’t have to be a sewing genius to fix up your clothes. For example, if you want to tailor some clothes by taking them in, hem tape can be a good fix as all you have to do is press on the new hem with a warm iron to heat up the adhesive. You can get a roll for under £3 online with next to no effort. Similarly, if you’ve been curious about upcycling your jeans with some fabric patches or turning some old trousers into a bag, a tube of fabric glue for under £4 will do the trick. Plus, if you’ve lost a button, some replacement buttons don’t require a thread to apply. Instead, you can push them into the fabric, twist them on or similar. You can buy a 10-pack of metal hammer-on jean buttons for just over £3 on Amazon - much cheaper than buying a new pair!
Recycle Your Clothes - Breathe New Life Into Items You’ve Outgrown
Just because an outfit or set of clothes doesn’t fit anymore, doesn’t mean you have to throw them away. Think about it - you’re getting rid of heaps of fabric, but you could easily make use of that material around the house. For example, scraps can begin a new life as cleaning wipes - just throw them in the washing machine after each clean and re-use them for as long as possible. You can turn a bunch of shirts which don’t fit you anymore into a cosy duvet cover - and save on rising heating bills while you’re at it. Plus, if you have a dog which goes through chew toys like there’s no tomorrow, why not turn that knackered old pair of jeans into a snazzy new denim toy for your pooch to chew on?
Use Sojo For Cheap Professional Alterations - Fix Clothes From £5
There’s a little-known app called Sojo which helps those who want to get their clothes altered or repaired. If you’re not a dab hand at sewing, but you don’t want to keep buying new clothes and would rather extend the life of your existing wardrobe, downloading this app could help you out. When you go to create a new order, you can select a pricing tier - standard tailoring or premium tailoring. Next, pick your item of clothing and choose an alteration or repair. For example, with a pair of trousers, you could get the hem shortened, narrow the legs, patch up an area, fix a loose hem or fix a broken belt loop. Prices start from just £5! It’s currently only based in London, but you can contact them to request that your area be covered next.
Create New Looks With Old Clothes - Upcycle & Skip Buying New Garments
You may have your eye on some new side-stripe trousers and a sherpa jacket for a special occasion, but the reality is you can create this look at home with items from your own wardrobe for a fraction of the cost. Instead of buying new trousers, take an existing pair of jeans and add some velvet ribbon in your favourite shade to the side with iron-on adhesive tape. For the sherpa jacket, grab some faux fur fabric and apply it to the sleeves and collar of that old denim jacket you haven’t worn in forever with some fabric glue. Once it’s dried, your new look will be complete - and you won’t have emptied your bank account in the process.
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