The Rise of Recycled and Re-Fashioned Clothes

Go to London Fashion Week or any big fashion event in the UK and you are sure to see some Eco fashion of one sort or another. Eco fashion is big business, with consumers becoming increasingly aware of the impact that there fashion choices have on the environment. Recycling and refashion of old clothes is the latest trends in eco fashion. Many would say it is the most environmentally friendly eco fashion of all. It reduces clothing waste as well as reducing the impact of manufacturing of new clothing.

Recycling of clothes is nothing new. The second hand clothing and vintage clothing industries have shown huge growth in the last few years, but what is really on the rise is the refashioning of second hand and vintage clothing. Whilst many love second hand and vintage clothing just as they are, refashioning them into new pieces has the benefits of creating completely unique, designer and cutting edge.

The great thing about recycled and refashioned clothing is the way that old clothes, styles and fabrics inspire the designers to create something gorgeous and new. The new designs keep a bit of the history of the clothing from which they were made but also give consumers something fresh and exciting.

The labels blazing a trail in the field of refashioned and restyled clothes include Junky Styling, which started by deconstructing traditional suits from charity shops and jumble sales and reconstructed them to form twisted tailored pieces. There are so many different companies designers finding great ways to recycle clothes and accessories including turning old saris into sandals and leather jackets into hand bags.

DIY restyling and refashioning of clothes has also become hugely popular from dying old prom dresses and wedding dresses, to changing shirts into dresses and jeans into skirts. There are a number of online communities dedicated to restyling and refashioning of clothes.

Recycling and restyling of clothes is also getting further publicity through initiatives like alternative fashion week which has a strong emphasis on eco fashion and the choice of fashion graduates to use recycled materials in their final year projects and graduation shows.

This article was written by Ceri Heathcote for posh-swaps.com, a website for swapping, buying and selling second hand and vintage clothing.