Revamp your wardrobe during lockdown

Did you know that the most sustainable clothes are the ones you already own? So use lockdown to get to know what is in your wardrobe, a vital step to becoming a sustainable fashionista.

Here some tips to sort out your closet, revamp your grandma's antique knit and revive your threadbare slacks.

Minimise

he primary concern has been to accumulate more and more objects and clothes, to satisfy envy and admiration for a fleeting feeling of satisfaction until our wardrobes overflow with clothes we often don't wear.

The first step to sorting out your overflowing wardrobe is to take all your clothes out of your wardrobe. Make a pile of clothes that you can't live without, and a pile of clothes that you hardly wear.

Upcycle

Neatly put away the clothes you can't live without. Having a neat and organised wardrobe helps to keep track of what you've already got so that you don't buy clothes that you already have.

Also, a decluttered wardrobe helps decluttered your mind. With the remaining clothes, make two piles: One pile should consist of those that are unsalvageable, and another pile should consist of items you can upcycle. Here are some easy ways to upcycle:

Use buttons

Swap buttons for more simple or modern ones for a minimalist look.

Or, try something like fun like different colours or button shapes. If you don't know how to sew on a button here is an easy tutorial:

Headbands

Cut pieces from an old T-shirt and stretch it out to make a headband. Also fun for kids to try out!

Embroidery

Using cotton thread you can stitch flowers or patterns onto old T-shirts, hats or jeans to give them new character. Try this DIY embroidered shirt tutorial.

Jazz up your jeans

There are hundreds of things you can do with an old pair of properly-loved jeans. Pinterest is testament to this. Denim is a low maintenance, wrinkle-resistant and strong material which makes it great for upcycling.

Use your jeans to make a skirt, new pair of shorts, apron, handbag, or even table napkins. Here are a number of great hacks to transform your denims.

Sweater to cardigan

You can revamp your much-loved grandma's antique knit. Or turn your sweater into a cardigan using this simple tutorial.

Layers

Can't let go of your favourite dress? You don't have to! You can use your dress as a skirt, pair it with a T-shirt or, you can tuck your dress into a pair of jeans and pull it out slightly to bubble over the top of your jeans to emulate a tucked-in-shirt look.

After lockdown

Donate

Donate the clothes that you no longer want to different organisations.

Learn

Learn to repair your clothes, or get them repaired by small, local tailor.

Think

Now you may want to buy new cloths but think critically about where your clothes come from, and the socio-economic impacts of the fashion industry.

It is also important to think about your responsibility as a citizen. Instead of buying clothes to follow single fleeting trends, invest in a few good, quality pieces that you love.