What’s in this fall? Scissors and old tank tops! You can
easily recycle old clothes into new hot things this fall with
nothing more than a pair of scissors and some creativity.
We love to go shopping and get new things, but where do they go
when they’ve gone out of style? To the backs of our closets
““ so lets bring recycling to the forefront of fashion.
You know the tank tops: the spaghetti-strap shirts that end
right where your jeans sit, that are just a little too short; the
ones you got a few years ago that were so in, and now you only wear
to the gym or when you need to do laundry. I bet you even have a
few.
By cutting up one of them you can expand your wardrobe tenfold,
or at least a few folded items resting in the corners of your
closet. Here’s how: Take the old fitted tank top and cut off
the bra area and also the last two inches to make a thick,
high-waist belt. The shirt is already cut to fit your waist
perfectly; after all, that’s why you bought it. Make sure the
belt is about three to four inches.
The leftover bottom of the shirt can then be cut up and used as
a corresponding headband. Wear it alone or with the belt. Make two
and wear them together!
This belt can be worn scrunched or smoothed out depending on
your mood.
You’ve also just created a comfortable sports-bra, or an
empire waist for future do-it-yourself loose shirts: Free-flowing
skirts can be turned into fitted but flowing tube tops when worn
with this belt. The skirt, of course, is moved from its natural
position at the hips and is worn above the bust. Author’s
recommendation? Pair it with skinny jeans.
An old large T-shirt can be turned into a tunic-length,
fashionable, flowing and suave shirt with only a few snips.
Find a shirt with small enough armholes; not so extravagantly
large that they span your side ““ brightly colored is also a
plus.
Cut off the sleeves, and also make a deep “V” in the
front and back of the shirt so that only thick straps remain out
toward your shoulders. This allows the material to gather more
evenly and create a fluffy, light look for the fabric as you
scrunch it with either the new belt from the aforementioned shirt,
or the empire-waist-creating bra. It should bring in the fabric,
while avoiding the heavy T-shirt look.
Sleeves from shirts you no longer wear can be turned into
styling, ankle-length leg warmers. Tightly knit cotton works best
as it unravels the least. You can leave the frayed edge showing for
a rougher, obvious DIY style or fold it under and hide your secret
““ no sewing required. Just be sure to wear the would-be
wrists of the sleeves at your ankle and remember to scrunch.
Flares are going out, so use those scissors to take the flares
off your old jeans (but don’t cut all your flares off,
I’m sure they’ll be back in style sooner or later).
This will make you a pair of cute fall shorts that can either be
dressed up or dressed down. Make sure to cut them before the pants
start to flare out, usually right at the knee.
Your old clothes are sitting in your closet calling your name.
They’re not getting used anyway, so you might as well turn
them into new styles. It both personalizes and recycles old
clothes, rescuing them from never getting worn.
You’re empowering yourself by taking the clothes you
already have and turning them into the height of fashion, and it
saves you the money you might have spent on leg warmers or a nice
belt.
Skinny jeans, however, I can’t help you with; you’ll
have to buy those.
Don’t have any scissors? Borrow Rood’s at
drood@media.ucla.edu.