Rescue your Old Clothes with these Sustainable Fashion Ideas and start to imagine, design, and create.
Jane stops by ABC 7 Chicago to talk about sustainability in fashion with meteorologist, Tracy Butler. Being passionate about UpCycling and repurposing, Jane shares ideas on how to rescue your old clothes with sustainable fashion ideas.
Whether you want to call it a remake or an upcycle or refashioned fashion… Sustainability in fashion is a hot topic these days and many celebrities like Ginger Zee, are practicing the No New Clothes movement.
What’s really happening every time you purchase something new or toss out an item of clothing.
Most of our old clothes could be reused or recycled but 85% of them end up in a landfill and that the average item of clothing is only worn 14 times before it gets tossed out into the garbage and eventually in a landfill.
Over the last 20 years, the amount of clothing that Americans throw out every year has almost doubled!
When it comes to the clothing industry, it accounts for about 20% of the world’s wastewater. According to data from the World Resources Institute, it takes 2,700 liters of water to make one cotton shirt, that’s 713 gallons.
When you look at the fast-fashion, pieces there are made from synthetic fabrics and because they are made from petrochemicals, they can take 200+ years for the materials to decompose in a landfill.
It’s important to understand the difference between fast fashion and slow fashion.
The fast fashion industry thrives on rapid social media trends, creating more and more cheap, lower-quality clothes – users feel pressure to keep up! They are disposable but they are not biodegradable.
Slow fashion is garments are more timeless than trendy, they take longer to make, or they are made to order. Slow fashion is based on the how the garment is being made being and is mindful of the process and resources needed to make it.
Slow fashion is a movement. Refashioning gently used garments from your closet or the thrift store can help!
Learn what you can do with denim scraps, old t-shirts, men’s button-up shirts, sweaters and more. Plus, get tips on how to get started on your refashioning journey. It’s time to turn your once loved garments into runway ready apparel and say I love you to the environment.
Get sustainable Fashion advice to rescue your old clothes! Check out these refashioned garments Jane featured on the show.
