Erica of Recyled Fashion Erica's blog Reycled Fashion is a magnificent resource of all things sustainable fashion - for everyone from the hardcore DIYer to the casual fashionista looking to go a little greener.
Glad Rags: How did you get into refashioning and how long have you been at it?
Erica: I started writing Recycled Fashion, and soon discovered a community of clever, talented people creating their own clothes from existing garments. Soon after, I found Wardrobe Refashion, which really inspired me to start sewing.
When I started thrift shopping, I couldn’t sew. I say I couldn’t sew, but really I hadn’t tried. My first sewing machine arrived as a birthday present two years ago, and the doors to a whole new world of thrift shopping opened.
I now look at second hand clothing much differently; I’ll filter through menswear, not dismiss torn or damaged clothes, and start scouring thrift shop linen for pretty patterns. No longer will I limit myself to second hand clothes which are only in my size, as I’ll be able to adjust garments to fit my frame. I’ll cut up sheets and pillowcases, and make them into fashion pieces, and upcycle old worn out pieces into something new.
Glad Rags: How did you get into refashioning and how long have you been at it?
Erica: I started writing Recycled Fashion, and soon discovered a community of clever, talented people creating their own clothes from existing garments. Soon after, I found Wardrobe Refashion, which really inspired me to start sewing.
When I started thrift shopping, I couldn’t sew. I say I couldn’t sew, but really I hadn’t tried. My first sewing machine arrived as a birthday present two years ago, and the doors to a whole new world of thrift shopping opened.
I now look at second hand clothing much differently; I’ll filter through menswear, not dismiss torn or damaged clothes, and start scouring thrift shop linen for pretty patterns. No longer will I limit myself to second hand clothes which are only in my size, as I’ll be able to adjust garments to fit my frame. I’ll cut up sheets and pillowcases, and make them into fashion pieces, and upcycle old worn out pieces into something new.
Erica transformed a matronly muumuu into a flattering fitted dress! What's your favorite refashion or repurposing project you've worked on?
My Hawaiian Muuumuu! My choice of dress was for a friend’s Hawaiian themed wedding. I found a second hand muumuu on Etsy, and got to work on refashioning it into a suitable dress.
How do you feel mainstream fashion impacts our environment?
Mainstream fashion can be very damaging to our environment. The never ending cycle of fashion brings new garments every season, which very soon become out of fashion, and can quickly end up in landfill.
We also need to take into account the chemicals used to dye our clothes, the use of cheap fabric, water usage, air travel miles to shop new clothes, and the production of garments made in less than ideal working environments. There are many damaging environmental factors involved in producing quick fashion for the world’s large retail chains.
Do you have any advice for people who want to make more positive choices when it comes to fashion?
Many of us would prefer to look more unique and individual to our own style rather than succumbing to fashion trends and becoming a high street clone. For this reason alone, I would recommend choosing recycled pieces, which make fashion more sustainable and fun.
This need not be limited to refashioning and sewing; simply by choosing vintage or second hand means we are using and wearing what is already in existence, alleviating the necessity to buy new.
What's the most unique instance(s) of repurposing you've seen?
I am constantly amazed by people’s creativity, a few examples of some incredible repurposed fashion projects would include:
Kazz the Spazz and her Plastic Trench Coat made from laundry bags
Geneva from A Pair and a Spare’s DIY Rug Skirt
An Aussie bride that made her wedding dress out of bread tags
A dress I made using $1 thrifted upholstery patch sample book
My Hawaiian Muuumuu! My choice of dress was for a friend’s Hawaiian themed wedding. I found a second hand muumuu on Etsy, and got to work on refashioning it into a suitable dress.
How do you feel mainstream fashion impacts our environment?
Mainstream fashion can be very damaging to our environment. The never ending cycle of fashion brings new garments every season, which very soon become out of fashion, and can quickly end up in landfill.
We also need to take into account the chemicals used to dye our clothes, the use of cheap fabric, water usage, air travel miles to shop new clothes, and the production of garments made in less than ideal working environments. There are many damaging environmental factors involved in producing quick fashion for the world’s large retail chains.
Do you have any advice for people who want to make more positive choices when it comes to fashion?
Many of us would prefer to look more unique and individual to our own style rather than succumbing to fashion trends and becoming a high street clone. For this reason alone, I would recommend choosing recycled pieces, which make fashion more sustainable and fun.
This need not be limited to refashioning and sewing; simply by choosing vintage or second hand means we are using and wearing what is already in existence, alleviating the necessity to buy new.
What's the most unique instance(s) of repurposing you've seen?
I am constantly amazed by people’s creativity, a few examples of some incredible repurposed fashion projects would include:
Kazz the Spazz and her Plastic Trench Coat made from laundry bags
Geneva from A Pair and a Spare’s DIY Rug Skirt
An Aussie bride that made her wedding dress out of bread tags
A dress I made using $1 thrifted upholstery patch sample book
Erica's upcycled cape Tell us about your most exciting fashion find and what you did with it.
I liked this tweed skirt I picked up at a thrift store, which I made into a cape .
Also quite a simple one here, a vintage dress I found at a vintage clothing clearance centre. A simple sleeve removal was all it needed to make an ordinary dress into a great dress.
What do you think can be done to make refashioning, vintage, and sustainable fashion more accessible to the average person?
What would really help I think, is more opportunities for people to learn to sew. For example, informal workshops and classes for beginner stitchers that are affordable, fun and encouraging.
I am also an advocate for vintage and thrift shopping tours, where groups of people are encouraged to shop second hand together, making it a fun, enjoyable, inspiring experience.
I liked this tweed skirt I picked up at a thrift store, which I made into a cape .
Also quite a simple one here, a vintage dress I found at a vintage clothing clearance centre. A simple sleeve removal was all it needed to make an ordinary dress into a great dress.
What do you think can be done to make refashioning, vintage, and sustainable fashion more accessible to the average person?
What would really help I think, is more opportunities for people to learn to sew. For example, informal workshops and classes for beginner stitchers that are affordable, fun and encouraging.
I am also an advocate for vintage and thrift shopping tours, where groups of people are encouraged to shop second hand together, making it a fun, enjoyable, inspiring experience.
Erica made leggings out of unwanted fabric from a Freecycler What are your favorite sources for materials? Do you have any favorite thrift shops, etc.?
Favourite sources would be any op shop (Australian thrift store) or flea market. I don’t really have a favourite, but do prefer smaller stores where a good rummage is needed to find a gem.
How do you think the cultural consciousness of fashion's environmental impact differs in Australia from the U.S.?
Hard to say being that I don’t actually live in the U.S, but from what I read with my own blog research, fashion consumers in both countries are becoming a little more environmentally aware. Having said that, the majority of fashion lovers will still choose to buy new over second-hand – we still have a long way to go before we really embrace ethical fashion.
If you could choose any fashion era to live in, which would you go with?
This might sound odd, but I like living in the fashion era we are in right now. Why? Because really, we can wear whatever we like, and have decades of awesome fashion to mix with. We could wear a '20s cloche hat with a pair of '70s flares if we wanted to, a '50s dress with a pair of modern day flats, a '60s mod dress with vintage cowboy boots if we wish - anything goes, and I think that’s great.
Do you have any current projects you'd like to plug? :)
I’ve recently been making things out of a great piece of fabric that I picked up for free from a Freecycle member that no longer wanted it. It is a huge piece of knit fabric, and so far I’ve made quite a few items; two baby onesie’s, two child bunting decorations, and a pair of leggings for myself. I’m not done with the fabric yet, and plan to do a few more fashion projects, so do keep an eye on the blog for more!
Favourite sources would be any op shop (Australian thrift store) or flea market. I don’t really have a favourite, but do prefer smaller stores where a good rummage is needed to find a gem.
How do you think the cultural consciousness of fashion's environmental impact differs in Australia from the U.S.?
Hard to say being that I don’t actually live in the U.S, but from what I read with my own blog research, fashion consumers in both countries are becoming a little more environmentally aware. Having said that, the majority of fashion lovers will still choose to buy new over second-hand – we still have a long way to go before we really embrace ethical fashion.
If you could choose any fashion era to live in, which would you go with?
This might sound odd, but I like living in the fashion era we are in right now. Why? Because really, we can wear whatever we like, and have decades of awesome fashion to mix with. We could wear a '20s cloche hat with a pair of '70s flares if we wanted to, a '50s dress with a pair of modern day flats, a '60s mod dress with vintage cowboy boots if we wish - anything goes, and I think that’s great.
Do you have any current projects you'd like to plug? :)
I’ve recently been making things out of a great piece of fabric that I picked up for free from a Freecycle member that no longer wanted it. It is a huge piece of knit fabric, and so far I’ve made quite a few items; two baby onesie’s, two child bunting decorations, and a pair of leggings for myself. I’m not done with the fabric yet, and plan to do a few more fashion projects, so do keep an eye on the blog for more!
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