From Fashion Shopaholics To Refashion Designers

Claire and Emily are fighting the fashion trend that dictates that if you wear something once, you can’t be seen in it again. The fast fashion industry is relentless in its strategic marketing message:  if you’re not wearing ‘on-trend’ clothing, there’s something wrong with you. You’re ‘unstylish’.

Many people don’t question where their clothing was made, even though most of the population has heard of the term, ‘sweat shop’.

Claire and Emily decided to create a hub that takes unwanted clothing and refashions it into new, one-of-a-kind garments. They say that making your own clothes is empowering.

“We’ve never understood why people should suffer for clothes. It doesn’t make sense.”

An estimated 235 million items of clothing ended up in British landfills in 2017 alone. But in 2018, Claire and Emily’s hub saved over a tonne of clothes from going into the landfill.

The pair teach workshops on mending and upcycled sewing, to encourage people to stop buying new. They even have a workshop on ancient Japanese dyeing techniques.

Making your own clothes definitely makes you look more unique. Even if you all used the same basic dress pattern, everyone would choose different fabrics and embellishments.

It’s a little known fact that the textiles and fast fashion industry cause an immense amount of environmental damage. We have to face this problem head-on – we can no longer ignore it.

But rather than feeling bad about being part of the damaging trend of short life-cycle clothing, it’s not that difficult to step out of that and do things in a different way.

And that’s what these two ladies are doing. They definitely get the #ChopDontShop thumbs up from me!

What about you? Are you re-using your old clothing in some way? Share your tips and hacks in the comments below.

Love and hugs,

Mandy Wildman

#ChopDontShop