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upcycling



No, this is not about the Tour de France. It's another kind of cycling and it has to do with clothes. You may know by know by now how much I like clothes. Yep, I'm that bitch. Sorry not sorry. But after thinking it out last year, I've decided to start upcycling my clothes instead of going out and buying a ton of shit that's just trendy and does not have staying power. I've decided it's more about expressing myself with what I'm wearing and avoiding frostbite (it's Chicago, hunny) than being all that.

What I've decided to do (to both save money and avoid becoming part of the problem with fast fashion) is to upcycle my clothes. Upcycling is basically altering and keep using the clothes we already have instead of going out and buying more. And I know you're gonna say 'but isn't that what most people do?' Well, no. With the breakneck speed with which trends and silhouettes change within the span of a year or two it's almost impossible to keep up with the demands that the fashion industry would like us to satisfy. So many people go out and buy more clothes to navigate the latest deluge of shapes and colors the designers have concocted for us.



So when I changed homes last year (I did a radical change regarding home: I moved from the North-Western suburbs to the South-Western suburbs, basically changing my life and leaving behind some things and gaining some new) I got rid of many, many pieces of clothing that had been languishing in my closet for way too long. I'm sentimental like that. I basically Marie-Kondo-ed my closet. I only kept what really brought me joy. Isn't that what we all should do?

Some pieces I just could not send to the Goodwill (I despise the homophobic, xtianist Salvation Army and will never, EVER donate anything to those fuckers) because those clothes did have some sentimental value and I realized most had great potential. I usually buy things that are pretty (told you I'm that bitch) but that follow classic lines and can be worn for years without looking too dated. One thing about fast fashion is that it would scream 'mid nineties' or 'summer 2011' at the least provocation. It's the nature of the beast.

Those pieces that just had to stay went through what I call a re-saw: I took them to the neighborhood cleaners (two absolutely fantastic Asian ladies who lectured me on the right way to measure my inseam, how frequently dry clean my coats and the mysteries of linen) and gave them a new lease in life. So I had several pants and four jeans tucked and nipped to better reflect the new trends in fashion. Mind you, I was doing that for Spring-Summer 2020. What I'm showing here is Fall/Winter 2020-21. I know, it sounds complex, but fashion lives in the future: we are wearing now what designers concocted almost a year and half ago.




I know many of you SWEAR that you do not follow fashion and that you'd never be caught dead paying full retail price for designer clothes (except Maddie cause she knows how it is) but you ARE, Blanche. YOU ARE. Even your Sears/Target/BigBox utilitarian cargo pants and button-downs (or muumuu, whatever it is that you wear at home)  have been influenced by the fashionable ladies and gentlemen who design for the people who buy $2,000 mohair sweaters. Because fashion trickles down from the Dior/Luis Vuitton stratosphere to your Casual Corner store like clockwork.

One of the things I always tell my friends is that Style has nothing to do with fashion trends and everything to do with personality. Each one of us has their own personality and that is what transcends. That's what people see when they comment on how well we 'clean up'. No, honey. we don't 'clean up well' you're just seeing another part of us that we don't usually show to the unwashed masses. And I know even Lurkie has his favorite pair of trousers, isn't it, darling?

So yeah. I made some ties skinnier, some jackets fit better and some pants narrower and shorter. And my 'wardrobe' looks like it's following the beautiful lines of these three designers I showcased here today for you. They are my favorites in the whole world: Kim Jones, for Dior; Dries Van Noten and the Cain twins for DSQUARED2 (Comme Des Garcons is on my list but I am waiting for that video). One part of me wishes I would have the money to be able to buy these beautiful pieces of clothing but another part of me is happy finding similar clothes in thrift stores and taking time to talk to the fantastic seamstresses in the local Dry Cleaning business to get close to those designers' vision. The effort is worth the look.

And one of these days I'll show you what I wear. You already know who I've fucked, so what's left to know?

XOXO

Comments

  1. my everyday work pants cost $8 each from a mail-order business. my t-shirts get tossed when they are too disgusting to wear to work. I have 3-4 dress-up tops for nice occasions. my everyday shoes are clogs. my closet is 24" wide and holds everything nicely without looking like a sardine can. and yes, I DO have 2 muumuus for around the house. truth be told, I'd rather be naked. but certainly NOT during winter!

    ReplyDelete
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    1. Hahahahaha I knew it! I want a muumuu to lounge around and smoke pot. I think clogs are the most comfortable shoes. Not crocs tho. They look like hooves.

      XoXo

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  2. Replies
    1. I love clothes, xersex. Love them..

      XoXo

      Delete
  3. You bring up a good point. What appears at Kohl’s and Target ARE influenced by the big fashion houses. They may lag a little but the styles will get there.

    Now you know I’m no clothes horse. I have some jeans and souvenir t-shirts that may be older than some of your readers. I shop Target, Kohl’s, Sears and Costco. And I wear the clothes to death. The hem on my pants have to be tattered before I get rid of them. The collar on the shirt has to be tattered or the arm pits start to show stains. THEN I’m ready to get rid of them.

    So fashion is not my forte, but I always enjoy your posts about clothes, because I’ve seen your closet and I know the truth you speak.

    XOXO 👨‍❤️‍💋‍👨

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. LoL I remember that T-shirt I gave you. Oh dear.
      Ohh that closet. Yeah. It’s been cleaned up.

      XoXo

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  4. I use to be fashionable, I use to be pretty, now I am comfortable. I try to buy quality - usually clearance on sale, and wear it as long as I like.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Buying clearance is the best experience. I usually buy stuff in January or after a big sale week. Or thrift. Cheap is soooo satisfying!

      XoXo

      Delete
  5. I applaud your upcycling! Also, your boycott of the Sally Ann, those fuckers.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Up cycling is so much fun! It keeps the creative juices flowing 😎
      And I never give them one cent! Ugh.

      XoXo

      Delete
  6. I, too, like clothes, and I, too, have learned to upcycle them rather than replace them every couple of years. Plus, my favorite Buddhist/Dalai Lama quote is:
    "Want the things you have, don't have the things you want."
    That and the fact that everything old is new again, so it all comes back around.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The Dalai Lama is right! Up cycling is so much fun. And have you seen that fanny packs are a thing AGAIN? Dear lord.

      XoXo

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  7. My thing was comfortable shoes. So I have a collection of my favorite brand (Harry's of London) that I refuse to part with but will probably never wear again. But today, I wear a more or less uniform which consists of only white polos from GAP (I have over 30) and shorts (5.5 inseam). I do have a pair of jeans and one pair of slacks and dress shirt for if I'm ever on trial.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. OMG jimmy. Shoes. Yes!
      And I think my uniform is white button downs and skinny jeans. I add ties and jackets so I don’t look too Johnny Rotten 🤣.
      I think there’ll come a time when I’m just gonna wear jeans and white t-shirts tho.

      XoXo

      Delete
  8. I try to keep everything simple so that it doesn't get outdated. Like my extra baggy pants with pleats that scream 1990s. I'm lucky in that comfortable clothes gets turned into outdoors clothes being in the country. I slept in a comfy sweat shirt that was given to me when I was 15.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Haha the 90’s are in! And I think that’s the best transition: some clothes phase into clothes we don’t mind splattering or tearing. They have a longer life that way.
      Omg I have a pair of Girbaud jeans that are like fifteen years old. Love them.

      XoXo

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  9. I'm a complete sucker for Kenneth Cole. Yep, this guy who always dissed on the ladies for filling the closet each season with the latest, the ones who practice Fashion Over Function, cannot stop himself when it comes to Kenneth; pants, shirts, jackets, shoes...even slippers, for Gawd sake! And, I no longer work, and I no longer go big, splashy fundraisers (thank Gawd!) So, go figure, right? I have a closet filled with 30-year old fashion, though I never wear it - I simply wait for it to come back in style. Everything old really is new again. LOL. Daily, I wear jeans and Kenneth Cole t-shirts. If I need to spruce up a teensy, I toss on the jacket. (Yes, I'm lazy and cheap! :-D ) xoxo

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Now, Kenneth Cole has good design AND good materials. I feel you.
      And I think I’d take a trip to your closet and relieve of some of those items, especially pants and jackets! LoL because I just know some of that stuff can be tweaked to look very 2020 😎

      XoXo

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  10. Even though I always seem to be doing laundry, my clothing is minimal. Sweat pants and shirts during the winter, T-shirts and shorts in the summer. I buy my work clothes from Community Aid - they're cheap. I work in a warehouse home improvement store. I'd rather be comfortable then stylish.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You said ‘my clothing is minimal’ and I literally saw you in very few clothing. My bad. The idea of Community Aid is super cool! Pity they’re only in PA. They also seem faith based but hey.


      XoXo

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  11. Your probably the only person i know who gets this. Im the same. And if i do do trendy...i het the right pieces to incorporate into my classic or basic staple pieces.

    Why don't you live closer?????? We have a blast playing dress up.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. OMG yes, please? We’d have SO MUCH fun!
      I think the best way to keep our style fresh is add one or two trendy pieces to whatever we have and voila! Updated.
      BTW if you get any kind of employee discount, I covet it.

      XoXo

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  12. Wasn't Maddie in Chicago recently? Why didn't you meet up?

    I'm glad this is the post that you wrote about me. I thought I was in trouble! As it turns out I do have a favorite pair of trousers, and as it turns out they are cargo pants. So many pockets! Unfortunately they are too worn out for me to wear them even as farm clothes now, even though I have tried to patch the holes several times.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes! But we didn’t have time to meet cause it was during school nights! We were both super busy. It would have been a blast. And I KNEW you were a cargo pants guy 😎😎.
      LoL you’re always in trouble, Lurkie. Always 😍

      Delete
  13. Also: there is so much we don't know about you. You are shrouded in mystery.

    ReplyDelete

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