Although my creative work is usually digital, such as doing design work for Align, I also love working with physical materials such as textiles and paint. During summer I always seem to have an extra spark of creativity, and this extra energy often gets channeled into projects like creating or upcycling clothing. I love fashion and trying out new looks but I’m not a fan of contributing to the cycle of fast fashion, so these projects have the added bonus of allowing to try out different styles in a more sustainable way. Making my own clothes also gives me a more personal sense of style. These six tops are some of the pieces I’ve made during the first two months of summer. The first top is made out of a patchwork of old t-shirt scraps. As a relatively short person, I tend to crop a lot of tops to make them fit better, which means that I have an abundance of random fabric loops. It’s always felt wasteful to throw away perfectly good pieces of fabric, so I like to hold on to them in case I have use for them in the future. For this top, I first found some scraps with a color palette that I liked and then used the shape of the scraps to determine what the shape of the shirt would be. The next two tops are crochet projects. After learning to crochet for a class assignment this year, I realized that once I had the basic skills down, the possibilities were endless. I tend to like knit fabrics, and I especially like the idea of using warmer knit-materials for things like summer tops, which provides an interesting contrast for the piece. The brown top was inspired by the Superstar Bib top, sold as a part of Marc Jacobs’ “Heaven” collection. The top retails for $95, so DIYing made more sense for a piece that isn’t super versatile. For the other top, I was inspired by the warm colors of some leftover yarn from another project. I decided used it to make a square-necked top because the crochet pattern was ideal for letting the color gradient of the yarn shine. The next top, the black long sleeve, was a quick last-minute creation when I was in a rush out the door and wasn’t feeling inspired by any of the clothes in my closet. For this top I just cut the crotch off of an old ripped-up pair of sheer black tights. I’ve seen this type of DIY trending along with the current trend of “subversive basics”, which includes a lot of tight-fitting sheer mesh garments. This top is super easy to make, gives a second life to a destroyed pair of tights, and is a unique and versatile piece to add to your closet. The blue tie-dye hoodie was something I had found while thrifting at the Goodwill bins. I loved the color and design of the hoodie, but it had an ugly brand logo printed on the front. Instead of abandoning it, I decided to revive it by painting a new design on the front. Although it turned out, admittedly, pretty creepy, this hoodie is now a personalized, one-of-a-kind piece. Similarly, the green sweat was another thrift find where I loved the color and it was a perfect blank canvas. Instead of paint, a used a watered-down bleach solution, which has a nice hand-dyed quality. There are no rules to what you should wear or where you get your clothes from. Style is a very personal thing, and making your own clothes is fun, cheap, and sustainable way to curate a unique sense of style. If there’s a type of item you wish you had, see if it’s possible to make yourself, you just might enjoy this hobby as much as I do!
Comments