Restyling by Suman Mundkur

Introduction
It is common practice in our culture to clean up our wardrobes and buy new clothes to wear for
a festival season. Well the in-thing with designers is to mix- match –colours, textured fabrics
and garments. Acceptable dress has broadened and diversified to a point where now anything
and everything goes. It is accepted to borrow garment types from any era or to mix them all at
once, to choose hemlines, necklines, sleeves and scarves at random and assemble.
Restyling one garment to another is known by different names. Remake, restyle,
remanufacture, redesign, remodel, upcycle and recycle.
Decades of deconstruction
Restyling has passed through a stage a revolution, over the decades
1. Punk - a move that was highly shocking at the time, all manner of unsuitable garb (usually
found in charity and thrift shop) would be cut up and refashioned to attract maximum attention.
This meant torn fabrics, frayed edges and ladders, and the addition of offensive slogans, studs
and nails. Accessories dog collars, chains, padlocks, razor blades and heavy footwear.
2. Hippies - had their own approach. Naturally, environmentally conscious fabrics and yarns
were crafted into kaftans, fashioned into flares and flowing dresses, and seeds would be
threaded into long swinging beaded necklaces.
3. The Parisian couture turning them entirely upside down. In the process they exerted a huge
influence on the possibilities for remaking. Clothes were voluminous, folded and draped forms
with raw edges and unfinished detailing-beauty was found in the deconstruction of tradition
shapes and patterns.
4. The grunge movement revived the both hippie spirit and punk ideology. On the catwalks
modelled the controversial heroin-chick-ripped, stained and otherwise deliberately distressed
garments in black, greys and khaki.
5. Fashion’s obsession with vintage clothing crept up gradually, reaching its pinnacle in the
first few years of this millennium. Retro, vintage and even antique garments become more
readily available and much more in demand. Unique, original and environmentally conscious,
and as high street fashion increasingly turn to history for inspiration, original vintage items
could be a cheaper and/or more authentic way to achieve a designer look.
After struggling for years to be taken seriously by the fashion world, eco-designers finally
saw the industry start to shift in their favour in the late noughties.
Some of the designers and dressmakers all over the world are motivated by the creative drive
and ecological reasons as by economic ones.
This might be your favorite 'shirt' to 'dress' idea yet and one that finally makes me want to do
it!
Remake it clothes
Presents projects to create new clothes from old and accessories from found materials, and
design examples from celebrated international designers. This the history and context of
recycling clothes in the fashion industry, as well as tips on vintage clothing, storage and caring
for your clothes.
People Tree Sari collection founded at the start of 1990s by Safia Minney
The recycled Sari dresses are, unsurprisingly, made in India. Bright and beautiful sari silks are
adapted into a variety of new dresses- sewn into black organic poplin skirts, embellished with
traditional hand embroidery and cinched in and tailored with ties and belts. Offcuts go to make
accessories such as bags and quilts.
Clements Ribeiro
Half and half
Husband and wife design duo Suzanne Clements and Inacio Ribeiro met during their studies at
London’s College of Art and Design in 1991 and launched their own label together two years
later. Soon renowned for their bold use of pattern and feminine knits, the pair also have a less
well-known line in upcycled vintage fashion- an experiment that began in 1998 when a
collaboration with embroiderer extaordinaire Karen Nicol resulted in a beautiful series of
customized antique cashmere knits.
Other of- catwalk initiatives in later years have included the Collage Collection of dresses and
skirts constructed from vintage couture fabrics and the Half and Half Project, a limited range
of unique dresses made to the same pattern using antique textiles. Half of the dress is of light,
hand- embroidered silks, the other half of contrasting heavier weight precious weaves such as
brocade.
Milch
Everyday upcycling
Milch is an eco-fashion label founded by Cloed Priscilla Baumgartner in Vienna in 1996. At
Milch traditional menswear garments and suiting are made into dresses, skirts, blouses and hats
for women. The original clothes are sourced locally before being partially dismantled,
reconstructed and sewn by hand into the new designs. Elements of their previous incarnation
such as collars, waistbands, cuffs and buttons are preserved to provide nostalgic detail in the
new pieces.
Goodone
Colour blocking
Goodone was established by Nin Castle and Phoebe Emerson to provide inspiring and evolving
new styles and good design while still addressing the phenomenal environmental impact of the
fashion industry. The fresh, fashion-forward collections feature upcycled fabrics with
sustainable new materials, using a distinctive colour-blocking technique.
Schmidt Takahashi
Remaking history
A partnership between Eugenie Schmidt and Mariko Takahashi, the Berlin-based label has a
clear Japanese aesthetic. The garment remixes are both distinctive and highly unconventional-
a men’s checkered jacket could be cut with a woman’s fur coat, or a light silk shirt into a
summer dress before being belted with a heavy jersey knit.
A.P.C.
Butler jeans
Jean Touitou, founder of French label A.P.C. (Atelier de Production et de Creation), had an
idea. For those who only want to wear a pair of jeans he offers a service whereby they can be
returned and exchanged for a new pair at cost once they’ve seen some wear and tear. A.P.C.
then takes these old jeans, washes, mends and marks them with the initials of the person who
wore them, before reselling them as part of a dedicated line: Butler Jeans.
Julia Crew
Upcycled fabric bags
Julia Crew opened a studio and shop in London’s East End in 2010 with three of her fellow
graduates. Using materials, including pre-consumer waste (end-of-line upholstery fabrics and
off-cuts) and salvaged post-consumer items such as second-hand leather jackets and belts.
Crew makes durable design, robust fabrics and constructions, and timeless aesthetics integral
to her sustainable approach, while also encouraging her customers to buy one product- rather
than many. In order to do this, the bags need to be longlasting in terms of construction, fashion
and usefulness.
Walter Raes
Wearable art and design
Raes began making wearable art and designs from these consumer society throw-outs and his
style eventually evolving to focus, in particular, on household and industrial materials that he
frequently recycled from skips. Raes’s work makes much use of the functionality of his raw
materials- the lacing on discarded trainers is repurposed in a corset-like design, while mop
heads substitute for fur on a coat.
Beautiful Soul
Kimono collection
Beautiful Soul is a luxury British womenswear label established by Nicola Woods in 2008.
The Beautiful Soul studio boasts one of the largest archives of vintage Japanese kimonos dating
back to the 1940s and it is from this archive that Beautiful Soul’s Kimono Collection is created.
Retailored into bespoke garments, all designs have an emphasis on multi- functionality and
adjustability. The distinctive materials are not only exclusive, but also inspire an emotional
urge to treasure and care for the garments over a lifetime.
From Somewhere
Rescued fabrics
Orsola de Castro and Filippo Ricci established From Somewhere in 1997 when they saw a
pressing need for a genuinely sustainable fashion label that could produce designs in large
numbers. Made using luxury designer pre-consumer waste: rescuing fabrics such as swatches,
proofs, production offcuts and end-of-roll textiles. Distinctive colour palettes, simple shapes
and original panelling marked out From Somewhere’s designs.
These were some of the designers who restyle. It is a common misconception that in order to
make clothes it is important to be skilled at sewing. You can do it too! You can find inspiration
and ideas by investigating different cultures and traditions from around the world.
Some tips will help further:
 Use a feather trim, Sequins can just be as happily added to everyday wear and are a fast
and easy way to upgrade a t-shirt.
 Make use of scrap fabric is to build it together into a greater whole through patchwork.
It can then be used as a regular length of fabric to make clothes, bags and other
accessories.
 The most traditional way to revamp an old garment is by customizing it along the edges
with the addition of fringes, ribbons, buttons or brocade.
 Beading, embroidery, patches and studs are brilliant options and can be particularly
useful as a means of covering up stains, tears or moth holes in prominent places.
Shellfish, insects lichen, roots, barks, leaves, berries, fungi and vegetables have all been
used throughout history to bring colour to cloth. These are the origins of natural dyes
that are valued today.
 Shrink to fit by tailoring an old pair of jeans into a new cut and style is an easy way to
refresh a look. Slim a wide-legged paired down or a straight-leg design, by taking in
each side a little.
 To make sweatbands for the wrists, salvage the ankle section from an otherwise
redundant pair of toweling sports socks. Even better- and this will also work for a
headband- is to set to work using an old towel and some elastic.
 Use offcuts of finer fabrics to add a subtle detail that will customize and refresh an item
of clothing. Line a pocket, a collar or a cuff in a beautiful, colourful lightweight textile
that only the wearer will know is there. Or add discreet but chic ties on a sleeve to hold
a turn-up more neatly. Match them to a new set of button loops or perhaps a pocket flap
on an otherwise plain garment. Cut into thin, ribbon-like strips- silk or gauze can be
sewn as a barely-there trim around the neckline and cuffs of a dress, jacket or blouse
and immediately give it a new look and a more luxurious feel- a trick that also even
works with an old T-shirt after cutting off the hems and neckline.
 Reflective fabrics and straps- often found on specialist sportswear- can be salvaged
along with offcuts from neon protective wear and reused as both practical and
decorative strips for many occasions.
 Try sewing it into detachable hoods, remaking larger pieces into ponchos and collars to
provide extra visibility while cycling, or fashionable straps into belts, bracelets and
armbands
 Embellish a cut of leather from an old belt or perhaps a string of beads or stones taken
from a broken piece of jewellery.
 Leggings and tights can be cut down into shorts and hot-pants, leotards into two-pieces
and T-shirts into tanks and crop tops. All layered over each other, the finished look,
multi-coloured, skin-tight and paired with arm-warmers and headbands.
 The easiest wearable item to make from a large square or circle of textile is a poncho.
 Cut down the arms and legs of an old tracksuit for a fresh set of summer workout wear.
Although the fabric shouldn’t need hemming, it will look better and last longer.
 Elbow patches were historically employed in order to prolong the life of a jacket or
coat, along with a leather trim around the cuffs. To make your own, find a piece of
scrap fabric, leather or sued for the patch- it is best to use something that has the same
stretch as that of the garment. Sew them to the sleeve using a close and wide zigzag
stitch around the outer edge.
 The Japanese Kimono means “thing to wear”. Its T- shaped form with its straight edges
and long, wide, rectangular sleeves is quite straightforward to dismantle. In Japan, old
kimonos are often recycled into hand bags and other accessories. Long, simple A –line
or wraparound skirts are ideal, as our voluminous simple shift dresses and top.
 Maximize a maxi skirt’s into a strapless dress. Pull it up so the waistband sits above the
bust, cinching in the waist with a belt.
 Just as a scarf or a shawl is easily adapted to make a sarong on the beach, the same
principle can be used to make a wraparound skirt suitable for any occasion. In place of
a knot, gather the fabric and add a buckle to secure the skirt at the side.
 Most one- piece garments can be cut down to two- or at the very least one- new piece
with some excess matching fabric for accessories. With the help of a pair of scissors
and a sewing machine, a dress, for example, will find new life as a skirt and / or a top,
and a playsuit as shorts and / or a top. Where buttons are involved, say in a shirtdress,
make the cut so the final hem will be above the line of where the next button would be.
Where there is a zip to be navigated either cut just below it, just above it or remove it
entirely.
 On delicate fabrics as light as possible, but a few sequins or an offcut of embroidery
appliquéd onto a vintage negligee can instantly transform it from pajama to party.
 Other ways to adapt such a piece include shortening it to make a camisole or a dying
pale fabric a darker shade for a more evening feel, and adding piping or trimmings.
 As an optional extra add a short cap sleeve in chiffon, silk or gauze at the shoulder to
give more weight.
 The lacy florals found on old net curtains are well suited to dresses, skirts and tops with
lining and a pretty scalloped edge can also be exploited to save the need for hemming.