4 Steps to Revolutionize Your Wardrobe with Upcycled Clothes

A few years ago, I started a challenge to stop buying new fashion. That journey nudged me toward upcycling my clothes — reworking what I already owned instead of giving in to the urge to shop for something new.

It turns out I wasn't alone. There's a broader shift happening away from constant new purchases and toward looking inward — shopping your own closet first. More people are rediscovering pieces they forgot they owned, or taking a beloved-but-dated favorite and reworking it to reflect who they are now. Mending, altering, and reimagining garments — once seen as a last resort — is becoming a genuinely valued practice again, not just a budget move.

4 Steps to Revolutionize your closet (and style) with remade clothes

A fun way to shift your attention and money away from new purchases is by upcycling clothes, something I've always wanted to do. I've since taken on a few upcycling projects of my own, and the process taught me more about my personal style than any new purchase ever has.

In the meantime, I want to share some practical tips to help you get started! No sewing or design skills required!

Before we delve in, let's define what upcycling is: Upcycling is creating new clothes from old clothes. Alterations can be simple or complex. It's possible to create a style that is virtually indistinguishable from its original state. It's all about imagination and creative self-expression. In many cases, it is also a political point of view.

My approach for a style reincarnation and closet revolution

• Choose wisely. How do you choose clothes to upcycle in the first place? I recommend starting with garments that you don't wear often: pieces you bought for a special occasion and wore once, garments that you've fallen out of love with, or any item that isn't quite perfect. Another option is to choose clothes that are well-worn - upcycling will give them a second life.
• Unleash your creativity. It's time to get creative with the design. Do you have something in your closet that you love and fits perfectly? Aim to replicate it! You can also search through fashion magazines or look to a style icon for inspiration. Take a photo or tear pages out of magazines and bring them to your trusted tailor (unless you know to sew). If you have a vision for a new design, create a mood board, sketch it, and bring it to your tailor or seamstress to whip that baby up!
• Clear vision. A clear and concise vision is a must to get the garment that you envision. Raissa, who works at LaliSimone, is also a fashion design and fine art graduate. Her tip is to approach the upcycling process in phases to ensure that everything is coming out to plan. And sketches (even rough ones) will help your seamstress understand your vision if you take the time to annotate sketches with shapes and measurements.
• Mind your budget. A professionally upcycled garment will look brand new. That takes a ton of art, skill, and time. And of course, a good tailor will charge accordingly. If you're one of those lucky ones who knows how to sew and create patterns - props! If your upcycling projects are on the higher end, consider this an investment in a design that no one else will have. (Our IAMWHATIAM pieces are a good example of what that investment can look like.)

Moving forward, I plan to upcycle regularly because it's a great way to refresh my look and resist buying new fashion. Do you upcycle, mend, or rework pieces you already own? I'd love to hear your approach in the comments.

If this resonated, you might also like Circular Fashion Fights Climate Change and Saving the Planet in Style: How Secondhand Fashion Is the Key to Sustainable Shopping — two more looks at why rethinking what's already in your closet matters more than ever.

* Photo credit: Upcycled double breasted trench by Greg Lauren