What do you think of when you hear “recycled clothing?” Perhaps you think of it in a literal sense with newspapers, paper, and tin cans as apparel. That is, in fact, not an unrealistic idea. There have been famous fashion icons that have turned old newspapers and cardboard boxes into fashionable dresses and outerwear. Some girls even make their prom dresses out of recycled articles of clothing or duct tape. There are even competitions of who can make the best duct tape prom dress in some places. These types of contests take the idea of recycled clothing to a whole new level.
On the other hand, there are recycled clothing that may not even be recognized as recycled. Old shirts and jeans can be turned in and made into something completely new. As shown in the photo above, this model is wearing a sweater consisting of many other sweaters. Once someone grows out of something or it gets old, it can be turned in and patched with other fabrics to be made into something like this sweater, with multiple different patterns of stripes. This sweater does not exactly look “recycled.” In fact, it has a more sophisticated vintage look. Some patterns can be patched to make a subtle look, while others look rather extravagant.
A few other examples of recycled clothing comes in the form of shoes. Often times, denim or other similar fabrics are washed and reused to be made into shoes. Nobody would really be able to tell that a denim pair of shoes were actually once a denim pair of pants. Recycling clothing is a very sustainable process. It helps conserve the environment by not wasting materials to make new clothing with. All in all, next time you decide you do not like a shirt anymore, before heading to the trash bin, try looking for your nearest recycling bin and throw the item there instead.