diy denim

Fashion Revolution Week was created after the Rana Plaza factory disaster in 2013. The factory home to many big name fast-fashion brands collapsed, killing over 1,100 people and injuring thousands more. In order to create change within the fashion industry, transparency is needed across the board as well as commitment to ethics and sustainability. Fashion Revolution asks you to get involved by sharing a photo/selfie of your favourite clothes asking the brand, #WhoMadeMyClothes?

With my penultimate Fashion Revolution post being quite a heavy piece, I thought I would tie this week up along the simpler route by listing out a few of ways that you can make your clothes last longer. Although I talk an awful lot about shopping with more ethically focused brands, the way you care and dispose of your clothes is equally as important as what you buy.

One of Fashion Revolution’s campaigns for 2017 included the #LovedClothesLast short film which focuses on exactly that; how loved clothes will last a lot longer than those which aren’t, whether that means how we care for them or how they were produced. You can watch the full short film here. On top of that, Fashion Revolution are also trying to encourage people to start “fashion fixing”; making your clothes last longer by fixing them rather than throwing them away. Scroll down for some easy ideas that I can guarantee all of you can do from home…

~ DIY PATCH JACKET ~
Read the full tutorial here.

This is the jacket that some of you long time TDP readers may recognise. I also featured it in my recent blog post of my trip to Lottozero’s Fashion Revolution event in Prato, Italy. I originally bought the jacket from a jumble sale with the intention of adding more to it; it was a blank white canvas which meant there was an awful lot of room to play with. If you click through to the tutorial you’ll see that not only did I dye the jacket but I also added some patches. 

Iron-on patches are extremely easy to use (all you need is a tea-towel and iron) and are what I used for all of the patches upon it. However, some of the original patches did peal off in the wash, so if you access to a needle and thread, sewing the patches on will make them last even longer. I simply re-ironed them on this time, adding my Fashion Revolution patches along with them. It is possible to find more sustainable patches; Avery Dennis (who produced the exclusive patches) use 90% recycled yarns. 

~ DIY SLEEVELESS JACKET ~
All you need is scissors!

This might not seem like much of a DIY but it saved this jacket from being taken to a local charity shop. I was wearing this denim jacket “cropped” for a few years, styling it so it looked purposefully fit to be smaller but unfortunately it had reached the stage where it simply just looked too small. I took to it with some sharp scissors though and I have a whole new item in my wardrobe; a sleeveless denim jacket (or waistcoat).

I’m also planning on adding some white pleated ruffles around the armholes using an old white dress. I’ll be getting out my sewing machine soon and will most definitely report back on my progress in the future.

~ MORE IDEAS ~
Follow my Instagram Story…

Ripped & Dip-dyed Jeans…

To go alongside my dip-dyed jacket, I ripped up some of my white jeans and dyed them in a similar style. They’re still going strong and you can see them styled up in a recent outfit post. Quick, easy, and once again doesn’t require much skill if you haven’t necessarily got the time to learn a new craft.

Crop It…

Take the same principle as I did with my old denim jacket and cut off the length of a t-shirt. It might not seem like you’re doing much but you might just end up falling back in love with its new style. If you want to neaten it up and save it from fraying, find a sewing machine and create a simple hem line, or ask someone who knows how to do it for you.

Add Pom-Poms…

I love this idea from Fashion Revolution themselves; pom-poms are really simple to make once you learn and can definitely add something more interesting to an item you’re getting a little bored of. It also saves you from going out and buying a new pom-pom trend led piece which often aren’t much more than just a sweatshirt and the pom-poms themselves. Being in charge of the process will guarantee that it will last for longer and you can make it look exactly as you like it. 

Use Off-Cuts…

With DIYs, especially those involving cutting and slicing off arms, you’ll often have off-cut pieces of fabric lying about. Don’t throw these out! You can make accessories or use the old buckles and buttons for future projects. Try and reduce your waste as much as possible. 

How will you make your clothes last longer? Have you got any quick DIY ideas? Let me know in the comments!

Thank you so much for joining me this Fashion Revolution Week! Be sure to subscribe to my newsletter as I’ll be sending out a round-up shortly.

I’ve had a bit of writer’s block over the past week or so. I’m full of ideas but the words don’t seem to make much sense when I get my fingers to a keyboard. Showing you my recent outfits is always a good way to inspire me though because I love putting the photos together so much, and the response I get is always somewhat motivational. I’ve been apart from the majority of my wardrobe for over six months now but they are finally back with me and I’m excited to style up some new looks with what I’ve gathered since then. You might remember these DIY jeans…

WHAT I WORE: Vintage Yellow Leather Jacket (Jumble Sale) // Golf Blouse €3.00 (Charity Shop) // Ripped Jeans (DIY + ASOS) // Wanderlust 101 Boots (Dr Martens)* // Denim Chokers (Yours Again)* // Sunglasses (Jumble Sale) // Headscarf (Jumble Sale) // Rings (Unknown)  

These photos have a different colouration to usual as I think its overall aesthetic deserved a greener hue, don’t you? Technically, this is a brand new outfit as I recently took to a charity shop and picked up three new items (make sure you’re following me on Instagram as I often share these sorts of things on my Instagram Story!) which I’ll undoubtedly share in future posts, including this golf print blouse which I almost didn’t take to the check-out.

I think styling often comes easier when you look at an item from a broader perspective rather than the item itself, in detail. I was drawn to the print of the blouse as it reminded me of a vintage scarf print and how it would work well with denim (more on that below) in the summer but was off-put when I realised it as golf themed. I don’t think one would suspect that on first glance though which is what made me push past my hesitance and add it to my wardrobe (the money going to a good cause of course and the item being saved from being passed on elsewhere). 

The hints of red, yellow and blue are what make it a little bit more me. I can add on my trusty yellow jacket and have it blend in seamlessly along with my Dr Martens which have elements of each colour in their print. Don’t forget – there’s sustainability in keeping an item for years on end when the item itself isn’t directly ethical or sustainable, like my boots.

As the title of this post suggests and as I’ve already mentioned, I knew this silk-like shirt would work well with a denim texture clash which brings us back to my DIY, ripped and dip-dyed jeans. I think for most people, the rips would be enough to end their life in a wardrobe but they are still the perfect fit and the rips now allow me to move more freely. Pro tip, though; perhaps don’t rip elasticated jeans as they will just keep. on. ripping. 

The blend of white is what keeps the outfit crisp and clean and leaves for a blanker canvas for accessorising. Also, the block colours of the majority of the outift ties in with the stripes of the shirt. See what I mean about looking at things as a whole? 

~ WHO MADE MY CHOKERS ? ~
Simona Uvarovaite, the founder and designer of Yours Again. Yours Again produce their collections in Lithuania but some pieces are also created in Denmark where Simona is based. Their Instagram is full of behind the scenes photos.

Speaking of accessorising, these chokers from Yours Again (a brand in my ethical directory) came into my life with perfect timing. I’m not one for blouses without a top button (this can be easily fixed with a needle and thread of course) but these recycled denim chokers make up for it and quite frankly look better altogether than what another button would do. I’ve never actually worn chokers before although they have always interested me. I believe it’s because I’m quite lazy in the accessories department. You’ll usually only see me with sunglasses and a handbag.

Yours Again turn used and pre-loved denim and jeans into new pieces whether that be chokers like mine or their first collection of waistcoats and jackets. I understand their pieces are on the higher end of the scale in terms of price but I can tell that they are coming from a committed and loving team which means you’ll be able to treasure the journey and story your clothes have been on. Plus – they look amazing and I can’t wait to style them up again soon.

I also added a headscarf to tie in the green of the blouse and I actually love the outcome. It was a decision I made last minute before stepping out the house and sometimes those sorts of decisions are the best kind.

How would you style up these chokers? Have you been second-hand shopping recently? Let me know in the comments!

I’ll be back soon with (hopefully) lots of new content for Fashion Revolution Week…

I haven’t put up a wishlist style post in a while, so seeing as a new season is about to set in, I thought I’d put one up. I’ve been seeing a lot of patchwork denim around the place as well as the still ever growing trend of embroidered badges so that’s basically what this consists of. You can see which are my favorites below…

Heels (River Island @ ASOS) // Surrender Badge (Rosie Wonders @ ASOS) // Purse (Springtime)* // Clutch (SPRINGTIME)* // Skirt (ASOS) // Rose Badge (Rosie Wonders @ ASOS) // Dr Martens (Dr Martens) // Wallet (SPRINGTIME)* // Pinafore (ASOS)

I’m ever so slowly becoming a shoe person, and I’m also ever so slowly starting to fall in love with heels (eek!) and this combination of a shoe, heel, denim and patchwork has me with heart shaped eyes. I’m not sure the boot style would actually fit my very slim figure though… which is a shame because they really are quite delightful.

To match those, this dress and and this skirt would work perfectly. I’ve actually had my eye on that patchwork denim pinafore for a while now and I’m thinking it would look pretty great this summer with a crisp white blouse (which I’m now an owner of – it’s a Stradivarius number) underneath and then quite possibly a cool pair of Dr Martens on my feet… these Valentine’s pair are pretty funky, right?

In terms of the accessories, like I mentioned, it seems that embroidered patches aren’t going anywhere soon and I’m pretty happy about that… did I mention that my socks come with a free embroidered badge, yet? 

I’ve included a few SPRINGTIME pieces there too because I love what they’re brand is all about. You may have noticed the new addition to my sidebar, which has a handy link straight to their site. When the lovely team got in touch with me, I knew I had to work with them because they have such an awesome message about achieving your dreams and spreading that passion to everyone around you. I’m all for it and the fact that they’re pieces are all very denim orientated… well it makes them that much better.

What have you been wishing for recently? Let me know in the comments!

(This is a sponsored post in collaboration with SPRINGTIME. All thoughts and opinions are 100% honest. You can read my full disclaimer here.)