I had been sewing some of my own clothing using new fabric for approximately 10 years but had never considered using thrifted clothing until I stumbled across a fabulous upcycled pink denim jacket with white lace on a Facebook group. I knew that one day I wanted to make something similar.
This jacket was my first attempt. I recreated it using a thrifted jacket, lace from my sewing stash, and a crocheted bird my aunt made decades ago. That project opened my eyes to the beauty of giving old clothes new life—and to the harsh truth about fast fashion’s impact on our planet, where discarded clothing often ends up polluting land and communities around the world. Now, each piece I make feels like a small step toward a more thoughtful, sustainable way of dressing.
On the back of the jacket is a hand-crocheted bird created by my old aunt. The doily must be at least 50 years old. I didn't want to use in home decor but I couldn't get rid of it either. The solution was to hand sew it onto the back of this jacket.
I really loved the creative process of finding an item of clothing and then deciding how it should be upcycled and the style, fabrics, and trim that would be used.
Since then, I have learned how toxic fast fashion is to the environment and how wasteful. The clothing and textiles that we throw away is sent in large shipping containers to poorer countries. Approximately 60% of that waste can be reused but 60% ends up as garbage. Mountains of discarded clothing slowly rot and pollute the land.
These videos shows the impact that the fast fashion culture has in places like Ghana.
Inside Edition: Mountains of Old Donated Clothes Choke Beautiful Beach
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