Winter updates that don’t cost a penny!
(Just wardrobe) raid your like Konnie Huq did...
Most of us want to look decent — and it’s hard to totally discard fashion in today’s consumerobsessed, media-driven world. But I live by a lot of hacks and short cuts which mean you don’t have to subscribe to a spend, spend, spend philosophy.
And that’s not only better for your pocket, but for the planet too.
I haven’t really bought new clothes since my 20s. I’m lucky that from a young age I have worked in an industry where clothes are sometimes purchased for you. It also helps that I haven’t grown much since I was about 16! I recently wore my trusty Levi 501s from my sixth-form days in a documentary I presented for the BBC. But it’s about mindset, too. My parents came to the UK from Bangladesh in the 1960s and always taught me to value stuff and not want too much, so I guess that’s stuck with me. Every now and then, for work purposes, clothes are given to me or bought for me when mine don’t cut the mustard, but left to my own devices I much prefer restyling, refashioning and repurposing what I already have.
Instead of chucking something out because of a moth hole or when the fabric snags, I have been known to sew a bow over a mark that won’t come out or add a bit of detailing in the form of a fabric patch, embellishment or motif over a run or small tear. I have worn minidresses as tops and trousers under dresses to change the look, among many other repurposing experiments.
A shirt can be a jacket, a petticoat a skirt and so on. It’s fun to be resourceful and inventive.
sometimes it’s about being practical as well. A few years ago, I was taking part in an environment march, which involved making a speech in Parliament square at 4pm, on the same day that I was due to attend the Baftas on the other side of the river at about 5.30pm. A quick turnaround!
so I wore the same trousers and top to both, which makes me laugh as the two events were worlds apart. But I kept it casual for the march by wearing trainers and keeping a jumper on over the sparkly top. then I swapped the jumper out and put on some heels and a bit of lippy for the awards ceremony! In fact the top isn’t even a top, but a short dress that I scrunched up to make it a top! the metallic detail made it look dressy, and it worked well with the plain black trousers.
If I had wanted to, I could have slipped my black trousers off into my bag and worn the top as the dress it was intended to be, as I did for this shoot. I have never worn it like this before so that gives me a new dress for my next night out.
Black clothes are great for upcycling because you can blend different pieces together seamlessly.
Last month, I was hosting an event and appeared to have a new evening gown. But in fact, it was an old party frock I was wearing with a black blouse over the top. the sleeves looked as though they were part of the dress, which was in fact strapless and backless.
I am actually pretty good at sewing and black material is easy to nip and tuck. I have a long opaque black scarf that has been a belt, a skirt, a shawl, and all sorts in its life.
For a pop of colour, a shirt, such as a favourite of mine which is yellow, can double up as a jacket or a cardie. I’ve worn my yellow one with a cocktail dress for an evening do and with jeans for a casual look.
I am a big fan of sheer clothes like that shirt as they can scrunch up small in a bag without creasing, making them easy to slip on and off! Floppy trousers in a fabric that doesn’t crease are good for this, too.
Mix-and-match is another trick of mine. I wore a short white dress over a long sari petticoat and it looked like a ballgown. For a winter party, a high-neck jumper under a strapless dress works really well.
It’s fun to get creative with clothes. Layer up, or use a bikini top so the neck straps give a pop of colour under a boring top and so on. think outside the box!
Instead of heading to the shops see what you can conjure up from your wardrobe.
Waste not, want not! I’m hopefully relaying what my parents taught me to my two young children as well as others. recently I wrote a children’s book called Fearless Fairy tales in which I take all the traditional bedtime stories and update them for young readers of the 21st century.
one of the stories is about aspiring fashion designer Lil’ red riding who lives in ‘the hood’, and about how she upcycles her grandma’s old nighties for her friend Wülf to model at Fashion Week, only to become a style sensation gracing the pages of magazines such as Vanity Fairy tale and Vague.
You see, upcycling and refashioning clothes really is something close to my heart.