Something old, something new
Recycled fashion is a treasure trove of fab looks
As much as I love new fashion (as in: all of the incredible looks that just came out of New York Fashion Week), there’s something particularly satisfying about recycled fashion. Every year, 12.8 million tons of new textiles end up in U.S. landfills. I’d say it’s up to us fashionistas to do everything we can to stop contributing to that.
Thanks to fab recycling tech, I can now just click a few buttons on my keyboard and find super cute designs made of either old plastic bottles or high-quality woven fibers from pre-owned textiles. Recycled fashion’s where it’s at. Here are some of my favorites places to find it.
Buying vintage and gently used clothes is the most basic and efficient method of cleverly acquiring an amazing wardrobe. Big style doesn’t get much more walletfriendly. All it takes is a sense of knowing what designers, cuts, and eras you love — from flare jeans and cashmere twinsets to embroidered blousons and iconic handbags — and a sense of adventure. I once found a classic Burberry trench with technicolor silk lining (worth $900 new) on a rack at Boomerangs (shopboomerangs.org) in Boston for $35. Online, the possibilities are endless: From poshmark. com and thredup.com to the ol’ standby, eBay.com.
And let’s not forget the pieces that have been upcycled.
I can’t wait to wear Toad & Co.’s Rosemarie Dress in Silver Pine Floral Print ($88 on toadandco.com), a spring-ready print just waiting to be thrown on for the first warm-ish day party this coming season. It’s made of recycled fiber.
Likewise, the cool-and-fetching Washed Sand Animal Print version of Garnet Hill’s Recycled Pleated Midi Skirt ($129 on garnethill.com). It’s got a muted-slash-edgy leopard pattern to its accordion pleating that’s going to be perfect all year long with either a silk black tank top in summer or a black cashmere turtleneck with boots in the winter — not to mention with a denim jacket in spring or fall. And I love that it’s made of recycled poly chiffon, plus recycled poly georgette lining.
American Recycled Clothing was the first company to sell used clothing in department stores like Nordstrom and Macy’s in the early 90’s. And they’re still doing it on an even more individual level, with Ts like the Rcycld Out-Seam Music Tee ($32 on recycled.clothing/collections/tshirts), via authentic vintage graphic music tshirts they’ve repurposed into tank tops with out-stitch detail. Pick your fave, from The Beatles to Motley Crew.
And then there are the upcycled plastics — and there are so many new and innovative ways they’re getting turned into cool clothing. The Black Compressive High-Rise Legging ($78 on girlfriend. com) is sturdy and high-rise. They’re made from 25% recycled water bottles and 79% recycled polyester. Better yet: When you no longer wear their pieces, send them back to to be recycled again and get a $15 gift card in return.)
Clearly we’re not done with winter, so don’t bypass the Women’s Water Resistant Puffer Jacket ($328 on tentree.com), which is sharply designed, ultra-warm, and made of Repreve fabric, plastic bottles and recycled fiber. At least 70 bottles were saved from a landfill for each jacket’s construction. Tentree also plants 10 trees for every purchase. It’s a win-win.