Got a sad stack of clothes in the corner of your room? That messy purgatory pile of outfits that sits there for weeks before they finally get carted off to a donation bin or…god forbid, the actual bin.
How much is really wrong with those clothes? Maybe that dress just doesn’t hang right, your dungarees are a bit snug, or that band on your old t-shirt is cancelled. Whatever it is, there’s probably a way to salvage it.
Earlier this year, a report released by the Australian Fashion Council (AFC) found that Aussies are buying 14.8kg, or 56 items of new clothing, per year. We’re one of the highest consumers of textiles in the world and put an average of 23 kilograms of clothing into landfill each year.
Yikes. I’m no maths whiz but it looks like we’re chucking out a lot more than we’re buying…
Last week, Electrolux popped up in Sydney to help give us a hand with extending the lives of our clothes instead of getting rid of them. Teaming up with the creative geniuses behind Aussie fashion brand Romance Was Born, they refreshed the wardrobes of Sydneysiders.
People took in clothes they used to love and after a chat and some tailoring, left with something fresh that they love now.
From tailoring sleeve and dress lengths, to turning two jackets into one, here’s a peek at some of the revamped pieces if you need inspo.
This was a jumpsuit that was turned itno a dress. The excess fabric from the pants was used to add the cute bows on top of the sleeves:
This one was a maxi dress but it was a bit too big for the owner. The team cinched in the waist and shortened it, adding the peplum and frill:
The pop-up is all part of Break The Pattern, a campaign encouraging folks to make their clothes last longer. Whether it’s refreshing them, repairing them, taking extra care when washing and drying, or passing them on to a friend, we can do more to keep extending the lifecycle of a single garment.
Sounds like it’s time to go live out our childhood fashion designer dreams now? Go attack that floordrobe!
