Recycle Your Clothes And Stretch Your Budget
By Judith Rasband

Fast-changing fashion trends, weight gain or loss, and durable fabrics that never wear out often leave us with clothes in our closets that are not worn out, but not being worn. How does that make you feel? Guilty? Like you're losing money? Maybe recycling those old clothes is a solution you should consider.

Recycling clothing means to renew or reuse old clothing to lengthen its wear-life and get the most value from your initial investment. With the increasing cost of new clothing, this might be important for you and your family — to relieve the guilt or stretch the family budget. It might also provide you with a satisfying creative outlet.

Any item of clothing that has not been worn in the last year or so may be a candidate for recycling. Ask yourself why the item has not been worn. Does the item need mending? Does it have faded or worn areas? Is it decidedly out of fashion or have you simply grown tired of it? Is it inappropriate for your activities or lifestyle? Does it not fit? Does it not coordinate with any other clothing you own?

If your answer to any of these questions is yes, the item may be a candidate for recycling, with a great deal of wear left that someone else could benefit from. How you will recycle that clothing depends on you, your abilities and your family's needs. You can choose from three methods of recycling. They include altering, restyling, and using the fabric to make another entirely new garment.

Altering can improve an item's fit and general appearance. For example, skirts, slacks and sleeves can be shortened or sometimes lengthened. These are relatively simple procedures. Neckline alterations are more complicated and demand greater skill. Consider the services of a professional seamstress or tailor for those.

Restyling involves changing only part of the garment — changing the way it looks. This method can be used to update a garment, add new appeal, remove or replace worn areas so the garment can continue to be serviceable. For example, you might shorten a coat into a jacket or re-cut and finish the armholes of a dress to make it into a jumper. You might add a collar, pockets or new trim.

Using the fabric of an old garment to make an entirely new piece of clothing constitutes a "makeover." Generally, a smaller garment is cut from the original. For example, a skirt might be made from a pair of pants. A woman's dress might be used to make a child's dress or pants. The original garment must first be cleaned, taken apart at the seams, pressed flat, re-cut with a pattern, and then constructed.

Before you begin, ask yourself:

• Is the fabric of the old garment still sturdy enough to be recycled?
• Will the recycled garment be worn enough to justify my time?
  • Will my time be better spent on recycling or in another activity?
• Do I have the knowledge and skill to produce a garment that looks well done instead of redone?
• Do I enjoy the job of recycling enough to keep a positive attitude throughout the project?
• Will the wearer appreciate and enjoy wearing the recycled garment?

If you can answer yes to these questions, then you are ready to begin. If not, send your old clothes to the thrift store, getting the guilt out of your closet.

Judith Rasband is Director of the Conselle Institute of Image Management and author of numerous publications on dress and image. Contact her at 801/224-1207 or judith@conselle.com. For related image information, visit www.conselle.com and www.LDSImageIntegrity.info.

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Judith Rasband is founder of the Conselle Institute of Image Management and director of the Foundation for Image Integrity. Specializing in the artistic, social, and psychological aspects of dress and image, she has experienced 40 years in the field as educator including 12 years at BYU. She has taught at BYU Education Week for more than 25 years. She is a trade and textbook author, columnist, speaker, consultant, market analyst, and video producer. An international authority on image management, she is a presenter, consultant, and coach to private individuals, civic, corporate, government, and academic organizations and associations throughout the U.S. and Canada.

Top priority roles include wife, mother, grandmother, and Gospel Doctrine teacher. Judith (Judi) is married to S. Neil Rasband, Professor of Physics at BYU. They are parents of four children and grandparents to 14 grandchildren. They love to travel and sleuth out great restaurants and historic homes. They recently traveled for 16 days across the European Alps — on a motorcycle. It’s never too late to try something new!