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Recycle and Upcycle

With recent world events, I have found myself packing up my whole dorm room to move home for the remainder of my freshman semester.  This meant moving an entire closet of current and trendy winter clothes back into a closet that still had remnants of 2015 fashion trends - ugh.  As im sure many of us have experienced, searching through a childood bedroom can be both reminiscent and disturbing with thoughts like, “wow I cannot believe I was ever that little” and “I am so glad I did not bring this off to college with me”.  On the platform Tik Tok some have even poked fun at this idea, modeling horrid outfits for the camera as a result of having no other clothing options while staying with their parents.  Now naturally as seasons change I’ve been on the lookout for some new clothes.  What makes this difficult at the current time is the temporary closure of many stores.  That’s why I have comprised this guide to getting the most out of what you have in your closet, and how to deal with the rest.  

So as the motto goes, spring is a time for spring cleaning.  In the last 48 this has become my life’s mantra as I have taken the opportunity to go through every single item in my closet and create 3 piles: keep, donate, and diy.  Doing this in your own closet is the first phase of a total wardrobe transformation.  Basically anything you can see yourself excited to wear keep, anything old or unwanted donate, and anything with potential can go into a pile to be worked on.  If you are having trouble deciding what to keep, I would highly recommend this link. https://stylecaster.com/how-to-declutter-your-closet/ .  What I love about this article is that it addresses uncommon questions such as “is this item really me” versus does it have sentimental value or is it old.  I believe that a closet should be a mix of new and old items, all curated to fit your style, rather than a meaningless void that changes with the fast fashion trends of the season.  That is what makes this next part essential.

In phase two of this cleaning extravaganza, you’ll want to take your old clothes to a dontation center.  In this exchange, you are allowing the opportunity for someone else to enjoy them as well as the chance to pick up some new things for yourself.  Chances are, that with all of the free time people are spending at home, there should be plenty of other people donating used goods that they have cleaned out.  If there is not much at your local thift shop just be patient!  In the next couple of weeks there should be donations flowing in.  Here i’ll be leaving a link to some big named thift stores in Orange County.  Even if you have heard of them before I would recommend giving them a try! https://livingmividaloca.com/best-thrift-stores-in-orange-county/

Assuming that you have thifted some pretty cool items, now comes the diy stage.  I personally love to upcycle clothes so anything that is stained, torn, worn, or not fitting can be altered with a little creativity.  Boring tees can be cropped into smaller shirts, faded items can be bleached or tye-dyed, and other items can be sewn up.  If youre even feeling extra crafty you can take some of those diy items you set aside from your closet earlier and cut and combine them with thrifted items to create one of a kind pieces.  This way you can give new life to pieces that just missed the mark.  With a positive mindset and a bit of patience, you’ll be suprised at the outcome.