Here at Silhouette London, we believe that fashion can be beautiful, affordable, and sustainable all at the same time. The fashion industry accounts for 10% of global carbon emissions, which is why fashion upcycling and sustainability is so important. Fast fashion manufacturers produce clothing at an extremely quick rate and at low prices. Unfortunately, that comes with huge costs to the planet and the people in it. It has a damaging impact on the environment and often violates human rights legislation. We agree that there needs to be a change.
What is Fashion Upcycling?
To upcycle clothing means to give clothes a new purpose. This can be a range of things such as repurposing the fabric of the garment or rehoming it altogether. Textiles that have ‘reached the end of their lifecycle’ are normally discarded into landfill or sent to incineration plants, significantly adding to the toxic hazards in the environment. The reason clothing is classed as being at the end of its life cycle is because the fashion industry produces new clothing at such a fast rate, that the old outfits are classed as unwearable. This is why fashion upcycling is so important!
There are different ways that you can upcycle. One way is to cut the garment and reuse the materials to completely reconstruct a new one. An example of this will be Balenciaga’s Shoelace Fur coat, where the coat is constructed with shoelaces. Another way of upcycling is to reuse the whole garment. An example of this is to give clothes to charity or sell them at a car boot sale. This is better for the environment and what’s more, the clothing is cheaper so you can still look incredible for a cheaper price!
So, what are the Benefits of Fashion Upcycling?
The main benefit is that it reduces carbon emissions. The international fashion industry must urgently cut emissions by 50% to reach a 1.5°C target, and if we were all able to start fashion upcycling, this could be achievable.
Another reason why Fashion Upcycling is great is because it can help you save money! These clothes are only cheaper because they are second hand, and just because the clothing is worn, it does not mean they are unwearable. If purchasing from a charity shop, the money is going to an amazing cause, so what’s not to love! If it makes you uncomfortable wearing second-hand, you’ll sometimes find brand new clothes in charity shops and car boots, so you’re getting unworn items for a cheaper price and your money often goes to a great cause!
Another benefit of Fashion Upcycling is you can completely customise your clothes to suit you. There are many ways you can customise you garment such as dyeing, sewing, cutting, and painting; the list is endless! It’s also a great feeling when someone asks where you got your outfit from, and you can say you’ve designed it yourself!
The Benefits of Slow Fashion
Slow Fashion is the creation of quality, timeless pieces that you can wear time and time again and don’t need to replace for years. They are those classic pieces that you turn to all the time and that will sit in your wardrobe and still look good as new even after countless wears. They are, by their very nature, quality pieces that are more expensive to make and therefore, more expensive for the consumer, so, the only way to counter the continuing surge of fast fashion is to find a way to create and bring to the market, affordable ‘slow fashion’. It is something we have always tried to do at Silhouette London. We search for quality but affordable pieces for our teens so that they can feel amazing in their outfits from us, time and time again…
How Silhouette London supports Fashion Upcycling
And when they’ve outgrown their dresses, we want to help make a difference by helping our customers upcycle their dresses. We sell ‘Pre-Loved’ dresses on the website which are still in fabulous condition. Up to 50% of the sale proceeds from the range goes to our current charity ‘Teens Unite’ , the balance goes to the owner of the dress and Silhouette London take no money from the sale. The aim is to raise as much money as possible for Teens Unite which is a wonderful charity that cares for teens and young people who are suffering or have suffered from Cancer. These dresses are only available to purchase online but it’s such a fantastic cause, so what are you waiting for? It’s time to start #givingthrufashion and help save the planet at the same time!