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Upcycling old clothes seems to be all the trend lately. Which is good news for everyone, given that the fashion industry has been notorious for its massive waste problem, and is the second largest polluter in the world, only second to the oil industry. Beyond wanting to buy more clothes and not feel guilty at the same time, thrifting and upcycling is also becoming popular among the younger generation as a way to fill their wardrobe with alternative and creative hand-sewn pieces from home!
If you’re interested in trying out upcycling too, check out some of these YouTubers who are best known for giving old clothes a new life. It can be fascinating to watch them transform different types of clothing into funky cropped tops and jackets with just a pair of handy scissors and simple sewing techniques!
The channel is named after the YouTuber-vlogger Ashley’s winning title of ‘Best Dressed’ from her high school. Ashley has her own unique sense of aesthetics in a wide range of styles: from vintage to back to school outfits, to hipster and sophisticated looks. At just 22 years old, she has a quirky and fun personality that makes her upcycling tutorials really entertaining to follow.
Besides just sharing thrifting tips and thrift flip videos, she also uploads “project runway shows'' from her home and it is a thrill to watch her pair and layer oversized clothing from the men's section with stylish skirts and bottoms, giving her tons of fresh and bold looks! Based in New York City, Ashley also takes her viewers to the streets of NYC through videos of her apartment hunting, and even attending the New York Fashion Week.
Closer to home, YouTuber Rachel Gania who is based in the Philippines is a great resource to check out for beginners who are looking for simple hacks to flip their clothes! All you will need are basic skills in cutting, sewing and stitching to follow her step-by-step instructions to restyle and upcycle your clothes! She even has a tutorial that teaches people how to use a mini sewing machine at home for beginners!
If you have an afternoon to spare on a long weekend and are looking for tips and tricks on how to restyle your old, oversized clothing into stylish cropped tops and skirts, there are a ton of videos for you to get inspiration from!
Started by Chinese-Canadian Jennifer Zhang, the JENeration DIY channel hosts a long list of videos from DIY how-to’s and life hacks, to music mashups and makeup tutorials. Jennifer is the expert on sustainability tips, not just in thrifting but also other eco hacks in our daily lives, such as saving energy on electrical appliances, DIY-ing your own beeswax wraps and many others. Check out the video below to learn more!
While some of the videos may be a bit longer in duration, they are perfect for anyone who’s looking for a hands-on step-by-step guide on how to upcycle their finds from thrift shops. Check out the video below where she transforms a puff sleeve peasant top and a cropped zip hoodie into something cute and trendy!
Another YouTuber who offers a wide range of content is Nina Huynh, a Vietnamese-American YouTuber based in Vancouver. You’ll never get bored of the variety of videos, which offers a wide mix of content from hair-dying to lookbooks to cooking videos, road trips to story-times.
With the introduction of a new baby in her family in the recent year, she even hosts videos and vlogs journaling her life as a new mother! Check out this recent video above where she shows off her baby thrift haul with super cute baby clothes!
If you feel inspired by these videos and would also like to try your hands at upcycling old clothes, you can start your thrift hauls with this guide on 5 affordable fashion thrift stores in Singapore! These stores offer a range of different styles at different prices. In addition, check out the video below by Bestdressed for tips and tricks on how to thrift like a pro!
Now that you’ve seen what amazing styles you can come up with from your thrift hauls, start with the basics by signing up for TaF.tc's Fit Evaluation and Pinning for Alteration course! It’s a short course suitable for anyone, and can be completed within just 8 hours. After the course, making small adjustments and pinning your clothes will be a breeze! Or if you find that you have problems following the upcycling tutorials on these YouTubers’ channels, you can also consider signing up for TaF.tc's Basic Alteration course where you’ll pick up techniques on how to alter garments using proper sewing and finishing machines.
For those who are already in the fashion business, TaF.tc also have a Sustainable Fashion Value Chain course. With more consumers who are becoming more environmentally conscious, fashion businesses can definitely benefit from the course which helps you to develop sustainable fashion products, and also sustainable thinking in fashion design in order to build a sustainable fashion brand.
If you are interested to find out more, you can drop us a call at 6011 8066 or WhatsApp us for more information!
