Refashioned, what is that?
On this website you will find items that are offered with the label 'refashioned '.
The word 'refashioned' might be new to you?!
I was not familiar with it before either. But it turned out that I was already working in a way that falls under 'refashioning', or 'upcycling'. The items that are now for sale in the shop with this label, are the result of that. It's about that clothing that is newly made from existing, rejected, surplus or second-hand fabric. This is an emerging market. If you search for it, there is already a lot to be found about it! In this shop you can find these items by typing in the search function on the homepage: 'refashioned'. You will then see all associated items of clothing.
Also read the blog https://trishstitched.com/ , a young lady who shares many tips on sustainable sewing. Super fun to delve into further!
Sustainability and sustainable clothing... how?
Consciously dealing with the earth, and not overloading it with overproduction, is an important value to me. We must be careful with the available raw materials and not exhaust the land with overproduction of cotton and fabric, which in turn requires a lot of energy and water. And what about the textile waste mountain? Also not environmentally friendly and harmful to the planet. The image above is an example of this. It is a dump of clothing that has ended up in Chile's Atacama Desert.
Sustainability and sustainable sewing also revolve around two other things: we not only look at the environment (planet), but also at people (people) and the economy (profit). These three p's must be in balance with each other in such a way that the planet is not exhausted.
With 'people' you should think of working conditions and salary. Think of child labor and poor working conditions in large textile factories. Enough big brands are associated with it and it is difficult to produce clothing in such a way that the costs do not exceed the benefits. I am happy when I read with sustainable clothing: handmade, fair clothing, a small piece can contribute to reducing these forms of exploitation. And that doesn't just apply to the refashioned clothing , but also for the other clothes that I sell. At the same time I realize that I also have to look critically at myself: am I not exploiting myself? Do I also allow myself good working conditions? Will I have lunch on time? Am I not a strict(er) boss for myself than I would wish for someone else? Learning process...
The price of handmade, fair trade clothing...
And finally the 'p' of profit. It's quite complicated. The law of supply and demand applies in the clothing industry in a tough way. It is a sick industry in which we have become accustomed to being able to buy clothes for rock bottom prices. This is only possible due to the large financial difference with the low-wage countries. We cannot avoid participating in a sick system. Handmade, fair trade clothing cannot compete with it financially. You cannot earn a fair wage in a Western country with sustainable clothing. That's the reality. That is why I say: I do it as a hobby. My goal is to at least get out of the costs and make someone else happy with the product that I have made with great pleasure. A win-win situation!