Elevate your leisure wear with these easy clothes upcycling tutorials.
Part 1 – Track Pants / Tracksuit Pants.
If you’re anything like me, the most worn items in your wardrobe during Autumn and Spring are leisure wear – comfy t-shirts, sweaters and track pants. When I’m not at work, I live in them.
In this series of upcycling videos, I’ll show you how I refashion leisure wear that I pick up thrifting or how I elevate existing items in my wardrobe to give them a second life.
I picked up these Rusty track pants (tracksuit pants) at my local thrift store for $3. They were too big and not a style that I would really wear.
Sewing Tutorial – Step-by-Step
The first step in the upcycling of these trackpants was to take in the inside leg seam to remove the flare at the bottom and make them more straight legged. This made a big difference.
With my leisure wear, I like to be able to go from relaxing at home to popping down to the shops without having to change.
Next, I make them shorter. Using a pair of track pants that I liked the length of as a guide. You’ll see I took quite a lot off the bottom of these.
I then pinned and sewed a new hem. Fleecy fabric is easy to work with and, best of all, doesn’t frey so I only had to sew a simple hem.
I then threaded elastic through the new bottom leg seam. This nipped in the leg seam at the bottom, which I liked.
And finally, I found a new tie for the waist and I’m done!
All up this upcycling project took me about 40 minutes and I’ve got a new pair of comfy pants. I couldn’t be happier.
Thanks for visiting. See you next time. BEX.
Watch the upcycling tutorial video below
Why clothes upcycling is important.
Clothes upcycling promotes a more sustainable, creative, and responsible approach to fashion, all of which contributes to a healthier planet and a more sustainable future.
Environmental Impact
Clothes upcycling helps reduce waste by repurposing old or unwanted garments, often diverting them from landfill.
With the fashion industry being one of the planets largest polluters, upcycling and repurposing clothing reduces the need for new materials and decreases carbon emissions associated with the product and disposal of clothing.
Conservation
Traditional clothing manufacturing consumes significant amounts of water, energy, and raw materials.
Upcycling clothing not only extends the life of existing textiles, conserving these valuable resources, but promotes more sustainable consumption patterns.
Creative Expression
Upcycling clothes and other materials encourages creative freedom by transforming old clothes into unique, personalised garments.
Upcycling and sewing fosters innovation and encourages people to experiment with designs, creating one-of-a-kind items that reflect personal style and creativity.
Cost Effective
Upcycling clothing can be very cost-effective by reducing money spent purchasing new clothes but can also assist charities when clothes are purchased second hand from charities.
Quality and Longevity
Repairing and mending clothing enhances the longevity of existing garments, giving them longevity in your wardrobe and limiting the need to purchase new clothes. This contrasts with fast fashion items, which are frequently designed for short-term use.