Repurposing Your Clothes

Upcycling is the perfect way to channel creativity by repurposing your clothes. There are many ways you can give tired clothes a new look, giving you the feeling of something new and exciting while doing good for the environment. Repurposing is the perfect way to keep those clothes out of landfill and get the maximum amount of wear out of your garments while bringing a personalised twist to the pieces you love.

One of our beloved customers, and creative genius of Thirroul lifestyle store Noel & Gladys, is the perfect inspiration. Anna recently turned last summer’s ash rose Dandelion Dress into a unique and beautiful tied-dyed number, making it feel like a new dress altogether!

To give new life to a well-worn dress, Anna bundled up the textured cotton fabric with rope and ties to create organic patterns. She then submerged the dress in a large pot of bleach, carefully watching the results. There are many different techniques you can use to tie-dye clothes, each creation a unique surprise of its own.

You should be sure to wash as much bleach out as possible immediately after you achieve the colours you’re looking for otherwise the entire garment will bleach. Make sure you wear gloves to protect your skin and wash the garment separately for the first wash.

Keep in mind that every dye will react differently to bleach, some may go white, grey or another colour completely. Some dyes also react faster to the bleach than others, for instance Anna’s dandelion dress only took a couple of minutes while thicker workwear fabric could take hours to see an effect. The unpredictable nature of this is exciting and a true creative experiment.