Upcycled Patchwork Kimono Jacket

Now that many individuals are concerned about ways to save the environment for the future, more and more people are now engaging in finding ways to minimize waste and pollution. In the fashion industry, this includes recycling and upcycling.

On TikTok, #upcycling has over 6 billion views, while #upcycledfashion has over 600 million views, thanks to creators on the platform showing transformation projects that vary from turning a pair of pants into denim cutoffs to a brand-new dress, or just when I turn an old ugly men’s suit into fashionable streetwear. There are also niche communities on the app like #sewingtiktok, and #fashiontok, which have rapidly become social media’s answer to Project Runway, or even on niche Facebook Group for #slowstitching thanks to amateur and expert sewers sharing their projects and know-how.

One of the secrets of an enjoyable and lasting upcycling is choosing the material that is made of good quality. Polyester textile that is used in making t-shirts are quite tricky to upcycle, but it can work to make another upcycling project such as making fluffy rugs for your bedroom or making a memory blanket with your old vintage t-shirts.

Whilst cotton materials are versatile to use.

This comes to the point of today’s fashion blog.

I recently checked my clothing rack and found one of the first-ever upcycled dresses I made back in 2020. It was made of textile remnants with various designs and prints that I sourced from the famous Korumburra op shop and made into a patchwork dress inspired by a luxury label Miu Miu from its Fall 2020 Collection.

It was a fun-filled project diligently sewing all the textiles together and hoping that it will turn out well (it did!). The volume of the skirt looks gorgeous and surprisingly satisfying.

However, I must admit that I only wear this dress 3 times coz the volume of the skirt is indeed heavy (around 3kilograms) and there are times that I almost tripped myself, hence I’m very afraid to ruin the dress.

After careful consideration, I decided to remove the last layer of the skirt, which makes the dress on its mid-length.

I didn’t realize how much fabric I removed, and I reckon that I can make something out of it.

The idea of making a kimono jacket comes in, using the pattern I found on Pinterest, and here is the result.

I actually made two kimono jackets, this one is shades of green, and the other one is in neutral shades.

Upcycling requires a basic level of sewing skills (hand stitching, for example) and a lot of patience, to make something new and unique out of discarded textiles, or unwanted clothes, including how to mend a broken stitch.

And upcycling isn’t just a buzzword or a trend that will fade away.

I believe that it is a lifestyle – a way of life.