Upgrade by Upcycling: Wasting money on continually buying new clothes is pointless when you could instead upcycle, thrift or donate

Every time a school dance comes around, I guiltily scour the internet to pick out a new $100 or more dress. While it feels good to be wearing something stylish and in-season, I always struggle with what to do with the dress afterwards.

 Spending so much on a dress that’s just going to end up in my collection of lightly-used dresses — which feels like such a waste. I decided to try out upcycling, the art of turning old clothes into new. Upcycling is a positive way to spice up your old dresses in an affordable way. Every high schooler should be looking into upcycling clothes in order to keep a sustainable closet when you’re done with any certain wardrobe item.

You can do anything from cutting and gluing, to bedazzling and sewing — the world is your oyster when upcycling. In addition to being affordable, upcycling is also an eco-friendly way of putting these expensive items to good use that would otherwise have been thrown in a landfill to take up space. 

Another plus of upcycling is that you’re not supporting fast fashion — inexpensive clothing produced rapidly by mass-market retailers in response to the latest trends. These brands  underpay their workers and use cheap fabrics. By using the materials from the more high end or expensive dresses that you’ve bought, you can make outfits that are still ethically created, and not the product of underpaid employees.

According to prnewsire.com, over 29.13% of the fashion industry is fast fashion. This cheap way of manufacturing clothing contributes to underpaid and overworked employees and often encourages child labor, so it’s best to avoid brands that use this method.

 By finding ways to upcycle, you’re reducing the pollution that typically is produced by the factories that make your dresses before you get them, or decompose them after you throw them away. One way to upcycle without actually using any skill or effort is trading with friends. Even if it’s for a temporary time, you and your friends can pass around dresses. This makes it possible to save money and wear a new look. And once again, you’re saving yourself from being wasteful in regards to both money and material. Not to mention, you will have the most unique dresses that aren’t available on any popular sites.

Another way to prevent a buildup of unworn dresses is to host clothing swaps with your friends. Clothing swapping is a great way to receive clothes without spending any money while also getting rid of your unwanted items — like shopping for free. This is also great if you’re not big on crafts and don’t want to go through the effort of upcycling.

I’ve found a love for thrifting because I spend less money while shopping when I purchase clothes secondhand. You may just find your perfect dress after a little sifting through the clothing racks — and your purchase will be completely guilt-free. You’re keeping clothes out of a landfill, and you’re spending less money than you would have buying the clothes originally, rather than secondhand.

On the other hand, you can donate your clothes too. It’s an important and easy way to get rid of your clothes in a harmless way. Just make sure that the clothes you’re donating locally can also encourage buying second hand. Although donating your old dresses doesn’t necessarily have any personal gain, it feels good knowing someone else will appreciate the piece the same way you did. Someone will be thrilled to have a new dress that otherwise would have been sitting under your bed for years.  

Some locations to donate to nearby are One Warm Coat, Planet Aid, Goodwill, The Salvation Army or Kansas City’s local women’s shelters. Just make sure that the clothes you’re donating are suitable for someone to wear. If they’re worn down or unwearable, upcycle them in a different way, perhaps a stuffed animal or a wash rag.
After finding all these easy and fun ideas I feel as if there is no option but to use them. It’s that easy to prevent your old dresses from going to waste. Don’t let your sophomore homecoming dress stay shoved in the back of your closet — give your dresses that second life.