I stood in the back of the dusty truck, wearing latex gloves, gazing at a half-ton of clothing. I sniffed the air, flinching at the pungent aroma. The massive Goodwill truck was filled with used shirts, pants, and dresses, unwanted by their original owners. Yet, I would have taken every piece home-it was my hunting day and I refused to go home empty-handed. I dug out my trophy, a perfect pair of XXL men's velvet pajama pants. Back home, I rushed to do my least favorite chore, the laundry. I needed these black pants washed ASAP to start experimenting. Waiting for the pants to dry, I watched a Downton Abbey episode filled with luxurious garments and discovered my inspiration: I would transform the discarded pajamas into a single-shoulder evening gown. The dryer bell rang, I flew off the couch, sprinted to collect my prize and disappeared into my room with scissors in hand. I quickly sliced a slit in one pant leg and nearly removed the other one entirely. Then I began my favorite step, sewing. I found some crisp old tulle, aligned it with the slit, and sewed the fabrics together. Two hours later, I slipped myself into what used to be a giant pant leg. Looking in the mirror, I was proud. A pair of XXL men's pajama bottoms had evolved into my black gown, perfect for tea with the Queen of England. At 10 years old, I had just upcycled my first outfit.
Since then, I have transformed hundreds of unwanted garments into desirable, reimagined outfits. I began upcycling because it was fun. More recently, I have learned about the environmental benefits of this creative process. In the United States alone, 10.5 million tons of textiles are sent to landfills yearly because people could no longer see the second life in their old clothing. Thankfully, I can. I envision a new purse in an old pair of jeans or a skirt within a hot pink men's dress shirt. Upcycling is a key strategy in the fight against wasteful fast fashion and its role in harming our environment. Second to the oil industry, the clothing industry is the largest polluter in the world. Consumers play a major role here, with the average American throwing away 80 pounds of clothes annually. No matter the reason, upcycling is the movement everyone can participate in to improve our planet.
Outfit Made by Nicolette Alicia
Since 2014, I have partnered with the City of Chula Vista to display and sell my upcycled clothing at the Balboa Park EarthFair, an event filled with hundreds of booths and thousands of people. My business accurately represents the Reduce, Reuse, Recycle section, where I display and sell my upcycled pieces in my booth, including halter tops made from bandanas to two-piece dresses from men's Hawaiian shirts. My booth enables me to change the way people see clothing. Even if someone does not buy my items, I explain how upcycling helps minimize the discarded materials sent to landfills. Upcycling, which reduces the production of clothing using new or raw materials, leads to decreased air pollution, greenhouse gases, and wastewater with untreated dyes. I also teach upcycling to those who are interested. One year, I taught a nine-year-old girl how to cut the bottom of a T-shirt and tie the pieces together to create a shoulder bag perfect for her books. Sometimes I even outline the steps for them to craft their own upcycled Downton Abbey dress. I will change the way the fashion industry is run by promoting a more environmentally-conscientious approach to creating exciting clothing. All consumers, starting with children, can be taught how to upcycle and why wearing such clothing is not only acceptable, but much more environmentally responsible. When I slip on one of my upcycled dresses, I feel one step closer to protecting the Earth.
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