Have you ever been into a thrift shop and thought to yourself, “This would be great if it were only my size!” Or if it didn’t have these strange puffed sleeves and a glittering collar. Most of us just decline a piece like that because we lack the expertise or finances to fix it, but some extremely creative people can take a piece of clothing that leaves much to be desired and convert it into something they will proudly wear for years to come.
Allow us to present Sarah Tyau to you. Sarah, a self-proclaimed Refashion Designer, and mother of three are well-known for repurposing old or unwanted items into charming ensembles for herself and her family. We went through Sarah’s Instagram account and chose some of her most outstanding items to share with you below to demonstrate how far a little ingenuity and a sewing machine can carry you. Continue reading to hear an interview with Sarah about her life since she last talked to this website, as well as a little bit more about her process. Make sure to upvote all of your favorite outfits, and then check out our first article, which features Sarah’s astounding garment changes, right here.
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Sarah’s Instagram feed is incredibly popular, with approximately 300k followers looking for sewing advice and refashion ideas. She posts several images of her incredible wardrobe makeovers, as well as her technique for producing some of the outfits, which includes dying garments or going to a charity shop. At first appearance, one may suppose Sarah has a degree in fashion design or grew up sewing her own outfits, yet she is primarily self-taught.
Sarah previously told Bored Panda that her only official training when she started creating garments was a high school home economics class. “Being a stay-at-home mom with three children, my time is really restricted, so I haven’t developed my talents as much as I would want to, but I plan to attend lessons soon,” she said.
Sarah is pleased to tell you that she has begun attending official sewing courses. Despite the fact that her social media seems to show that she can do everything, Sarah says she is eager to learn more. “My ambition is to sew in a more sophisticated, intricate, couture manner and to be able to create any challenging design that comes to mind. Refining my sewing abilities has recently been one of my biggest delights, and I adore it! I believe it is essential to do something on a daily basis that lights you up and gives you zest for life and pleasure, and sewing is one of them for me.”
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Sarah previously told Bored Panda that her clothes alterations started following the birth of her first child. She started buying secondhand to save money, but she quickly adopted her new life philosophy: “Look nice, feel good, do good.” She has since designed hundreds of fresh outfits for herself and her kids.
“I’ve been intending to teach them how to sew; we’re meant to start a sewing series on YouTube together where I teach them how to refashion,” Sarah added. “But they have a great sense of fashion and really excellent taste for their age, so I believe they’ll take over what I do and be better than me one day!”
Sarah initially talked with Bored Panda three years ago, but she claims her girls have lost interest in sewing because they prefer other hobbies and activities. However, there is still a potential that one of her offspring may continue on her heritage as a refashion designer. “I’m still hopeful that my youngest boy will be interested,” Sarah adds. Nothing but time shall tell!
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We also asked Sarah whether she had a favorite work she’d ever created. “This is one of my personal favorites. My favorite hue is light blue, and this particular piece took the dye quite nicely and turned out to be the beautiful baby blue I was looking for. I really like how the white and navy blue trim adds a touch of sophistication and elegance while still injecting a little individuality, which is just my taste. And my favorite part is that the before and after look nothing similar!”
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When it comes to Sarah’s method, she claims that inspiration comes rapidly. “It takes me 15-30 seconds of staring at the item of clothing to develop a mental picture of what I want the end piece to look like,” she said. “Within that 15-30 seconds, I’m holding it in front of me, swinging it around to get a sense of how the fabric moves and feels, I look at all the elements I despise about it and the parts I like and want to maintain, and then this image comes to me immediately.”
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Sarah also understands how to multitask between being a parent, a fashion designer, and a blogger, and maintaining her social media presence. But she has even greater aspirations for the future, telling Bored Panda that she wants to establish her own clothing brand and give the revenues to underprivileged children. “I also have a YouTube series called “Come thrift shopping with me” where I pick up a few things and discuss what ideas come to me straight away,” she said. “Then the readers vote on which thing I should refashion next, and the item with the most votes wins!”
“My recommendation to minimize your effect is to buy more timeless, classic items and combine them with a few fashionable things here and there,” Sarah said when asked what advice she had for those wanting to cut down on their fashion purchases and lessen their contribution to clothing waste. This way, you don’t waste as many garments and don’t have to purchase new ones all the time to be fashionable. Also, organize a garment swap with your neighbors, acquaintances, or other organizations.”
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“What used to be simply two fashion seasons, spring/summer and fall/winter,” Sarah remarked, “is now 52 micro-seasons.” “Clothes, like any other materialistic commodity, do not provide long-term satisfaction but merely a momentary moment of exhilaration.” So, if you rely on your happiness, self-worth, and identity in the things you wear, you’ll never be happy or satisfied because the fashion industry will constantly tell you that what you purchased a month ago is now out of style and that you need to buy this freshly released item to be relevant or happy. So, instead of focusing on what you wear, how costly it is, or what designer brand you are wearing, concentrate on being nice, having integrity, and values, and you will always be in fashion!”
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Finally, Sarah provided us with some encouraging words for anybody interested in refashioning their own garments. “If you want to learn to sew but are frightened, start small! Shorten a skirt that is overly long, or take in the sides of a dress to make it more form-fitting. Don’t allow fear or intimidation to keep you from the beginning; getting started is half the battle! And the more you sew, the better you’ll become and the more confident you’ll feel. Alterations are an excellent ability to know at the very least so that you can adjust the clothes to suit your body rather than feeling like you have to modify your present body shape to fit the standardized size apparel. It allows you to appreciate your wonderful physique right now, rather than waiting till you drop 20 pounds.”
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Sarah’s emphasis on caring for one another and the environment is critical. The garment business, particularly fast fashion, contributes significantly to global pollution. According to CNBC, the fashion business produces over 53 million tons of fiber each year, with approximately 70% of it being lost. Clothing also consumes an enormous amount of water, with the UN Environment Programme reporting that it takes 3,781 liters of water to manufacture one pair of jeans when cotton production, manufacturing, shipping, and washing are all taken into consideration. However, the apparel business is tremendously strong, and it will not change overnight. Globally, the business is valued at $1.3 trillion and employs around 300 million people.
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In reality, almost 60% of the textiles used to produce clothes today are synthetic and derived from fossil fuels. This implies that if this garment is disposed of in a landfill, as 85% of textile waste is, it will not decompose. People, on the other hand, have no plans to quit purchasing. We currently buy over 80 billion new pieces of apparel each year worldwide, yet we don’t even have the time to wear them all. According to statistics, the typical UK shopper uses just around 70% of their existing wardrobe and discards roughly 70 kg of clothing each year. It’s tempting to buy there with firms like Forever 21, Shein, H&M, Zara, Urban Outfitters, and many more making limitless items of apparel available at low costs. However, these low-quality products are unlikely to endure more than a few seasons and will wind up in a landfill.
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So, if every inexpensive clothes shop is killing our earth, what are the alternatives? Don’t be too eager to dismiss secondhand clothes. We don’t all require Sarah Tyau’s expertise to discover low-cost garments that aren’t polluting the environment; we simply need to be a bit inventive. Buying used may not be as straightforward as strolling into a mall and selecting precisely what you want off the rack since you know they have your size, but it can be a lot more thrilling. What’s the point of buying at H&M? There is no excitement. You have to look for something at a secondhand shop, and it may take a little longer, but the joy of discovering the right item is always worth it.
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You will also discover unique things that you will not find anywhere else if you shop second-hand. You won’t walk up to a function wearing the same outfit as your closest friend since your dress is decades old! Vintage fashion is huge right now, so you’ll most likely be the best-dressed person in the room. You may relax knowing that your thrift shop, flea market, or hand-me-down purchase did not contribute to global pollution or poor working conditions in a textile factory, and you probably saved a significant amount of money. Even if your thrift store jeans need to be altered, you can probably do it without paying more than you would for a brand-new pair of jeans.
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If you prefer internet shopping or just do not have the strength for the “thrift store search,” there are alternative possibilities. There are several websites nowadays where individuals will sell you their lightly used items, allowing you to know exactly what you’re receiving and have it delivered directly to your house. You may skip having to dig through racks at a thrift store by shopping second-hand on ThredUp, Depop, Poshmark, Etsy, Swap, Vinted, and many more sites, and still wind up with the loveliest second-hand stuff possible.
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We hope you appreciate this collection of some of Sarah Tyau’s most incredible refashioned items. Perhaps you’ve been encouraged to dig out your old sewing machine and start improving some of your own clothes? Continue to upvote the photos you like most, and then tell us in the comments if you’ve ever upcycled a piece of clothing. Then, if you’re seeking even more fashion inspiration, don’t miss our previous feature showcasing Sarah right here.
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