Published 7 August 2019
Do you have clothes in your closet that you no longer wear often? Like that graphic t-shirt you got as a birthday gift sitting on the top of the pile waiting to be thrown away as it is too small to be worn. Well, you’re not alone!
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According to a survey conducted by YouGov in 2017, 64 per cent of millenials have thrown away articles of clothing as they have gotten too small. Additionally, 20 per cent of millenials have thrown away clothes that have become boring to them.
As shopping has been taken online with platforms such as ezbuy.sg and qoo10.sg, consumers are able to compare prices and purchase clothes at a much lower rate. Due to its low price, Singaporeans also justify to themselves that even if they wear it once, they have gotten their money’s worth.
In an interview with CNA, Ms Nuramirah Suyin Zaihan, an environmental engineer at the Singapore Environment Council (SEC) said that consumers buy more than they need when they have a higher spending power. She added that the price and convenience from online shops and marketplaces “accelerate the clothing waste issue”.
In 2018, Singapore generated 219,800 tonnes of textile and leather waste with only 6 per cent of it being recycled, according to the National Environment Agency (NEA).
“The clothes you can buy these days are very inexpensive so once [people] buy it and they don’t like it [anymore], they will want to give it away,” says Mdm Choo Sow Lin, 63, Alt-to-Fit’s owner. Alt-to-fit is an alteration store that also provides refashion services for customers.
Mdm Choo believes that it is better for customers to alter and modify their clothes instead of letting them go to waste. “Singaporeans definitely like fashion. [However] there are only a few people who actually [come to my shop] and request for their clothes to be refashioned,” explains Mdm Choo.
However, it is much more costly to piece old clothes together to create a new one. Mdm Choo says that “unless you learn” the craft, you’ll have to pay for the service, which is why many people are starting to learn how to do it.
There are several different ways for people, beginners or not, to upcycle and refashion their clothes.
Ashley Yeo, 18, is an art and design student who spends her free time giving her old clothes a new look. She has transformed several of her once boring t-shirts into unique pieces with just a needle and some thread.
Ashley first got the idea from Pinterest and proceeded to try making her shirts more interesting with embroidery. Without any knowledge on how to embroider, Ashley taught herself by watching YouTube video tutorials.
“Save money, get something new. [It’s] worth it to invest your time into doing this,” says Ashley.
Another youth who has taken her hands at recycling her clothes is Nurin Yusrina, 17, a full-time student. She has refashioned several items of clothing, including transforming a long sleeved shirt into a short sleeved one. The ends of the long sleeve shirt had been stained and to be able to extend its shelf life, she had decided to change the style of the top.
She says: “Not a lot of my friends would [recycle clothes]. Most people throw clothes away because they are torn but they don’t realise they can repurpose it like [for example] making a bag out of it.”
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So, how can you prolong the life of your clothes? Just a few simple steps and you’ll be ready to flaunt your customised design to everyone.
Step 1: Place the cardboard under the area where you wish to draw on.
Step 2: Using a pencil, outline the design you want on the fabric.
Once you’re done with the outline, select the colours that you want to use.
Step 3: Colour in the drawing
Step 4: Hand wash the fabric separately and leave it to dry.
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That’s it! Now that you know how quick and easy it is, you can now customise any article of clothing.
It doesn't take an expert to reduce, reuse and refashion
Follow FERDEOS as she unravels how Singaporeans recycle their clothes to freshen up their wardrobe
