Reduce, Reuse, Recycle...your fashion

Question: What kind of Bay Area-nites (new term?) would we be if we didn't try to help the environment? 

The correct response is: not good ones. (very clever response by the way)

Here are a few ways you can follow the 3 R's and spice up your wardrobe without spending all your playtime money.

1. Alterations: take that hideously boxy shirt from the 90s that you have and get it taken in! Then put it under a cute jacket and Tada! You have a new outfit! Same thing goes for your jeans, skirts, dresses and jackets. Take the things that are not a total loss and pay the $25 to get them sewn into a socially acceptable and flattering style. It is worth your time and money! Hell, just tear those worn jeans into shorts or put a belt around your old dress and cut the hem down; layer that short shirt with a longer one underneath and leggings. Get creative!

2. Exchange: Take your clothes to a used clothing store/exchange like buffalo exchange and find something you're excited about. It doesn't have to fit you perfectly because you can get it altered (DUH!) 

3. Exchange Party: Invite some of your good friends over (the ones that aren't morbidly obese, as tall as the friendly green giant, or the ones with a taste for heinosities (also a new word)). Have these friends bring their cute designer clothing that they either grew out of or are bored of and make a party out of it. Bring out a little champagne or maybe cocktails and some cheese and crackers and try on the clothes! It is so much fun and you can often find a little diamond in the rough from it. 

4. Generosity: Give your clothes to goodwill, the salvation army or Big Brothers and Big Sisters of America. 

5. Future: Keep a few well sewn and cut pieces from each decade and put them into storage to save for the next time that trend returns...and believe me, it will return.

6. Repair: Shoes, accessories, and jewelry can allll be repaired before you give up on them. I wore out the heels of my pumps and got them repaired to better than new and got many more miles out of them. New years I spend the night walking the streets of SF (not soliciting men, don't worry) and I only had to spend about $28 to get the soles redone. 

Same thing goes for jewelry: get it repaired! A lot of jewelry stores can repair jewelry that didn't come from their designs and its way cheaper than buying new pearl earrings!

Sunglasses: Go to your optomitrist's office and bring the designer glasses. They usually can service or have a company that can provide the service. I had my Prada glasses fixed (the arm fell off) for $30!

Right now I am not seeing anything very creative coming out for spring. It's nothing we haven't seen before so hold tight to what you have and accessorize, cut, sew, and layer into cute new recycled outfits!