Is upcycling the answer to your closet?

First and foremost, Happy New Year! Today marks the first official end to the week of the New Year, and we have one question to ask you. Did you start your New Year resolution, yet? You know, the endless vow of self-improvement that no one seems to get to? If anything, 2020 was a year of eye-opening current events that forced us to look at the world around us, this way, we can all have clarity of what we truly wanted for ourselves.

Last year was supposed to force people to face the things that we're too busy to ignore and handle those affairs straight on. We were all shut-in due to a pandemic with nothing to do, and we were binge-watching ourselves into oblivion and even gain a few unwanted pounds that garner the phrase "quarantine 15". After a while, some of us used that time wisely to start a business venture or project we always wanted to do with no excuses holding us back.

However, it is not only a new day but a new year to start fresh in 2021. Soak it up and let that sink in! With that being said, we want to help our new and old clients understand that everything starts with you and ends with you! Your clothes are a reflection of how you feel about yourself. So if you felt like crap in 2020, you probably (more or less) dress like it and forgot to remember you shouldn't have to dress nicely for others to see you.

2020 was about taking what we have around ourselves and doing something positive with it versus complaining! In those times of understanding this notion, many people globally have gotten back into upcycling due to the lack of department stores and malls being open to the public during the shutdown. That is why upcycling had become a thing in 2020 and has transitioned over to 2021.

So what is upcycling for those who do not know? Upcycling is the term coined in the 90s by taking your own used clothing and recycling them as a new design, or taking more than one item or garment in your closet to create a new piece. Here are examples of upcycling: tie-dying old shirts, using bleach on garments in creative ways to create a new design, patch-work denim, quilting a blanket or clothes together, taking a faux top and sewing it onto another jacket (like the photo above), and finally painting on shoes/clothes/handbags are all apart of upcycling.

Upcycling became on the rise in the 2010s because of how badly fast fashion was damaging to the environment. Many environmentalists took action to hold designers and fast-fashion brands accountable for how it is affecting our food chain and water supply. Those landfills were made-up of discarded clothes that came from fast fashion brands more than any other discarded materials. Therefore, brands such as H&M took accountability and started to ask people to donate their old clothes to them to create new garments.

Hence, apps like Poshmark and The Real Real grew in popularity, and everyone had begun to understand the importance of "slow fashion" versus "fast fashion"! In the 90s and other decades before it, people like my mother, kept a sewing machine in their homes, to preserve the clothes for personal and economical reasons.

Thus, the concept of upcycling has been around the block a few times. It will not be going anywhere any time soon in 2021. There are tons of designers out there that you can invest in like Balcengia, Coach, Miu Miu, and Duro Olowu to name a few. These designers are investing in upcycling and so should you.

If you want to support local businesses in upcycling Chicago, IL, then FashionBar Chicago Showroom is a great option! It has a stunning showroom floor that has a section of an array of upcycled clothing. Its located at 4660 N Broadway. You can tell them Iconic Peek sent you to check out their "upcycle collection", and they can assist you from there.

Moreover, you can grab a sewing machine and go to Pinterest for inspiration to provide you some cool ideas. If all of this sounds daunting, no worries, call us and we will "style" you through it. You can schedule a styling appointment at (312)-232-2647 and let us know that you are interested in upcycling your current wardrobe.