The following was written by Ayana Ames, Founder & Creative Director, Am.A-line Collections LLC. We were thrilled to work with her as part of our Fashion Show fundraiser in September, where she dressed the vignette highlighting Portaluca Boutique, whose proceeds all benefit Dress for Success Cincinnati. This month, she discusses her clothing line and focus on sustainability in upcycled and recycled clothing designs.
Fall vibes are here! With the uncertainty of early October, the days are still very warm, but the mornings and evenings are cool, preparing us for sweater weather!
I’m sure you all have seen some of the trends going around with sweatshirts being upcycled and reworked to give them a new life. You have got to love the creativity, which is what I love about redesign and upcycling, challenging your mind to look at a piece of clothing differently. Here are a couple of different ways you can create something new – or feel free to call someone like me to rework your old sweatshirts into something new and exciting! First, grab your sweatshirt of choice, whether it’s a hoodie, crewneck, or other style. The goal is to make it into your next favorite fall piece. Once you’ve selected your sweatshirt, there are a number of design choices you can make to create a piece that speaks to your personal style.
Check out a few ideas:
- Updated Hoodie: This one seems to be a TikTok favorite. Plus, it’s pretty simple in terms of construction, or can be as complicated as you want. First, cut the bottom hem band off to ensure a clean line for the next step. The main cut is typically made up the side front of the sweatshirt, avoiding the armholes to midway of the shoulder. From there, you can take a flannel shirt, another hoodie, or other top that matches the length of the sweatshirt/hoodie, repeat the cutting, and sew them together along the new seam line. Attach the band back at the bottom of the hoodie/sweatshirt. And voila!
- Crop Sweatshirt: A simple change in structure. Cut the bottom of the sweatshirt or hoodie to your desired length. (If you want to add extra flair to the sleeves, you can always cut those as well and add any material if you want.)
- Sweatshirt Jacket/Fleece: This is my favorite method of choice, which is a little more involved, but it looks great and adds versatility. Let’s combine your sweatshirt or a pair of sweatpants and create a new jacket for you. See the example where I used a combination of denim and my college sweatshirt. As another zero waste alternative, I seam ripped the side seams, hem, and armholes so that I can sew them into the denim as a whole piece. As a designer, I also make a lot of patterns, so I cut my own pattern pieces to get the shape of the jacket I wanted on the side panels, collar, and hem. For the jacket, I created it out of fleece pajama pants as they held a lot of sentimental value for my client. I used the legs for sleeves and extra fabric for the details and a fleece I had from years ago for the body of the jacket.
Whether you’re looking to scale up your sweatshirt selection, or just make it speak to your individual personality, redesigning and upcycling your old sweatshirts is a good way to do something unique. Follow us @amalinecollections and reach out if you’re looking to add unique pieces to your wardrobe.