All About Upcycling

We dig into the practice of upcycling, the creative and sustainable practice that improves and reanimates old things into something new and exciting.

Brad Lanphear |  January 26, 2023

Upycycled is the one of newest marketing buzzwords for the fashion industry. You’ve probably seen it with increasing frequency over the past few years, as companies large and small scramble to make whatever ground they can towards either being, or seeming, more sustainable. 

A way of repurposing something, or numerous things, that is otherwise tired, broken, out of action, or simply useless, upcycling is one of the most charming ways of breathing a new lease of life into an otherwise forgotten or broken object(s). But how does upcycling present itself in the world of fashion, and more specifically quality clothing? And what’s the difference between upcycling and recycling? In this piece all about upcycling, we’re taking a closer look at the hodgepodge phenomena taking the world of clothing by storm, helping you to understand what exactly the practice of upcycling is, and pointing you in the direction of authentic makes who champion the art. 

 What Exactly Does Upcycled Mean? 

Patchwork and stitching on an upcycled shirt. Image via Boro Boro.

Like any burgeoning concept, there is a degree of ambiguity around what upcycling means and what it does and does not cover. The most accurate definition that we can come up with as the concept exists today goes something like this: Upcycling is taking existing products and/or materials from existing products and turning them into something new.

It can be done with almost anything. Taking a broken-down old car and rebuilding it with parts from other used cars, and maybe a few new parts, is upcycling. Taking an old guitar and replacing the pickups, nobs, wiring, and strings is upcycling. Taking an old quilt and cutting it into a jacket pattern and then sewing together to make a new jacket is upcycling.

The key qualifying detail that comes into question with upcycled clothing is how much of the finished garment has to come from existing materials. To answer this question, you have to understand the spirit of the practice. Artists, designers, and enthusiasts get into upcycling because they recognize the egregious impact that fashion has caused on the environment and human rights.It is seen as an alternative to the established system of producing new clothing by sourcing materials from existing clothing. Therefore, in order for a garment to qualify as upcycled it has to consist of at least half repurposed pre-existing materials. Ideally, the percentage is as close to 100% as possible, but this isn’t always feasible. 

 Upcycling vs Recycling Clothing 

Image via Greg Pallante

Of course, the easiest way to repurpose clothing is just to shop used and vintage. Many experienced second-hand fashion shoppers will tailor or repair their finds that need a little love but are otherwise great.This is where the line between upcycling and recycling is drawn. If a used garment is repaired to resemble its original state or is altered to fit better, that is recycling. If used garments or other pre-existing materials are broken down and used for materials to create something entirely new an potentially more desirable, unique, or valuable — then this is upcycling. Taking an existing garment and then decorating it with paint, stitching, patches, or other materials to create a completely new design – essentially using the garment as a blank canvas – falls into the realm of upcycling because the resulting garment is distinctly different from the original. 

 Beware the Greenwashing!

Jackets and bags made from vintage rugs. Image via King Kennedy.

All the attention that upcycling clothing has received is great news for the cause of decreasing fashion’s egregious environmental and human rights impact. It’s something that should remain in the zeitgeist for as long as possible if we’re going to be successful in reducing fashion’s impact on the earth.

However, the increased attention has thus far massively outweighed the actual impactful change accomplished through the practice. That is because the term has been co-opted and manipulated by corporate interests eager to cash in on the trend. Upcycle is on the verge of becoming the organic of the fashion industry. 

Organic has been slapped on produce and grocery products with very little regulation so that brands can charge more. Regulation of the term organic is so weak that there isn’t even a concrete universal definition of what it really means. Fortunately for supporters of genuine upcycling, the practice has a very real and simple definition. 

As long as the majority of the materials used to make it come from a pre-existing garment, clothing can be called upcycled. The problem that exists in the fashion industry right now, is that this definition is not being enforced by any sort of authority or governing body, in any way. Brands are free to stretch the term upcycle in any way that they choose to fit their needs. 

Creating genuinely upcycled clothing is often more time-consuming and labor-intensive than traditional production methods, which means it is more expensive. If brands can skirt these costs and still gain the attention of the current trend to sell products, many of them will.This is where items that contain a grossly inadequate amount of reused material to be considered genuine upcycled fashion are passed off as such. The inconvenient truth is that right now, the burden falls on the consumer to discern genuinely upcycled clothing from clothing that consists of some inadequate details that are being marketed as upcycled — because there are brands out there to confuse you.  

How to Spot the Real Deal

Image via Greg Lauren

The most obvious sign that a garment is genuinely upcycled is when it is one of a kind. Most truly upcycled clothing right now is being produced by an individual or small groups of artists (with the exception of Needles ‘rebuild’ label).hey’re sourcing materials wherever they can find them and making whatever they come with based on their finds. Due to the nature of the process, it is almost never possible to make more than one of any particular item. Even if basic designs are repeated, the materials used will be different, so no two items are identical.  

This same principle applies to artists who are decorating used garments but otherwise leaving them intact. They use paint, stitching, patchwork, and other mediums to make clothing look more ornate, unique, and/or beautiful. Most of the time, every piece features a uniquely inspired design.Even if they had signature features and recurring images, like a tattoo artist, no two works are identical. The exception to this process is when artists use stencils and screen printing. These processes produce identical graphics but the resulting items will only be identical if the artist is fortunate enough to find a collection of dead stock items to upcycle. 

The trick to watch out for with bigger brands attempting to cash in on the hype is when a minimal piece of used material is incorporated into an otherwise new item. A scrap of fabric is used for decoration on a new shirt, less than 10% of a used material is incorporated into a fabric that is otherwise new material, or some hardware is used on an otherwise new bag.These are imposters being sold as upcycling, often at a jacked-up price.   

 When did the Upcycle Trend Start? 

The Japanese art of Sashiko used on denim. Image via Yodomo.

People have been upcycling clothing for pretty much as long as they have been wearing clothing. The sad fact is that clothing has only become viewed as and produced to be disposable over the past fifty or so years. As recently as the 1960s, most clothes were built to be repaired, repurposed, and passed on whenever possible and people treated them accordingly.

So the idea of upcycling as it exists today is a reaction to the disposability of fashion, and in some ways, it is a return to a mindset that existed for countless generations until relatively recently.

That modern concept of upcycling that exists today really entered the public consciousness during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic when we were all in lockdown for most of 2020. Being confronted with the combination of mass tragedy and a drastically cut-down wardrobe requirement due to home-working, caused many people to reflect and reassess their relationship with clothing.

As our collective priorities were rearranged and awareness grew about the enormous impact being caused by relatively frivolous possessions, many people began to look for a better way to create fashion. Upcycling was the easiest and most accessible solution that presented itself.

Everyone has clothes they don’t wear anymore for one reason or another, and with a little DIY skill easily obtainable from the internet, you can make something new that you like out of something old that you have or find.Then there are plenty of talented creatives out there who have the skills and vision to create enough upcycled clothing to start their own businesses. Startup fashion brands that make only or predominantly upcycled clothing have sprouted up all over the place since 2020. 

It’s Not Perfect…

Emily Bode in her design studio. Image via New York Magazine.

Upcycling is a step in the right direction but is by no means a solution to the major issues caused by the Fashion Industry. The goal of creating a circular or “closed loop” fashion ecosystem that cuts down dramatically on waste is only achievable through upcycling.However, a circular ecosystem, even when participation is maximized, can only ever replace a small part of the Fashion Industry. The big flaw with upcycling is scalability. By upcycling’s very nature, it can only be done properly on small artisan-level scales.

The scalability is limited by access and availability of materials. The entire appeal of upcycled fashion is the creation of something that looks cool and is well-built. This requires specially selected fabrics, hardware, and other materials that are not always easy to come by.Anyone who has gotten into the practice will tell you that at least half of the battle is sourcing materials. If you have a design in mind then you have to seek out just the right materials to create it. If you’re working backwards and drawing design inspiration from the materials you find, the search is just as challenging.This lack of available source material is a symptom of one of the fashion industry’s major flaws. For decades now, the Industry as a whole has relied on increasingly cheap and low-quality fabrics/materials. Fast fashion takes most of the blame, and rightfully so, but they are by no means alone in fault.The second-hand market is flooded with materials that just aren’t suitable for most upcycling projects because they don’t break down into reusable parts or they don’t meet the standard sought after by artists and designers (clothing that — if soiled/unsaleable/unwearable  — should just be processed and woven into recycled yarn for new clothing).Even the most clever upcyclers who know exactly what they’re looking for are forced to sift through enormous amounts of unusable discarded fashion to find their materials. It is a glaring reminder of the problem they’re attempting to solve. 

This scalability ceiling, at least as it exists now, is also a major deterrent for brands to get into authentic upcycling. In the world of capitalism, getting involved in a practice that has a tight limit on growth potential is seen as business suicide, or at least incredibly risky and a major turn-off for investors.That’s why only a handful of major brands are just starting to cautiously dip their toes into the water. Startups that are getting into upcycling are doing it out of passion alone. They understand that it could make you a good living as an independent artist but, as things stand now, it is not the most lucrative business model.  

Mountains of discarded clothing exist in the Atacama Desert, Chile. Image via NY Post

All this is not to say that upcycling is not worth the energy and attention of fashion consumers, because it absolutely is. It can be a powerful force in reshaping the way people think about the clothing they buy and wear, specifically where it comes from and what happens to it when it is discarded.It is an ideal alternative to shopping for 100% new clothing and a companion to thrifting, as well as a fun hobby to get into or even a business to start. However, upcycling on its own is not a magical spell that will undo the tangled web of transgressions created by the Fashion Industry.

The other big factor that has slowed the growth of upcycled brands is pricing. Pretty much every piece of upcycled clothing is an individually crafted object that requires more time and thought than traditional clothing that is produced at any scale. These garments should be thought of more as wearable art pieces than standard clothing.They are well crafted and designed to not only look great, but last a long time. However, this mindset is difficult to relay to the average consumer. Even when it is accepted, it often does not rationalize price points which can sometimes be on par with high-end fashion. As any economist can tell you, the problems of scale and high price points go hand-in-hand. So upcycled fashion will probably remain expensive for the foreseeable future. 

Some Great Upcycling Brands

Stan

Stan Military Duffel Bag Blazer & Futon Cover Shirt, available for $2250 and $750 respectively from 

Stan

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Stan was created by model and surfer Tristian Detwiler in 2019. Detwiler still makes most of the brand’s clothing himself in his San Diego studio. He is focused on repurposing old textiles like quilts, coffee bags, and sail cloth — some of it dating back over a century — into modern jackets, shirts, and pants. Every single piece is completely unique and Detwiler does a great job of explaining the history of the textiles he uses in each piece. 

Boro Boro

Boro Boro does upcycling by repairing and upgrading old discarded clothing, often rescued from landfill destinations. They use creative stitching and patchwork to create entirely new designs out of old existing pieces. Their signature pieces are re-designed Nike and Adidas sweatshirts as well as decorated and repaired jeans and denim jackets. Their vibe is street style with a DIY aesthetic. Boro Boro is focused on keeping clothing items in use by giving them a little makeover to make them desirable, fashionable, and functional again. 

Rifatto

Rifatto does upcycle in a way that has been a deep part of Japanese culture for generations. Using techniques like sashiko, patchwork, and painting, they take discarded and destroyed old garments/fabrics and make beautiful wearable works of art. The concept of upcycling may be new in the west but it is common in Japan with artistic traditions like kintsugi and wabi sabi. Rifatto brings bridges the gap between those Japanese ideals and the western upcycle movement. 

Glor

Glor is a California-based company that repurposes old Moroccan blankets into chore coats and occasionally other limited edition pieces like hats. They focus specifically on Moroccan blankets because of their vivid colors and patterns but also because of their dependable durability. Glor coats are numbered by collection and each collection is extremely limited. So as the brand is gaining popularity, it can be difficult to land one. 

King Kennedy

Michael Kennedy of King Kennedy started out as a Persian rug merchant, selling ultra-fine and often ultra-rare rugs to high-end clients in his Los Angeles studio. However, he gained social media buzz and subsequently fashion media buzz when he began cutting up some of those old rugs and turning them into shoes, bags, jackets, and even faux bulletproof vests. He recently partnered with Todd Snyder on a shoe line. 

Slow Process

Grain Sack Overshirt, available for $525 from 

Slow Process

Sam Zollow started Slow Process in 2018 to “fix the male uniform.” Slow Process is still a one-man operation dedicated to fabric integrity and top-quality construction. Everything is done by hand in Zollow’s Vermont studio. Each season he creates “looks” based on specific materials that he has sourced and a story built around them. Slow Process specializes in shirts, coats, and vests but each season brings new unique designs. 

Pikol

Pikol Blue Floral Shirt, Handmade from a blue vintage linen tablecloth

Pikol is a UK based upcycle brand that sources its fabrics from old household textiles like tablecloths, tea towels, blankets, and curtains. They highlight the ornate embroidery work found in these twentieth-century English textiles that aren’t really in style anymore for their original usage but are very much in style for clothing. They also add items like vintage patches and buttons to their creations. 

Nest of Manure

Nest of Manure is another Japanese brand using traditional techniques to create unique clothing out of old discarded textiles. Their aesthetic is very much inspired by nineteenth-century European and Japanese clothing.They make blazers that look like they came from Victorian London and jackets that look like they’re surplus from Napoleon’s army. Nest of Manure also repairs existing garments that are beyond beat up, like patching up old Barbour jackets. They also do fun things with overdyeing, especially with indigo. 

Greg Lauren Scraps

As the nephew of fashion titan Ralph Lauren, Greg Lauren grew up with an intimate familiarity with the fashion industry. When he started his own brand, he committed to collecting scraps from the production process of new clothes and from dead stock to assemble into new textiles.While his brand does produce traditional new clothing, he is committed to using his Scraps textiles as much as possible. The look achieved by this patchwork and overstitch-laden fabric is uniquely rugged and artistic. While many of the pieces are produced in small batch lines, each one has a unique finish because of the Scraps fabric. 

 Anyone Can Do it! 

The front and back of an old shirt that I painted.

The best part about the upcycle movement is that anyone can get involved. You do not need a fashion school degree or any exceptional artistic talent to upcycle clothing you already own or used items you find. The internet, especially YouTube, has an abundance of simple tutorials on all the skills needed to make new clothing out of old materials. 

A great skill to learn is how to fundamentally sew and stitch. We live in a world where these skills are seen as very specialized and unobtainable for most people, but this is a modern problem. Until the late twentieth century, most capable adults — both men and women — knew the fundamentals of sewing and stitching because they repaired their own clothes. So with a little practice, you can learn how to do things like cut up old fabric into patches and then sew them onto existing garments. You can easily learn how to cut off old buttons and replace them with new ones. 

Investing in a sewing machine (ideally, a used one whilst we’re in the spirit of reusing) will also open up a whole new world of upcycling possibilities for you. Once you’ve learned the basics of hand sewing and stitching, committing some time to learning how to use a sewing machine will allow you to construct entirely new garments out of old material. It will also make many decorative and repair processes on existing clothing go much faster.  

Painting

An old military jacket that I painted.

Fabric painting is probably the easiest and most approachable way to upcycle existing garments. Any paint will work on clothing, as anyone who has painted a wall and gotten sloppy can tell you. But you can buy fabric-specific paint at craft stores or online. These are convenient because they come in small batches which is often all you will need, and they are designed to resist fading and chipping whilst washing.However, if you have leftover house paint laying around and you like the color of it, then you can certainly use that to decorate your clothes. You will need a very fine paintbrush to make details and a wider brush, approximately ¾ to 1 inch, to fill in areas. If you want a video or article expanding on this, let us know in the comments or over on the Heddels+ discord! 

Seersucker pants that I painted to cover a stain.

A Final Thought

We hope that this piece has widened your knowledge of upcycling, cleared up any confusion about upcycling you may have had, or at least inspired you to consider upcycled garments going forward (better yet, upcycling garments yourself!).Whilst there are a lot of negatives in this article in relation to the fashion industry and clothing consumption, don’t feel like you, yourself, are part of some overarching evil.By being a member of Heddels+ and having an interest in high-quality, built-to-last clothing like raw selvedge denim and leather goods, you’re already strides ahead of the status quo by seeking to invest in garments you want to use forever.Knowledge about the art of upcycling is just another feather in your cap that you can use to inform your future purchases, clothing consumption and disposal habits, and more.

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