My kids are hopefully going to stop growing soon. Not only because my eldest, who is now 10 is almost as big as I am (!) but also because of the amount of clothes they go through is just simply extraordinary. I was talking to my friend Michelle about this the other day and we started thinking…
Michelle is a veteran fashion designer, turned wardrobe stylist who runs a company called the Closet Guru here in Paris. She basically whips through her clients’ wardrobes and without getting them to buy more, she recycles their clothes and alters them so that end result is a totally new wardrobe without spending a penny.
I am a bit of a green freak at heart, so this holistic approach toward clothes and the aspect of “up cycling” clothes rather than getting rid of them and buying new, really struck a cord with me. Together with Michelle and the super talented children’s wear designer Camila, from the new label the Funky Peas, we set about trying to see how to make children’s clothes by re-using old clothes. One of our main aims was to do it simply, something that most parents could do without too much effort. Camila came up with some great designs and we hope you like them as much as we do.
So without further ado, here are some very simple pieces, in this case, mostly using men’s t-shirts!
COMBISHORT
We used a standard, round neck T-shirt size L for this one.
Alternatively, you can leave the bottom of the T-shirt as is to create a dress or cut it shorter to create a top
DRESS
We used a V-neck T-shirt, size L for this one.
TROUSERS
We used a standard, round neck T-shirt, size XL for this one (this is the right size for a 10-year-old. You can use a smaller size for younger kids).
SKIRT
We used a standard, round neck T-shirt, size L.
You can also use this skirt as a top for bare shoulders, by using a longer ribbon and tight it first together and then under the neck
THAI FISHERMAN PANTS
We used a standard, round neck T-shirt, size L. (You might need an XL one for older kids)
Comments (2)
So clever! I love this idea! What sweet models. I thought the little guy was balancing a cucumber on his head then realised it was part of a leaf!!
I just made the combi as a dress and added a pocket using the material from a sleeve (makes the upper edge already hemmed). Here is a picture: https://www.flickr.com/gp/angorian/Py6742
I’d love another of these posts! So fun to use up Daddy”s old t-shirt that had worn at the neck but the rest was still good.