Upcycle your clothes

The Contract I wrote about in my first post sounds an awful lot like deprivation and ascetism, suitable only for people who want an excuse to be a tighwad. But I assure you, making an effort to borrow, barter, or buy used allows you to explore the right side of your brain. Some crafty people have taken a pledge to take fashion into their own hands:

The Pledge

I __________________ pledge that I shall abstain from the purchase of "new" manufactured items of clothing, for the period of 2 / 4 / 6 months. I pledge that i shall refashion, renovate, recycle preloved items for myself with my own hands in fabric, yarn or other medium for the term of my contract. Signed__________________.

Just as my thrift-store finds mean more to me than what I find in a box store, my reconstructed clothes are special. It's hard to be attached to the disposable mass produced commodities surrounding us every day. Whenever I pull something out of the waste stream and make it uniquely mine...well, it's a rare experience for most of us. These Contracts and Pledges are a way to express ourselves rather than pay for a corporate-sponsored expression.