You've seen it on papers, television, and perhaps on the Internet. Now, brace yourself as the fever sweeps the entire population of NUS. Yellow fever, you ask? Nope, it's the GREEN fever!
We're quite familiar with the basics of the 3Rs, such as reducing the use of plastic bags, recycling paper...but what about reusing? Let's face it, it's not that easy to practise the "reuse" part of the 3Rs.
So here's a thought - why not reuse your old clothes?
Of course I don't mean to wear that shirt you've outgrown or the pants that have long since discoloured - but let your creative juices flow and make something totally spanking new out of it.
This, my friends, was the main idea of NUSSU Save when they conducted the workshop 'Style with a Green Mind' during the recess week on the 27th of September.
Not knowing what to expect, I dragged along a friend and attended the workshop to give you, dear readers, the lowdown on what went on.
Everyone was quiet and apprehensive when the workshop just started.
What will we be doing? Will my creation be good enough? Is it going to be fun? At least, that was what was going through my mind. But all those worries melted away as soon as the hands-on session commenced.
Participants and the Miss Earth Singapore winners alike got busy in creating their own outfits, chatting and milling about. Ideas were thrown around, as with scrap cloths and sewing materials (figuratively, of course).
One particularly cool idea was to convert a shiny top into an awesome 'bling' handbag:
Before
After
There were many others too - one simply used fabric paint to draw a rose on a denim skirt!
The best part was that our creations will be on display at the Miss Earth Singapore Fashion Show to be held at the Central Forum on the 22nd of October, where Miss Earth Singapore contestants will be modelling the redesigned clothes - Project Runway style.
If you're up for it, you could also wear green to the event to show some support!
Ladies and gents, we're often tempted to throw away that worn-to-death pair of jeans, or the cute summer dress everyone's seen you in. But hold on! See the potential in those items. When you let your imagination take charge, you're helping the environment (and your wallet!) by not buying new items, and thus, cutting down on wastage.
In fact, I was so inspired by the workshop that I dug out all my unwanted clothes from the deepest, darkest corners of my wardrobe and got resourceful.
A shirt with ugly sleeves got a treatment from the scissors and was turned into a tank top - another wearable addition to my wardrobe - total cost: zero. And I do see potential in that old pair of jeans....
So people, go green. Yes, refuse plastic bags, switch off the lights when they're not in use and walk instead of driving. Now, add one more to the list: create new clothes from old ones.
The Salvation Army could be a good place to get second hand clothes that are still in good condition as a canvas for your masterpiece. Even if you don't feel creative enough to redesign your old clothes, and they are still in a good condition, donate them instead.
It's glam to be green. Save the environment, and style with a green mind. hooked
Images courtesy of Ng Yi Zhen, fashion project director.
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