I turned my old jeans into a new season wardrobe

Telegraph

4 days ago

I have long considered myself a mindful shopper, adhering to the sustainable mantra of 'buy less, buy better'. I haven't bought fast fashion since my early twenties and despite being a fashion journalist, my wardrobe isn't a Carrie Bradshaw -esque walk-in filled to the brim. So when doing a spot of spring cleaning recently, I was more than a little horrified to discover a drawer stuffed with no less than 20 pairs of jeans I'd forgotten I had, let alone recently worn.
While my pile is certainly hefty, I'm not alone in hoarding denim. According to a study by industry platform, Fashion United, the average woman has seven pairs in their wardrobe. However, we're not wearing them; globally, an estimated 2.16 million tons of jeans are thrown away every year with the majority ending up in landfill.
The numbers are serious but perhaps not all that surprising. Although jeans are an everyday staple, constantly changing denim trends means it's easy for styles to feel dated. When combing through my stash I discovered pairs reaching as far back as a decade that I'd neglected on account of them looking passé.
Others didn't fit anymore and some were downright unflattering (the fit of jeans being notoriously hard to get right even for a former fashion editor like me) but all in good condition and certainly not ready for the dustbin. However, 20 pairs of surplus jeans takes up far too much precious storage space – so what now?
What's old can become new again
'Denim is a brilliant, durable material with so many options for upcycling. There are plenty of designers who can repair, alter or completely redesign your clothes, saving them from landfill and giving them a whole new lease of life', says Daisy Harvey, founder of Loom, a fashion upcycling app launched in February this year.
Fancy turning your old bootlegs into a midi skirt? Or too-small skinnies into a slouchy shoulder bag? Upload a picture of your unworn item and Loom links you up with a designer who will transform it into something new.
The trend for upcycled denim is on the rise – and comes with serious style credentials. Founded by fashion stylist Anna Forster, ELV Denim reworks jeans from vintage warehouses or the Textile Recycling Association which would otherwise have gone to landfill into new, expertly designed pairs beloved by the style crowd.
Luxury British shoe maker Florrie London recently launched a limited run of its best-selling styles, including a kitten heeled sling-back and strappy flat, reimagined in unworn denim sourced from the brand's customer base.
On the high street, Cos has launched a spring denim collection made from pre-loved cotton. Vintage mecca Beyond Retro has teamed up with Seasalt on a capsule made from repurposed jeans including a Seventies-inspired patchwork pinafore dress. Just add a cotton blouse and clogs to tap into this season's bohemian look.
Be unique
Considering one pair of jeans uses 3,781 litres of water to make (the equivalent of showering for five hours solidly), extending the life cycle of existing denim rather than buying new is the more sustainable choice. However, aside from the environmental benefits, there are aesthetic advantages to upcycling, too.
'No more worrying someone will turn up wearing the same thing as you, you can create something totally unique and tailored to you', says Harvey.
Indeed with fast-fashion dupes and 'get-the-look' culture on social media attributing to an increasingly homogeneous fashion landscape, it can be hard to find pieces that speak to personal style.
It was partly a demand for a more individual approach to dressing that inspired Harvey to launch Loom: 'I was having the same conversation with customers again and again where they kept saying they couldn't find what they were looking for [in the shops]. I started connecting them with designers I knew to get their items reimagined. Seeing how excited they were was my 'ah ha' moment.'
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And it's not just jeans. Loom's roster of 100 designers will upcycle any piece of clothing from shirts and leather items to wedding dresses. In May, it was announced as a winner of the H&M Global Change Award 2025.
'We've already had customers and designers reaching out from the US and Europe wanting to use the app (we're currently only based in the UK), so it's clear that people love the idea' says Harvey.
My first (and last) foray into upcycling was during my GCSE textile course when I turned one of my dad's old work shirts into a rather suspect halter dress. Can a more stylish result be achieved when left to the experts? Keen to find out – and free-up my bedroom drawers – I turned to Loom to transform my discarded mountain of jeans into a capsule of chic and contemporary pieces I'll get plenty of wear out of.
Project one
Off-white denims reinvented
I start the process by dividing my jeans into three groups: white, indigo and mid-blue. With so many pairs I need a way in which to sort them and doing so by colour feels like a sensible option. Once organised, I start thinking about what each pile could be transformed into, my aim being to end up with three new items in total.
Having been eyeing-up a few designer denim shirts, I decide my collection of off-white jeans are to be turned into something similar. I take photos of the four pairs and upload them to the app along with some inspiration images. My 'project' is responded to by Ellie Brown, a denim specialist based in Manchester who sends me her quote of £120 – less than half the price of the designer styles I've been looking at.
While I have a good idea about what new pieces I'd like based on what's missing from my wardrobe, for those who need guidance the app can help. When uploading a project you are given the option of leaving the brief open for designers to respond with their ideas. You can also set your budget and deadline.
Project two
Make me a midi skirt
Sticking with Brown, I send my next project over the app: six pairs of blue jeans made into an A-line midi skirt. At just shy of 5ft 8in, I find most midis are too short, cutting me off at the widest part of my calf, so I'm excited to have something created to the exact length I want. To that end, Brown sends me a comprehensive list of body measurements she needs to make sure the skirt, as well as the other pieces she's making, are the right fit.
For upcycles that involve bridal, tailoring or anything very fitted, the app will link you up with a designer local to you (they are based throughout the UK) to allow in-person fittings. However if, like me, you need to do remote fittings, Harvey promises that any fit issue will be adjusted by your designer. In fact, when my aforementioned shirt gapes a little over the bust, I make a plan with Brown to send it back and have it tweaked.
Project three
Go wide
My final upcycling request is for two pairs of indigo jeans with outdated and frankly frumpy cuts to be spliced into one pair of cool wide-legs with an on-trend deep cuff. I'm delighted when they return and immediately wear them out to pub drinks with friends, who greet them with compliments.
'We're here to prove that upcycling is a beautiful experience that has the potential to revolutionise the way we shop', says Harvey. With alterations starting at £30, dyeing projects from £80 and custom redesigns from £100, upcycling isn't as cheap as popping into Zara, but it's certainly an accessible option and comes with much less 'shopper's guilt'.
At £120 for the wide-leg jeans and £140 for the skirt and top – plus the £19 it cost to post all of my jeans to Manchester – my upcycling projects hit around the same price they would have had I bought them from the high-end, high street brands I usually shop from.
However, thanks to the easy communication via Loom's app messaging service, I was able to discuss design details with Brown throughout the process, such as button choices and hem lengths, making the finished garments feel more bespoke and special than if they'd come off the peg.
My conclusion
Like other sustainable shopping options – such as browsing vintage and pre-loved sites – upcycling is more time-consuming than simply clicking to buy something new. From uploading my projects to the app to receiving the final pieces, the whole process took just under four weeks. That said, my upcycles were multiple and on the more ambitious side – a straightforward alternation or dye job can be turned around in a matter of days.
Would I upcycle again? Absolutely.
Harvey tells me the most dramatic transformation to date is a bride turning her wedding dress into a zebra print bag. Perhaps a little too adventurous for me, however I would like to dye my wedding shoes a different colour so that, five years later, I can finally wear them again. I also have five black pairs of jeans left over from my stash that I quite fancy transforming into a denim maxi dress for the summer.
'Upcycling is all about continuing the story of your most valued pieces', says Harvey. And in my case, a smart solution to my accumulation of endless pairs of jeans.