Block Printing and upcycling
I have been avoiding fast fashion and resisting buying brand new clothing for several years. I buy my yoga uniform and underwear new but otherwise I buy from charity shops, Vinted, eBay and a few online preloved clothing sellers.
Initially this was a money saving exercise. As I learned more about the wastage and exploitation in the fashion industry, I began to choose this as my way to protest. There are plenty of nice clothes available through the avenues mentioned above and it just takes a mindset change and some extra time to find the right pieces.
Recently I have been buying some natural fibre (linen, cotton, silk) clothes and the adding my own designs using the hand carved Indian printing blocks. I can make my clothing look unique with the designs and colours. A plain T shirt can become very interesting with some work.
My next focus will be on alterations and additions to change the look of items I already have in my wardrobe. Instead of leaving things at the back, I’ll bring them out and change the shape or style. I just need to practice with my sewing machine.
All of this is helped by the yoga principle of being content with what you have. Feeling that you have enough and recognising how lucky you already are. This principle is taught within Patanjali’s yamas and niyamas from the eight limbs of yoga. This will be the subject of my next blog post.