Fashion Hacks

Discover how to rework, reconstruct and embellish well-worn clothes and vintage finds into sustainable, fashion-forward pieces.

Whether you trawl markets for pre-loved clothing that's in need of repair, or want to do your bit for the planet by sustainably updating your existing wardrobe, you'll find plenty of inspiration here. Take "make do and mend" one step further by not just mending but repurposing your old clothes to create fashionable, unique items. Janine Chisholm Sullivan, an experienced dressmaker, teaches you how to rework clothes into new styles—from adding embellishments and changing necklines, sleeves, and hems to total transformations, such as creating a brand new dress from two old ones. Make a pretty blouse from a floral dress, or convert a man's shirt into a stylish shirt dress. Take a basic woolen skirt and bring it bang up to date with an asymmetric hem, or add interest to a plain top with an embellished collar made using a linen table doily. With step-by-step artworks and a comprehensive sewing techniques section, three full-size patterns, and advice on sourcing vintage clothes, Fashion Hacks has everything you need to know to create a wardrobe that's all your own.

Janine Chisholm Sullivan has always been passionate about the slow fashion movement, recycling, and sustainable wardrobes. She studied Theatre Design, specializing in Costume Design, and then completed a postgraduate degree in Innovative Pattern Cutting at Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design in London. She established a successful market stall in Bristol selling her reworked designs and vintage clothing, and is currently studying for a Master’s degree in Illustration. She lives in the Cotswolds, UK.