That royals are queens – it is worth saying – of recycling in a fashion key It’s certainly nothing new.
After the fashion homage last September, the Spanish sovereign decided to do an encore by drawing again from Queen Sofia’s wardrobe. This time the choice fell on a Valentino, shown off by her mother-in-law in 1977
Added to their good and careful use of the wardrobe, where the same clothes are worn repeatedly even after years despite their ample possibilities, is another strategy, equally virtuous, which consists in giving a second life or, if we want, a new look to pieces already present in the wardrobe.
The last case, which certainly has not gone unnoticed, is that of Meghan Markle and his flaming Carolina Herrera. First chosen in 2021, theevening dress it was worn again by the duchess in recent weeks, but in a new version, i.e. without I drag it. The result of the transformation? A sinuous sheath dress with an elegantly sensual feel. Practically another dress than the original one and undoubtedly a fine example of cut and sew with a noble sustainable aspect.
In an era like this, in fact, where the call for waste reduction and more conscious and less compulsive shopping has become a real urgencythe stratagem of creative recycling is proclaimed as a practical and above all appreciable solution for various reasons.
The funniest? That through small measures such as peel and stick, add and put, cut and sew one’s creative flair is trained, to which is added the possibility of giving that particular item another look and one that is also totally unique and personalized. The most ethical reason? That in this way we can begin to put a stop to exaggerated excess production which is known to have important environmental consequences; as well as easing the frantic rush to make superfluous purchases. The wisest one? That by doing so we return to giving the right value to creativity, the one that lies behind the design of a dress that does not deserve to be forgotten at the back of the wardrobe after having been worn only once.
These are reasons that seem to drive the choices of sovereigns, duchesses and princesses, spotted several times with transformed garments. Less virtuous, perhaps, are the celebs, although one in particular stands out for her well-known habit of what could be called creative upcycling, that is to say Cate Blachett. In fact, there are countless times in which the famous actress has appeared on the most important red carpets with clothes already worn and punctually modified. A habit encouraged by Elizabeth Stewart, his longtime stylist, who, shouting «It’s chic to repeat», tries, through its stylistic choices, to oil that increasingly urgent gear of circular and sustainable fashion, breaking down the idea that such precious creations must end up in the back of the wardrobe because they are only worn for a few hours.
At this point all that remains is to take the older items out of the wardrobe and give them a second life. Needle and thread in hand, that’s it ideas to start the transformation inspired by real ones.
Take a piece like Meghan Markle
Among the most recent cases royal of cutting and sewing we find the flaming Carolina Herrera worn by Meghan Markle for the first time in 2021, in New York, for the event Salute to Freedom. An impactful proposal, at times regal thanks to its long train.
Well, just recently, the Duchess participated in the gala evening organized to raise funds for the Children’s Hospital Los Angeles dusting off the same evening dress red, but stripped of the length I drag. The sheath dress with a deep neckline and central slit remained to wrap the silhouette. Without a doubt a practical and easy way to reuse the same dress, born as a princely one, but transformed into a decidedly more glam look.
Add details like Kate Middleton
The little white dress with black profiles is a garment that deserves to be worn more than once. A consideration that she must have also made Kate Middletonwho, after wearing the midi dress for a formal meeting at Buckingham Palace in 2023, dusted it off for the big wedding ceremony Trooping the Colour last June.
To give the garment a breath of fresh air, the princess added a maxi black and white striped bow pinned laterally on the collar, and a beltalways with the same reason. Two easy and strategic fashion attacks to give new life to the look.
Change your sleeves like Princess Anne
Princess Anne is famously the queen of recycling. His wardrobe is a truly “timeless” universe of clothing items destined to return again and again after many years on which, at times, some changes have been made to make them more current. Just as happened with the famous pink shirt with maxi puffed sleeves worn at the 1985 BAFTAs.
The same garment was dusted off by the royal at the beginning of the 2000s, but with the transformed sleeves for a more contemporary and less flashy twist. Well done!
Shorten the dress like Mary of Denmark
Among the most difficult items to put back and reuse are, perhaps, ceremonial dresses. Often, once worn at the event for which they are purchased, they lie in the wardrobe for a long time. Mary of Denmark knows this well and, to avoid this waste, she adopted an easy and strategic way to bring her coral-colored lace long dress back to life worn at the wedding of Princess Madeleine of Sweden in 2013.
Only a couple of years ago, the current Swedish sovereign actually made her appearance at the Carlsberg Foundation’s Research Awards with the same dress shown more than ten years earlier, but in a midi version. The garment has been shortened by quite a few centimetres, becoming a perfect midi dress, with a contemporary feel, to be played on multiple occasions.
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Add sleeves (to the dress borrowed from Grandma) like Beatrice of York
In this specific case, there are two virtuosities in terms of fashion recycling. The princess Beatrice of Yorkin fact, for her wedding with Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi celebrated in July 2020, she went looking for the her wedding dress straight from her grandmother’s wardrobethe late Queen Elizabeth II. A gesture that won unanimous approval for its countless implications: both emotional and sustainable. Specifically, the choice fell on a satin evening dress, characterized by precious decorations, which the sovereign had Norman Hartnell make in 1961 and which the latter wore on several occasions, such as the London premiere of Lawrence of Arabia in 1962.
The princess thought about giving new life to that dress a few years ago, making some personal changes to make it more suitable for the occasion. In particular the royal one did add voile puff sleeveskeeping the original shoulder pads with precious decorations intact. A beautiful way to preserve memories and at the same time make creation shine again.
Remove i ruffles like Lady Diana
Lady Diana was a true forerunner of fashion recycling. She often created new looks using the same items, or transforming them, just as she did with this polka dot dress she showed off at the 1986 Epsom horse races.
Just a year later, the late Princess of Wales showed off the same polka-dot patterned dress, but stripped of the detail with ruffles. A good way to show off a new dress, or rather, always the same but revisited.
Replace some details like Kate Middleton
It’s impossible to forget the ethereal one-shoulder worn by Kate Middleton on the red carpet of the British Academy Film Awards in 2019. A romantic, elegant and too beautiful creation to be left in the wardrobe after the fashion show.
The princess gave the dress a second chance, modifying it a little to show it off again in 2023. She did remove the floral element present on the shoulder, replacing it with a knotted bow, the edges of which slipped along the back. Styling also played its part, thanks to the addition of the famous black gloves which gave the look a true diva twist.
Add sleeves like Kate Middleton
It would have been a shame to put the Alexander McQueen long dress in the back of the wardrobe just because it was worn once on one of the most famous red carpets, that of the BAFTAs.
He must have thought so Kate Middleton when, two years after that debut, in 2019 she decided to wear the same dress again adding the sleeves and completely transforming what was originally a wide bateau neckline.
Source: Vanity Fair
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