Sustainable Accessory Ideas

written by Lucy French 


If you’re interested in incorporating more sustainable pieces in your wardrobe, then look no further. This guide takes you through six sustainable ideas for your wardrobe, from DIY projects to ethical brands, elevate your style while making a positive impact on the planet!

1.     Patchwork Purse 

Patchwork fashion has almost become mainstream nowadays. If you’re interested in crafts and/or sewing and need a side project, you could consider making a patchwork purse. There are many tutorials online on making patchwork, but the basic premise involves sewing together small remnants of fabric to make one larger piece. This larger piece can then be sewn into anything else, in this case, a purse. If you sew, the chances are you’ll already have some leftover fabric somewhere. If not, you can always check out your local charity shop to see if there are any metres of fabric or clothes that could be upcycled, and limit the amount that would end up in landfill. 





2.     Sunglasses – Retrospecced 

Based in London, Retrospecced offer customers a choice of vintage and recycled glasses frames. Customers can choose their own lenses and have their products delivered. It’s great if you’re interested in a vintage look and they also offer some affordable prices on designer glasses, such as these Calvin Klein sunglasses for £35: 

Sunglasses


3.     Upcycled Earring to Necklace

Again, if you’re interested in crafts and DIY, you might enjoy this idea. If you’ve lost or broken one earring of a pair, you can easily turn the spare into a necklace pendant. You’ll need to buy some pliers and jump rings first, but it’s a great way to give your accessories another lease of life. You can find a good tutorial here: Necklace


4.     Scrunchies – Newt London

These 100% recycled plastic scrunchies from Newt London are a great sustainable way to add some colour to your outfit. 





5.     Upcycled Tote Bag

If you want to join the St Andrews’s rank of tote-bag users, but don’t want to spend out on a Toppings or Daunt Books bag, you could consider this upcycling technique. This might require a sewing machine, but if you’re interested in sewing, this could be a great way to reuse some old clothing. Ideas include making a bag from an old shirt or even denim jeans.  Tote

If you’re interested in sustainable clothing then you’re probably familiar with the second-hand clothing market. Last semester, Raeann Lim wrote A Comprehensive Guide to Shopping on Vinted if you’re unsure where to start, however. Here are some examples:

scarf 1

scarf 2 

scarf 3


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