Let’s talk about reject clothing—you know, those poor items hanging silently in the back of your closet, or maybe already tossed in the donate bin. They didn’t get worn. Sparking joy did not happen. They didn’t quite work. Or so you think.
Heck, maybe you’re right and you shouldn’t have purchased them.
Quote of the day: “Be the person you want to have in your life.” Anonymous
After Tresi and I took the Style Rut Challenge, we thought we would see if we could take a piece of reject clothing and work magic with it.
I Love this idea (no surprise there if you’ve been following me for some time now) because it’s more sustainable than purging. Sure, we think we are doing good by giving our clothes to secondhand stores, but much of our rejects are wasted.
If you want more information, read this.
But here’s the thing: just because a piece ended up on the chopping block doesn’t mean it’s a lost cause. Sometimes, the issue isn’t the item itself—it’s how we see it. So why not rethink and restyle before we say goodbye?
You may think of it as time wasted, but in reality, it’s better than watching TV, plus it’s physical activity as opposed to sitting on your behind.
Tresi had some rules and boundaries to start our reject clothing challenge, which was helpful.
She also said, “I want to focus on those garments that are fine, but that I unnaccountably swerve away from. Ideally, I’d like to work out what causes the swerve in the first place!
Thinking about my reject pile, I’ve got several items where I had a specific idea in mind when I bought them; I think sometimes you just have to chase that dream to its conclusion, if only to clear your mind and open up to other options.
So on to my rejects that made the cut:
I chose the white skirt and the yellow top.”
“The skirt has been hanging about for ages; I like the cutout fabric and the style, but the zipper is cheap and doesn’t easily zip to the top. I decided to leave the zipper at the point it wanted to stop; and lightbulb moment…it actually felt more comfortable there, so no need for a new zipper.”
Insider tip: That zipper “aha” moment is brilliant enough to repeat. If something doesn’t work the way it should, does that mean it’s broken, or just rebelling?? Don’t automatically assume the worst.
“The first outfit was the black and white one, which had the faintest greeny yellow in the design, so the green beads picked that up to stop it being too severe. Don’t you just love those shoes?
Even better because they zip at the back, so once you adjust the laces for your foot, it’s one and done.”
“The second outfit with the white skirt includes another reject, tunic length top – too long (for anything!) and mock wrap, so annoying.
It took me half an hour to get it sitting right. I’m going to shorten it (see below) and turn it into a real wrap, since I loved the look (so it’s become a fixer-upper – not my intention!)
I used an elastic belt to tuck the top under. Note the scarf as a tie belt detail; I folded it in half and tucked it under the belt to add that vertical line, and stop it from being too half and half.
When I shorten the top, I’ll be able to have it a bit longer.”
“I’ve finished the fix on the top I wore for the reject project, and I am sooo pleased with it – I just had to share with you, because the project motivated me to get it done.
An easy enough fix; I undid the bottom seam and folded the front to make each side hang straight; a bit of cutting and hemming, done! I was going to leave it at that, but the neckline wasn’t hanging exactly right – I covered some buttons and made button loops from the spare fabric I’d cut off. I doubt I’d wear it open, so it’s good that it goes over the head without messing with the buttons!
Insider detail: Did you notice that Tresi wore a t-shirt under the print shirt this time? It’s a fabulous way to add sleeves or warmth.
Now I’ve got the outfit I wanted – the scarf just adds that boho touch.”
“So, the yellow top. This is a genuine swerve – I can’t think why I don’t wear it. I decided to embrace my inner boho with two laid-back outfits. I prefer the blue trousers, partly because they’re very comfortable and it gave me an excuse to wear my flowery necklace (repaired sooo many times!)”
Insider tip: If you ever say you don’t know WHY you don’t wear it, that’s the perfect item for this type of reject clothing challenge. Sometimes it’s just finding the combinations that speak to you.
“The lemon trousers sort of fit – I’m gaining muscle and losing flab atm, so I’ll review in a few weeks and if they’re still in question, they’re out! I loved the pile of necklaces, though, and will use that idea again. The jelly shoes are fun – really uncomfortable toe post until I warmed it with my hairdryer!
Insider tip: Did you read that with the jelly sandals? If you have a pair and there is a part that is uncomfortable, try heating it with your hairdryer…carefully.
So that’s a wrap! Brilliant fun and so many new ideas😀 I’m off to go and tidy my room – all those clothes on the floor”
I’m going to show 2 examples of items that I would classify as reject clothing. The first is a caftan. It was given to me by a friend, and I adore the colors and embroidery on it. I even shortened it so I could wear it, but I have yet to pull it out. So I need to give myself some inspiration.
The other challenging piece was a pair of golf capris. I loved the color, but the knee-length cut made me feel like I was back in junior high P.E.
I couldn’t figure out how to make them look intentional instead of accidental.
Beware: The red capris really challenged me, and I decided to show everything I tried this day. Some were failures, but I wanted to show how failure is part of the process. Don’t expect EVERY outfit to be a success, but that doesn’t mean to give up after the first attempt.
This is the caftan worn alone. Isn’t the print just beautiful? I didn’t have one of these when I created the article about styling a caftan years ago. Back then, I borrowed my mom’s.
A-On the left: I layered a maxi skirt over the caftan. By pulling it up over the waistband a little, this shortened it enough so you don’t see it under the skirt.
B-On the right: The neckline is very wide, so I pulled it and the sleeves down around my waist and gathered the material at the side, to create a skirt.
A-On the left: Another way to make the caftan look like a top without covering it with a long skirt, is to deep tuck it into shorts/pants. If the material is thin enough, it isn’t too bulky or annoying. I pulled out some of the hem to create an asymmetrical hemline.
B-On the right: This time I turned the caftan upside down. The neckline is wide enough to be worn around my waist, and then I tucked and adjusted all of the remaining material into my sports bra, and it hangs like a cape in the back.
Insider tip: There is no right or wrong with these ideas. Since everyone’s clothing is made differently, as well as our bodies are shaped differently, you have to just take the concept and play around. Tuck, adjust, use magnets or elastics to see if you can transform your reject clothing.
I found these red capris while thrifting and bought them only because they were unlike anything I had in my closet. It’s an interesting length, and as someone who thinks anything can work with the right combinations, I brought them home.
I even posted a video on TT years ago showing an attempt to style these same capris that had a bunch of views and opinions.
Mindset: Trying to describe the clothing and liken it to something similar can be helpful. For instance, the silhouette of these capris is close to a pencil skirt.
We saw the Anna Sui exhibition at the Phoenix Art Museum, and this outfit reminded me of the red capris because of the length.
So I tried something similar.
I wasn’t a fan.
The next step was to create a “jumpsuit” by adding a red cami to the red capris.
Then I tried 2 different open toppers over it.
On the left: This hi-low crochet topper is from Just Be Youtiful and has been worn with an all white outfit.
On the right: The sparkle fringe dress is also from Just Be Youtiful. I liked this option better because you don’t notice the length of the capris as much.
Since we layer our tops, and I’ve grown to love layering skirts and dresses, I decided to try layering these capris.
On the left: I layered a pair of denim cut-offs over the red capris and then cuffed the capris.
On the right: I layered a brown pair of capris (seen here) under the red pair.
Not a fan of either of these. I liked the concept, but couldn’t make it work.
BUT—the red capris might be layered under a shorter red skirt for modesty. I just didn’t think of that at the time of these photos.
I was a tad frustrated by this time, so I decided to change my mindset and the category of these capris. Sure, they are lightweight and made for the warm weather, but maybe I could create an outfit for colder weather with them.
On the left: I added a poncho sweater and tall boots.
On the right: Since I had red tights, I put them on with red shoes to create a long line of red. I grabbed this black cardigan, but maybe it would have looked better with a shorter sweater?
Conclusion: By the end of this reject clothing project, I was exhausted, but felt like I had created new brain pathways. I can’t say I love the red capris, but I almost liked them better with my winter wardrobe than my summer wardrobe.
Since each of our items will be rejected for different reasons, I can’t tell you “how” to revive them sight unseen.
What I can do is lead you through some thoughts that may spark ideas.
Not every piece can be saved—but many can. The key is not giving up too quickly. We’re so quick to purge because we assume it’s the clothing that’s the problem, when sometimes it’s just a matter of fresh eyes and playful styling.
So here’s your challenge: go to your donate pile or the back of your closet and pull one item you’ve rejected. Ask yourself:
And most importantly: Would I still reject it if I saw someone else wearing it confidently?
Insider tip: Yes, this is work, and can be tiring. But so is shopping for new things. Just think of the benefits of this type of challenge:
-No Money spent
-Brain pathways created
-You’re moving and grooving.
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The post How To Revive Your Reject Clothing appeared first on Jodie’s Touch of Style.
