Op Shop Upcycling Tricks!
- Words by Peppermint
Do you love op shopping as much as we love op shopping? That’s a rhetorical question obviously as surely no one could, but if you think you’re up there with us then please do enjoy this op shop upcycling gold from Maddy at The Essentials Club – a gorgeously minimalist website featuring beautiful DIY fashion projects and sustainability tips and tricks.
Even though secondhand shopping is a great choice, it’s still best to shop with a sustainable mindset. Slow down and consider if this piece will perfectly fit into your life and existing wardrobe – wouldn’t it be awesome to have a wardrobe containing only go-to pieces that you LOVE? With that in mind, here are a handful of gems to keep an eye out for on your next op shop crawl, along with potential styling options or transformations you could make…
Oversized button up shirts
In my personal opinion, these garments are the secret heroes of op shopping. Sometimes they’re perfect to wear as they are, tucked into a pair of high-waisted pants. Otherwise there are so many ways you can alter them to better suit your style – here are my top three upcycling ideas:
- Find two similar or complementary colours/patterns and sew one to the bottom of the other to make into a midi dress (as seen here). If it has long sleeves this could also be worn unbuttoned as a trench coat – double win!
- Cut off and discard the top quarter of the shirt and add elastic to the top hem to create an off the shoulder gathered top, or dress if the length allows.
- You can even turn it into a slip dress if it has the length! By again cutting off and discarding the top quarter, taking in the top sides to hug your chest more, cleaning up the top hem and then repurposing the cut off fabric into straps. Voila!
Oversized mens denim pants
Because men’s pants have a lower crotch area it allows you to modify jeans in a few different ways, depending on your ideal style:
- Add some dart points to the side and back seams, so they hug your waist and become 70’s style high-waisted pants.
- Change them from a pair of pants into a skirt (like in the photo above) by unpicking the leg seams, then readjusting the front layers and taking in the back seam.
For more detailed steps for each, see here.
A tailored blazer
Not much of a ‘physical’ transformation, but wearing a blazer can totally transform an outfit! Find the right one and pair with a bit of red lipstick, a dress, or jeans and white tee and you have yourself a fun statement piece. Hurrah!
Overall, upcycling secondhand garments can be a really fun and rewarding process to add something unique to your wardrobe – here are a few things to keep in mind to help give you a vision for your next op shop transformation:
- Can anything be added or subtracted to give the garment a whole new lease on life?
- Does this piece actually suit your style?
- If something is oversized but you love the material would simply adding a bit of elastic or some dart points make it fit you better?
- If you do cut off any fabric, can this be reused on the garment or made into something else?
Enjoy your upcycling adventures, friends!
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Look, I don’t want to make anyone panic but IT’S DECEMBER!!! If you’re planning to give homemade gifts, you’re going to have to act fast. …
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🌻 The Paddington 🌻
This is a much-loved staple, created for Issue 50 in 2021. We love seeing the #PeppermintPaddingtonTop continually popping up in our feeds!
How stunning is our model Elon MelaninGoddessEfon – she told us it was one of the first times she had been asked to come to a shoot with her natural hair. 🌻
We worked with South African patternmaker Sarah Steenkamp of @FrenchNavyNow_ to create this wardrobe essential – the perfect puff-sleeve blouse. Raglan sleeves make it the ultimate beginner sew, plus the gorgeous back buttons let you add your own personal twist.
Pattern via the link in bio! 🪡
Photos: @KelleySheenan
Fabric: @Spoonflower
Model: MelaninGoddessEfon
“In the 1940’s, Norwegians made and wore red pointed hats with a tassel as a form of visual protest against Nazi occupation of their country. Within two years, the Nazis made these protest hats illegal and punishable by law to wear, make, or distribute. As purveyors of traditional craft, we felt it appropriate to revisit this design.”
Crafters have often been at the heart of many protest movements, often serving as a powerful means of political expression. @NeedleAndSkein, a yarn store in Minnesota, are helping to mobilise the craftivists of the world with a ‘Melt The Ice’ knitting pattern created by @Yarn_Cult (with a crochet pattern too), as a way of peaceful protest.
The proceeds from the $5 pattern will go to local immigrant aid organisations – or you can donate without buying the pattern.
Raise those needles, folks – art and craft can change the world. 🧶
Link in bio for the pattern.
Images: @Gather_Fiber @NeedleAndSkein @a2ina2 @KyraGiggles Sandi.204 @WhatTracyMakes AllieKnitsAway Auntabwi2
#MeltTheIce #Craftivism #Knitting #CraftForChange
TWO WEEKS TO GO! 🤩
"The most important shift is moving from volume-led buying to value-led curation – choosing fewer, better products with strong ethics, considered production and meaningful stories. Retailers have real influence here: what you buy signals what you stand for. At Life Instyle, this means using the event to discover and invest in small-scale, planet-considerate brands that align with your values and your customer’s conscience. Consumers don’t need more things; they need better things, and retailers play a key role in selecting, contextualising, and championing why those products matter."
Only two more weeks until @Life_Instyle – Australia`s leading boutique retail trade show. If you own a store, don`t miss this event! Connect with designers, source exquisite – and mindful – products, and see firsthand why this is Australia’s go-to trade show for creatives and retailers alike. And it`s free! ✨️
Life Instyle – Sydney/Eora Country
14-17 February 2026
ICC, Darling Harbour
Photos: @Samsette
#LifeInstyle #SustainableShopping #SustainableShop #RetailTradeEvent
Calling all sewists! 📞
Have you made the Peppermint Waratah Wrap Dress yet? Call *1800 I NEED THIS NOW to get making!
This gorgeous green number was modelled (and made) by the fabulous Lisa of @Tricky.Pockets 🙌🏼
If you need a nudge, @ePrintOnline are offering Peppermint sewists a huge 🌟 30% off ALL A0 printing 🌟 when you purchase the Special Release Waratah Wrap Dress pattern – how generous is that?!
Head to the link in bio now 📞
*Not a real number in case that wasn`t clear 😂
#PeppermintWaratahWrapDress #PeppermintPatterns #SewingPattern #WrapDress #WrapDressPattern
8 Things to Know About January 26 - from @ClothingTheGaps:
Before you celebrate, take the time to learn the truth. January 26 is not a day of unity it’s a Day of Mourning and Survival for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
It marks the beginning of invasion, dispossession, and ongoing colonial violence. It’s time for truth-telling, not whitewashed history.
Stand in solidarity. Learn. Reflect. Act.
✊🏽 Blog written by Yorta Yorta woman Taneshia Atkinson.
🔗 Link in bio of @ClothingTheGaps to read the full blog
#ChangeTheDate #InvasionDay #SurvivalDay #AlwaysWasAlwaysWillBe #ClothingTheGaps
As the world careens towards AI seeping into our feeds, finds and even friend-zones, it`s becoming increasingly hard to ignore.
We just wanted to say that here at Peppermint, we are choosing to not print or publish AI-generated art, photos, words, videos or content.
Merriam-Webster’s human editors chose `slop` as the 2025 Word of the Year – they define it as “digital content of low quality that is produced usually in quantity by means of artificial intelligence.” The problem is, as AI increases in quality, it`s becoming more and more difficult to ascertain what`s real and what`s not.
Let`s be clear here, AI absolutely has its place in science, in climate modelling, in medical breakthroughs, in many places... but not in replacing the work of artists, writers and creatives.
Can we guarantee that everything we publish is AI-free? Honestly, not really. We know we are not using it to create content, but we are also relying on the artists, makers and contributors we work with, as well as our advertisers, to supply imagery, artwork or words created by humans. AI features are also creeping into programs and apps too, making it difficult to navigate. But we will do our best to avoid it and make a stand for the artists and creatives who have had their work stolen and used to train AI machines, and those who are now losing work as they are replaced by this energy-sapping, environment-destroying magic wand.
Could using it help our productivity and bottom line? Sure. And as a small business in a difficult landscape, that`s a hard one to turn down. We know other publishers who use AI to write stories, create recipes, produce photo shoots... but this one is important to us.
`Touch grass` was also a Merriam-Webster Word of the Year. We`ll happily stick with that as a theme, thanks very much. 🌿
