Fashionistas share tips on how to upcycle this festive season

Emma Watson. Pic/Getty Images

For a recent red carpet appearance, actor Emma Watson sported an avant-garde look that was fashioned from an erstwhile wedding gown. In India, Kareena Kapoor championed the cause of passing on heirloom pieces when she became the third bride in the Pataudi family to don an exquisite sharara set.

Kareena Kapoor. Pic/Instagram

Preserving nostalgia

"The last two years have made people much more conscious about the importance of using what they own," says fashion designer Sanjana Bubber. Before you decide to purchase a new outfit for the festive season, she recommends revisiting the clothes you already own, setting aside those you haven't worn in a while and repurposing these to create either entirely new outfits or styling these in new looks.

Sujata Biswas styles a saree as a lehenga

"Instead of buying new wedding outfits, for instance, many women are opting to re-wear clothes that have been handed down to them by restoring these pieces and adding a contemporary twist to keep them from looking dated. Perhaps you have a saree that was gifted to you that has certain beautiful elements - exquisite zari work or a stunning border, for instance - affixed to fabrics that look too weighty or whose colour is no longer in vogue. These elements can be removed and added to more contemporary fabrics, such as organza or georgette," Bubber explains.

Sanjana Bubber

She points out that menswear trends don't really change much from one season to the next - since longer kurtas and sherwanis are on their way out, you can alter the lengths of pieces that you already own. "The goal is to make these garments more versatile - you can alter a sherwani into a bandhgala or remove the sleeves to create a bundee, both of which are can easily be worn to semi-formal events. Stained outfits can be dyed to create fresh-looking pieces while those with minor tears can get a new lease of life with cleverly placed patches, adds Sujata Biswas, co-founder of Suta, a clothing brand.

Make smart investments

Greeshma Thampi wears a saree gown repurposed from an old saree

"Reinventing your look is more about styling creatively than serial-shopping for new clothes," asserts Biswas, adding investing in staples such as a gold or bronze blouse, cropped gold, or black pants or a formal white shirt can help you add new dimensions to your outfits. "You can wear your saree over cropped brocade pants such that one side of the pants is exposed. Or fashion your saree into a lehenga with the help of intelligent draping," she advises, adding that before making any new purchase, it's important to consider how well the piece will work with your existing wardrobe. "Avoid too many statement pieces since these can be difficult to use in diverse looks. Instead of shopping for seasonal trends, invest in classic pieces [such as a gold saree, an ankle-length embroidered jacket, or a black skirt] that you can swap with your family members or friends, to ensure that these are worn often," she says.

Create a capsule wardrobe

Bundees can be worn with a variety of looks. Pic Courtesy/Bubber Couture

Image consultant Greeshma Thampi advocates creating a capsule wardrobe of pieces that can be mixed. "A capsule wardrobe typically has five to eight pieces. If your wardrobe comprises five garments, three of these should be tops (two normal pieces and one layering piece) and two should be bottoms. Each piece should be distinctly different from the others. Start building your wardrobe with a star or a pivot piece. In case of men, this can be a printed bundee jacket, and the other pieces can include a long kurta, a short kurta shirt, dhoti pants and pyjama pants. For women, the star piece can be a printed lehenga, which can be mixed and matched with a printed choli, a long jacket, a gold crop top and/or gharara pants," she concludes.