Welcome to “What Can You Do With a Tee?” Vogue Runway’s Earth Month series exploring exciting ways to reimagine our old stuff. Throughout the week, designers around the world will be repurposing old T-shirts into new garments and accessories.
With Rentrayage, Erin Beatty has turned vintage tees, jeans, and cargo jackets into new-again items adorned with ribbons, bows, and an appealing sense of freedom.
Looking through her recent collections, you get the sense that Beatty values style and sustainability equally. Trends never seem to trickle into Beatty’s work. Instead, she operates with her own, internal fashion rubric, one where large-scale patchwork is an essential, khaki and Fair Isle are both neutrals, and a grosgrain ribbon bow is a timeless add-on.
Using a vintage tee, Beatty and her studio worked on creating “something flirty and fresh” for spring. “We chose an oversize vintage vacation tee. These are fairly easy to come by—though you can choose whatever oversize tee you like,” she says. With just one ingredient in her old-to-new fashion recipe, Beatty cut and tied that t-shirt into a tank perfect for any summer getaway.
Here, she shows how it’s done.
You will need:
- One tee
- Vintage shoulder pads, can be cut-out of a jacket or top
- String or ribbon of your choosing