Upcycling your failed ‘Situationship’ hoodies.

Written by Lauren McCourt

When May hits you gather round the fire pit to write the ‘Hot Girl Summer’ rules list. “Facetime someone before you shower, 5 points”, “go out on a date, 10 points” and there, making its way to the very top, “hookup with five people in a club, 20 points” scratched carelessly in a slightly faded red pen. At first it’s daunting, but competitive as you are, five people is only four more than last time and you’re slowly seeing yourself become the most extraverted version of you.

Then July rolls around and Voodoo opens the gates to its fiery pit and the burning love quest commences in the heat of fading moments. Like a moth to a flame, you cling to the guy with curly hair and the girl with the dancing gaze as the hours clock into a single wink. ‘Honey’ blasts its crying melody through your dewy skin, and the lyric ‘we haven’t talked in months, fun just isn’t fun’ forces you to take the hand of the guy who reminds you of the mouse from Cinderella. There you are, the princess of‘Oliver Plunkett Street being swept off your feet to a room without blinds, a bin or a sufficient lock. Reality hits and his “Please stay the night” becomes ghastly as you rummage through the empty Lynx Africa bottles to find your shoes, only to stumble across an array of used vapes and lone Adidas socks. Before you unleash yourself to the lurking roommates out front, he hands you something rather unfamiliar with a fierce Dior Sauvage aftershave stench. “Take this” he says; This being a plain black hoodie with a toothpaste stain trickling down the front. “Thanks, I’ll give it back next time I see you”. But you don’t. You never see him again.

As the fragility of summer closes its door on you, you sit alone in the silence of failed situationships and a torn sheet of inky rules dripping into the accommodation hollows. All you are left with is the pounding regrets of ‘what if I did say yes to staying the night’ and the pool of oversized hoodies, hats and t-shirts that still smell like them. The unnamed clothing pieces gather dust as you refuse to wear them as the nights darken and the cold air makes your humanising breathe all the more alive.

Regardless of the season, these clothing pieces can be worn and should be worn. A reminder of love and comfort, there’s something about wearing a hoodie that’s not yours that just hits the spot. Tarnished and stained, the future of fashion lies within the leftovers from the people you still insist you never obsessed over. I know that turning to ‘WikiHow’ may only further restrict yourself on this journey into upcycling, so I have created your very own fool-proof guide to upcycling your failed situationship hoodies (and everything in between).

Step 1: Come to terms with the fact it’s yours for the keeping. It’s time to stop passively waiting for them to ‘snap’ you back so you can initiate your plan of: a) washing the hoodie when you go home on Friday, followed by b) drowning it in your favourite, most expensive Victoria Secret perfume and c) romanticising the moment of handing it back with the line ‘sorry I know it smells so bad’, hoping they’ll fall asleep with it before keeping it in a shrine dedicated to you. Instead, romanticise the keeping of it where you possess all the power over its destiny. After all, it does look better on you. But it’s hard, and self compassion goes a long way. It’s a difficult transition to accept your lover is no longer with you and you must hold onto the emotional encasement of their scent. It may feel like a drug in a dresser, but it is also a crucial step in moving forward.

Step 2: Accept that it’s kind of ugly. When you check the tag there’s one of three options waiting for you; A faded ‘H&M’ label, a branded ‘ASOS’ print, or a stamped ‘Boohoo Man’ on the collar when they tried to replicate the ‘Love Island’ look (emphasis on tried). You may be tired of the basic fashion sense of virtually all of your hookups, but these pieces too are tired of being scrunched up in the drawer unknowingly titled ‘ALL THE THINGS TOO UGLY TO WEAR IN PUBLIC ’. Truth is, that’s just another excuse in desperation to fit in. Upcycling comes in many forms; repurposed as pyjamas, an effortless ‘just popping down to Centra for a chicken roll’ look, or even a ‘posttanning routine cover up that’s already filthy enough to further stain’, these statements are just as valid in the world of fashion. Perhaps not suitable for a dreaded college presentation, or a prinks gathering, these pieces are just as capable of paving their way into your keep pile. So don’t shame them.

Step 3: Wash it. Just like all the controversy around bra washing, it remains unknown when the last time this piece of clothing was washed. As you too require a steamy shower after a rough night in the city, it may also need a little bit of TLC. We’re all deserving of love. Once your very understandable few nights of obsessively sniffing the collar are over and their scent dissolves into the void of nothingness, you know the time has come. Washing the clothes is not erasing the comfort and joy attached to it, it is simply a means of giving the hoodie or T-shirt new life. With a quick wash on eco-mode, that patchy graphic Tee and woodfire scented cap can become staple pieces for your quickly approaching next adventure. Combined with a neat pair of tracksuit pants or trousers, you’ve got yourself a new and improved Airport Fit that’s both cosy and fashionable (with the added bonus of smelling fresh).

Step 4: Embrace the unique touches you’ve given it. Once the piece has made it out of the washing machine and into your wardrobe, it has become a blank canvas for you to paint (maybe in the literal sense if you’re talented enough). The custody battle has been won and you have proven your deserved rights over this hoodie. Leave space for your fashionable mind to give it new meaning and new purposes, from a baggy fit to a neatly tucked grunge look. With the brave addition of layers, jewellery and accessories, you should be proud of the fashion statement you’ve created. Whatever the shape, colour or style, there’s plenty of upgrading ready for exploration. And lastly, if it’s a white t-shirt, make sure to write ‘This is not my ex’s shirt’ on the back for a ‘White Lies’ themed house party.

Just like all of humanity, the hoodie can never truly forget where it came from. Truth is, we must always remember our roots to stay true to ourselves. However, in a world of ever growing fast fashion and the looming fear of ‘what if someone else wears the same thing as me’, it’s time to open our eyes, minds and drawers to the hidden gems we have buried within our own shelves. It’s 2023; the year of self growth and unique fashion sense. Whether you are post breakup, on the brink of calling a ‘friends with benefits’ quits, or just a notorious situationship hoodie collector, it’s your time to shine. Learn to be your own leader and embrace these cosy critters you possess. And if you see them on campus or in the queue for Hidden Attic as you proudly wear your upcycled piece, I’d suggest not approaching them. They’ll only want it back.

Baneen:

Do you see fashion as a way to affirm your love of yourself or more as a commodity? Both, I have to wear professional clothing because of my job but I view fashion as a huge form of expression of self love. I have a thing where I try to match my lipstick with my outfit and I feel so much more confident when I do that and even with my identity and culture, I love wearing Pakistani clothes. They are vibrant and help me to connect with that side of me.

Rosie:

Have you received or given a gift that was particularly memorable? Fallen in love with an item you just needed to get? I love wearing clothes that were given to me by people I love. Most of my wardrobe is actually made up of things that were passed on to me by my friends and family members who either thought I might like the item or decided they didn’t want it anymore. It’s a really nice way to give the clothing a new life and feel connected to those who gifted it to you.

Ciara:

What is your relationship to self love?

My relationship with myself hasn’t always been easy because I’ve always tied it to appearances and superficial things, but lately I’ve been trying harder to relate my feelings about myself to my interests and what I can do for myself and for other people. I’ve started taking self-love to mean how I feel when I do things I enjoy, or when I do something for others and I get to see that make them happy. Self love to me really just means doing things for myself that I enjoy, rather than worrying about how I look or what I do and how others perceive that.

Lauren:

What is your main love language?

I actually did do a quiz, I'm such a nerd. I love doing quizzes like ‘What Kind of Bread am I’. So I did a quiz on love languages and my top ones are acts of service and gift giving. I think that is very true to me, not that I love gifts but what I love is someone not being with me and seeing something and thinking of me. I've gotten gifts from friends like some of the stuff I’m wearing now, like this bracelet my friend handmade me, this other one a friend gave me and the earrings I got as a birthday present. When someone just sees that and goes “oh Lauren would like that” or “that's something she would wear” I love that. Acts of service is very similar like “oh she looks cold let me get her a hot chocolate” that is just love to me because you're putting someone else first.

Samira & Konrad:

How would you describe your relationship?

Samira:

We have such a good relationship. Even though we are two different people it works together. We are always learning new things from each other, we have new experiences together and we have similarities that really compliment each other so it's a great dynamic

Konrad:

It's mainly because we’re from two different cultures. Traditionally you wouldn't see couples from opposing cultures together. We can learn from each other and we can grow together. It’s beautiful in that way.`