Daily hacks: How to upcycle old jeans into trendy accessories

Not sure what to do with your worn-out jeans? Why not transform them into legwarmers – the fashion items that many influencers have been snapping up in recent weeks?

As adored as it is ridiculed, the trend has the merit – provided that you make them yourself – of transforming jeans destined for the trash into veritable fashion accessories.

As popular as they are criticised, denim legwarmers are well on their way to becoming the must-have accessories of the fall. And that was without counting on the fast fashion giant Shein, which recently came under fire on social networks when it released its own collection.

Criticism has been rife, highlighting the “strange” aesthetics and the uncomfortable nature of the models presented by the brand. Nevertheless, several designers continue to push the legwarmers trend, which has – nevertheless – nearly 200 000 views in its denim version, and nearly 45 million views for models of all materials.

Upcycling what would be trash

Beyond the hype and the aesthetic qualities (or not) of the trend, denim legwarmers remain a good way to give a second life to worn-out jeans. This wardrobe essential, which is also one of the most polluting fashion items, can now be upcycled instead of being discarded, giving added value to fabric destined for the trash.

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And that’s where legwarmers – if they’re not bought ready-made from stores – can be of real interest. It’s without a doubt the craze for the eighties and the Y2K aesthetic that has revived interest in these retro pieces, which are not – let’s face it – accessories that we step out in all that often.

However, the hype was immediate. So, should you invest in a pair of denim legwarmers, in turn encouraging the production of water- and chemical-intensive accessories, or should you opt for the upcycled version? Do you even need to ask?

Instead of buying pieces that you will only wear on rare occasions, try giving your old jeans a new lease on life. You don’t need a lot of sewing skills to turn your old jeans into denim legwarmers – a good pair of scissors and a little dexterity should be enough.

As you can see, all you have to do is cut off each leg of your favourite slim, skinny or boyfriend jeans to get two legwarmers. It’s up to you to customise them according to your tastes and desires. On TikTok, there are already many tutorials to accompany you in this task, helping you to get the look without harming the planet.