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Introduction to Sarah Tyau: A Refashion Designer’s Journey
Have you ever seen a piece of clothing at a thrift store and thought, “This would be perfect if it were only my size!” Or maybe if it didn’t have these weird puffed sleeves or a glittery collar. Most of us simply turn down a piece like that because we don’t have the skills or resources to do anything about it, but some particularly innovative individuals can actually take a piece of clothing that leaves much to be desired and transform it into something they will proudly wear for years to come.
Allow us to introduce you to Sarah Tyau. Self-proclaimed Refashion Designer and mom of three, Sarah is famous for taking old or undesirable clothes and transforming them into adorable looks for her and her family. We’ve gone through Sarah’s Instagram page and picked some of her most amazing pieces to share with you below to show how far a little creativity and a sewing machine can take you.
Sarah Tyau’s Background and Inspiration
Sarah’s Instagram page is extremely popular, as it has amassed nearly 300k followers who are in search of sewing tips and refashion inspiration. She shares countless photos of her extremely impressive clothing transformations, as well as her process for creating some of the looks including dying clothes or heading to a thrift store. At first glance, one might assume that Sarah has a degree in fashion design or grew up making her own clothes from a young age, but she is actually mostly self-taught.
In a previous interview, Sarah explained that her only formal training when she began making clothes was a high school home economics class. “Being a stay at home mom to 3 kids, time is very limited so I haven’t refined my skills as much as I want to but I want to take classes soon,” she said.
As of now, Sarah is happy to report that she has started taking some formal sewing classes. Despite her social media looking like there is nothing she cannot do, Sarah says she is excited to learn much more. "My goal is to sew more sophisticated, elaborate, couture style and be able to make whatever difficult design I think of in my head. Refining my sewing skills has been one of my greatest joys lately, and I love it! I think it’s so important to do something regularly that lights you up and brings you vitality for life and joy and sewing is one of them for me."
The Process Behind Sarah’s Transformations
Sarah also previously told us that her clothing transformations began after the birth of her first daughter. She originally just wanted to save a little money by shopping second hand, but she soon adapted her new philosophy for life: “Look good, feel good, do good.” Since then, she has created hundreds of new looks for herself and her daughters.
“I have been meaning to teach them how to sew, we are supposed to start a sewing series on YouTube together where I teach them how to refashion, but they’re also so busy in their own lives, we haven’t gotten a chance to yet,” Sarah explained. “But they have a strong sense of fashion in their young age and have very good taste so I think they’ll take over what I do one day and be better than me!”
Sarah first spoke to us three years ago, but since then she says that her daughters have actually not taken much interest in sewing, as they have other hobbies and activities they prefer. But there is still a chance one of her children may carry on the legacy of being a refashion designer. "I am still hoping my youngest son will take interest," Sarah says. Only time will tell!
Favorite Pieces and Techniques
We also asked Sarah if she has a favorite piece that she has ever made. "I would say this one is one my favorites. Light blue is my favorite color and this particular piece took on the dye really well and turned out to that perfect baby blue I was going for. I also love the added white and navy blue trim, it makes it very classy and elegant but with a pop of personality, which is just my style. And the before and the after look nothing alike which is my most favorite part!"
When it comes to Sarah’s process, she says that inspiration strikes extremely quickly. "It takes me 15-30 seconds of looking at the piece of clothing to get a vision in my head of what I want the finished piece to look like," she told us. "Within those 15-30 seconds, I am holding it in front of me, swaying it around to get a feel of how the fabric moves and feels, I look at all the parts I dislike about it and the parts I do like and want to keep, and then I get this vision automatically in my mind."
Balancing Life and Passion
Sarah also certainly knows how to balance many things at once, between being a mom, a fashion redesigner, a blogger, and managing her social media presence. But she has even bigger plans for the future, she told us that she aspires to design her own clothing line and donate the proceeds to children in need. “I also have a YouTube series called “Come thrift shopping with me” where I pick out a few items and right on the spot share what ideas come to my mind,” she shared. “Then the readers vote which item I should refashion next and the one with the highest vote is the one I’ll tackle!”
When asked what advice Sarah has for people trying to cut down on their fashion purchases and reduce their contribution to clothing waste, she shared, “My advice to limit your impact is to buy more timeless, classic pieces and mix it with a few trendy pieces here and there. This way you don’t throw away as many clothes, and are not always having to buy constantly in order to stay on trend. Also throw a clothing swap exchange with your neighbors, friends, or other groups.”
Advice for Aspiring Refashioners
Lastly, Sarah gave us some encouraging advice for anyone aspiring to refashion their own clothes. "If you want to start sewing but feel intimidated, start very small! Shorten that skirt that is a little too long, or take in the sides of a dress a little bit to make it form fitting. Do not let fear or intimidation stop you from starting, starting is 50% of the work! And the more you sew, the better and more confident you feel. Alterations are a great skill to have at minimum, so that you can conform the clothes to fit your body, instead of feeling like you have to change your current body shape in order to fit the standardized size clothing. It helps you to celebrate the beautiful body you have NOW, not when you lose 20 lbs."
Tips for Sustainable Fashion
The clothing industry, fast fashion in particular, is a massive contributor to our world’s pollution. According to CNBC, about 53 million tons of fiber is produced by the fashion industry annually, and about 70% of that is wasted. It also takes an incredible amount of water to produce clothing, as the UN Environment Programme reports that it requires 3,781 liters of water to create one pair of jeans when you take cotton production, manufacturing, transportation and washing into account.
By shopping second hand you will also find unique pieces that you would never see anywhere else. You won’t accidentally show up at an event in the same dress as your best friend because your dress might be decades old! Vintage fashion is totally in nowadays though, so you will probably be the best dressed person in the room anyway. You can rest assured knowing that your thrift store, flea market or hand-me-down piece did not require you to contribute to global pollution or horrible working conditions at a textile factory, and you probably saved a serious chunk of change. Even if your thrift store jeans need a little altering, you can likely get that done without spending more than you would have on a brand new pair of jeans.
Conclusion and Encouragement
We hope you’re enjoying this list of some of Sarah Tyau’s most amazing refashioned pieces. Maybe you’re even feeling inspired to pull out your old sewing machine and start upgrading a few of your own clothing items? Keep upvoting the pics you are most impressed with, and then let us know in the comments if you have ever upcycled an article of clothing. And then if you’re looking for even more fashion inspiration, don’t forget to check out our last piece featuring Sarah right here.