Upcycled Fashion – A Second Life for Sports Kit

When Olympic champion Imogen Grant walked the red carpet at the Sports Personality of the Year Awards last month, she wasn’t just making a fashion statement – she was making an environmental one.

Wearing a dress crafted from her old sports kit, Imogen showcased the incredible potential of upcycling to turn discarded items into something new, meaningful, and beautiful.

Her story resonated with us, and our mission to give sports kit a second life. But her dress also sheds light on a much larger issue: the environmental impact of sportswear and the urgent need for sustainable solutions.

The Problem with Sports Kit Waste

The global sportswear industry, valued at $300bn^*, is growing rapidly – but at a high environmental cost:

• Material Longevity: a huge proportion of sportswear is made of polyester, a material that takes hundreds of years to decompose.
• Energy-Intensive Production: Much of it is manufactured in countries reliant on coal-powered energy, contributing significantly to greenhouse gas emissions.
• Short Life Cycle: Athletes often replace kits due to sponsorship changes or wear and tear, leaving a trail of waste.

The Power of Upcycling 

Imogen’s dress also demonstrates that upcycling isn’t just eco-friendly – it’s personal.

Each piece of fabric told a story:

• The kit she wore to win gold in Paris.
• Her debut GB team kit.
• The jacket from the Tokyo Olympics opening ceremony.

Designer, Aishvarya Verma faced challenges like working with unconventional fabrics, but the end result is proof that even worn sports gear can be reimagined into something extraordinary.

Upcycling in Everyday Life 

You don’t need to be an Olympic champion to embrace upcycling. Here are ways to incorporate it into your routine:

1. Repurpose Old Gear: Turn old jerseys into tote bags or gym pouches.
2. Donate: Platforms like kitround make it easy to pass on your preloved (or as we call it, ‘pregamed’!) sportswear to someone who needs it.
3. DIY Projects: Explore creative ways to transform old kit into unique home decor or accessories.

Sustainable Fashion Matters

Imogen’s dress isn’t just a celebration of her achievements; it’s a call to action for athletes, brands, and consumers to rethink how we use and dispose of sportswear.

Professor Dilys Williams from the Centre for Sustainable Fashion sums it up: “Sportswear companies must design for disassembly – garments that can be easily upcycled or recycled.”

The kitround team champion these values every day, helping reduce waste by connecting athletes and enthusiasts with pregamed gear.

A Future of Sustainable Sports Fashion 

Imogen Grant’s red-carpet dress is more than a fashion statement—it’s a vision for what the future of sportswear could be. By embracing upcycling and making sustainable choices, we can create a world where sports and fashion work hand-in-hand with the planet.

Take Action 

Join us in reducing waste and keeping sports kit in circulation. Shop pregamed gear or look out for our kitbins where you can donate today and be part of the change.

*The Economist