Meet Love Your Bones - Experimental Upcycled Clothing Made in the North East

We are really proud to feature an experimental first collection of upcycled clothing made by Love Your Bones in our Green Heart store. 

Theresa, founder and maker at Love Your Bones has carefully handpicked and then upcycled each item to bring each preloved piece back to life. Every item has a history and so we asked Theresa to tell us the story of a few of the items you can find in our shop on Gateshead High Street.

Meet Love Your Bones - Amazing Upcycled Garments Made in the North East

Love Your Bones Origins 

Theresa: "I have always enjoyed making as a teenager. I made waistcoats out of chamois leathers for washing cars and I cut out smiley faces to put on my clothes before they were known as emojis."

"Now in retirement, I am fulfilling the dream of exploring the limits of clothing. I love quality and I I really love it when my clothes inspire confidence and pride. I believe clothes speak to you; the pieces for you whisper 'buy me, make me part of your life'. 

"It is great to look at people's old clothes and feel the love and happiness that they have given; clothing exudes personality and to feel the happiness from clothing worn at weddings, parties or just people's happy day outfits is fun and to purchase and give it a new life is my aim. I want it to go to be somebody else’s favourite piece."

"This is my first experimental collection and I am looking to give people choices to wear things that are different and reflect their confidence and ideas about themselves.

"These clothes are all individual and will not exist anywhere else on the planet. These garments will spark conversations and continue to live great lives.”

Harris Tweed Coat

"I always look out for quality clothing and when I saw the Harris Tweed coat l was besotted and just had to buy it as it was speaking my language. The cost was way beyond my budget but if you have to have it you have to have it.

"Love Your Bones is based on the bones of an item that I love that can be enhanced and given a new life. It is all about feeling good and adding something different.

"I knew instantly that this tweed coat was going to be great. I discovered an amazing scarf that highlighted the wonderful wooden fibres of the tweed and I set about manoeuvring the fabric with hand appliqué to show it off to its best effect.

"Then as a finishing touch I applied old leather from cushions of a leather settee that just complimented the homely finish. And gender neutral just waiting for someone who loves the new bones of it."

Hot Pink Jacket

"Moving away from the soft and beautiful Harris Tweed Coat that is a little colourful and only releases its full flamboyance when the lining is revealed, to my full on hot pink jacket."

"When I saw this jacket in in a charity shop in Penrith I was struck by its condition. There was no fade- no tears or signs of wear. It was probably as good as the day it was first sold.

"But this is a jacket that whispers 'notice me I am not a run of the mill blue denim jacket, part of a fashion trend, I am robust and serviceable but hey I am punchy pink.'

"This was a jacket that begged to be noticed but never fulfilled its potential and sat miserably in a cupboard. It was clear to me that this was a great item that could pull a crowd given the chance.

"It started with the bones of an idea. So I set about using some chiffon and combining this supple delicate fabric like gossamer and butterfly wings with the strength of denim.

"As the vision grew a strong image emerged in machine embroidery on the back of a stylised woman with attitude. A few more cuts and watery tears of bleach and it was almost ready. Just a hint of bling with ribbons of sequence from a spectacular sari finished it off.

"Now when this jacket flies off the rail it is without doubt a piece that wants to be seen. It no longer whispers 'notice me' but shouts 'WOW where did you get that jacket I’ve never seen anything like it.'

"It’s unseemly to talk about price but this piece is a gift given the hours of love and creation poured into it, a gift that could not be repeated. Can’t wait to see it out there where it needs to be."

Inspired to upcycle your own jacket? Why not take a look at our collection of preloved jackets and see what takes your fancy.

The Lord of The Rings Coat (Cashmere and Wool Coat)

"This cashmere and wool coat was a terrific find at an outdoor market. It was blowing in the wind on a precarious hanger at the side of a stall. The grey colour was not standing out amongst the colourful market stalls but I was struck by the length and the quality of the coat. My impression was that the stall holder was struggling to shift it and with no hesitation I whisked it away.

"When I got home the research started. This could be a cat walk piece so I perused the designer coats on the net until I came across a whacky full length grey coat of similar design but it was embellished with what I can only describe as silver bath plug holes. And boy did it look impressive, a stand out piece.

"Then I started to put together my own design. I started with bronzed round curtain rings that were secured in squares of ornate curtain fabric. I had been thinking for some time of using some special bits of flat sea glass that I treasured from Seaburn beach and it was evident they would be displayed beautifully in the curtain rings all I needed to do was find a way.

"After some considerable thought I had my Eureka moment and decided to hand felt the sea glass with tiny bits of chiffon and lace in a sea of black wool. And there you have haut couture at a fraction of the cost.

"This coat has been well admired and it has been referred to as The Lord of The Rings Coat which is not a bad description. This is a quality item and make no bones about it an exceptional piece. Again the only one of this type, terrific quality and ready for its new owner. Must be seen."

A big thank you to Theresa who took the time to tell us more about these superb garments. Each item is unique and one of a kind. So when they're gone, they really are gone.

If you like what you see, head down to Green Heart on Gateshead High Street, where you will be able to feel the quality of each piece and even try it on.

Read More: Check Out These 9 UK-Based Denim Upcyclers