Have you ever wondered what happens to all the leftover jerseys and player tees in a team shop once they get traded? Or items with minor irregularities that can’t be sold? Lisa Litos, the owner of Refried Apparel, is putting an end to waste by upcycling garments and creating new, and stylish pieces for sports fans. You may remember seeing me share Refried Apparel on stories a few weeks back. I got the opportunity to talk with Lisa, and the idea of Refried Apparel came after friends would ask her about shirts she would repurpose and wear. The next thing she knew, she was getting multiple requests for shirts, and Refried grew from her dining room, to a warehouse with a full staff in New Bedford, Massachusetts.
Not only does Refried create custom pieces, but they also receive requests from teams as well. They will receive a palette of items that either have an irregularity or a jersey of a player that is no longer there and the team will order specific items to be sold in their team shop. From sweatshirts, bags, dresses and tees, Lisa is styling sports fans and recycling materials to eliminate waste. Refried is also the official upcycle partner for the MLB.
Speaking of custom pieces, Lisa created a sweatshirt and bag just for me using some of my dad’s old practice shirts and sweatshirt. Now instead of wearing an extremely old (like 35 years maybe?) and too big sweatshirt, I now have a crop using the same material and a tote bag made from the tees. Not only does this move the items out of a pile of clothes I don’t wear but I can now actually wear them and put them to use. If you are interested in a custom piece the turnaround is roughly 3 weeks and you can pick your pattern as well! For more information and to shop Refried Apparel, click here!
