Do you ever stop to think where your old T-shirts and blue jeans end up after you donate them? If your clothing is adopted by Canadian fashion designer, Kim Munson, chances are your favourite threads  of yesteryear could now be worth more than you paid for them.  Orphanage Clothing is a Halifax based business that uses recycled clothing to make one-of-a-kind garments, including T-shirts, dresses, and jackets. Munson, who has always had a thing for vintage T-shirts, started her business in 2003 after graduating from Toronto’s International Academy of Design and Technology.

In an interview for Here Magazine, Kim explained the eco-friendly aspect of her business:

“The emphasis on recycling is very important. It’s definitely the part of my company that I’m the proudest of. This fabric would go to a land fill if it wasn’t saved. So, in a way, we are saving it twice. First, saving it from the landfill, then by recycling it in to something that can be resold.”

But you won’t find these babies on just any old hanger anymore. Munson’s eco-savvy designs are sold exclusively in specialty stores across Canada.

Here are some locations where Orphanage Clothing is currently available:

Vancouver : Thriller
Calgary: Junk Star Vintage
Ottawa: Workshop Studio and Boutique
Peterborough: Buttercup and Co
Montreal: Friperie La Gaillarde
Fredericton: ReNeu Boutique
Moncton: Artsy et Vintage
Halifax: Love, Me Boutique, Lost and Found
Charlottetown: The Green Man

Orphanage Clothing recently showcased its Summer 08 line at the One Life Surf School Fashion Show in Halifax.  For more information, contact the designer via the Orphanage Clothing website. 

So go on…donate that old shaker knit sweater that you’re sure no one will ever wear. You never know who might adopt it.