Oudfits

From used jeans to new jackets, aprons and everyday essentials

Oudfits transforms used and discarded jeans into jackets, aprons, children’s clothing and practical everyday products. What started with Irma making a skirt for herself from old denim slowly grew into a full atelier where hundreds of kilos of jeans get a second life each year. Not because denim is trendy. But because it’s strong, beautiful, and simply too good to throw away.

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Piles of denim waste rescued by Outfits | Waste Alchemists

Oven mitts from otherwise wasted denim by Outfits | Waste Alchemists

About the alchemist

Meet Irma, the creative behind Oudfits. When first visited her home and workshop in Dalfsen, we spent the first hour drinking tea and sharing stories before even touching the camera. That says a lot about her. Kind, grounded, and deeply connected to her community. Oudfits didn’t start as a business plan. It started with Irma looking at her own pile of jeans and thinking: what can I make from this? A skirt became aprons for her restaurant staff. The reactions were so positive that she kept going.

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About the waste

The main material Irma works with is used denim. Jeans from second-hand shops and from people clearing out their closets. Pants, jackets, skirts, shirts. With elastane. Without elastane. Dark wash. Light wash. Torn knees. Perfect condition. Denim is incredibly durable, yet huge amounts are discarded simply because people own too many pairs or because styles change. Over time, Irma’s story spread and now hundreds of jeans arrive at her doorstep instead of her having to search for them. She also reuses leftover sewing threads and, for some products, works with wool that would otherwise be considered waste.

About the process

When a batch of jeans arrives, the work starts with washing everything thoroughly. Sand and dirt have to be removed to protect her sewing machines. After drying and ironing, the jeans are sorted and stacked. If she’s making a jacket, the puzzle begins. How many jeans are needed? Which pockets and waistbands could fit the design? Which pieces are too worn at the knees to use? She carefully cuts usable panels, builds mirrored left and right sides, and only then places her template to ensure symmetry. Lining from other leftover materials is added, details are refined, and everything is stitched together. It’s not quick. It’s not simple. It’s puzzle work.

About her creations

It all started with adult clothing. Then children’s clothing followed. Today Oudfits creates jackets, skirts, aprons, bags, oven mitts, bottle holders and more. Her favourite? Jackets. Because that’s where she can fully play with shapes, pockets, contrasts and structure. A jacket can be short or long, bold or subtle, for young or old. And when someone proudly says, “Look how beautiful my jacket is,” that’s when it feels right. One special product is the “pruttelzak”, a sustainable kitchen helper that keeps food warm, partly made with otherwise unused sheep wool.

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When denim carries more than fabric

Not all jeans arrive at Oudfits because someone simply cleaned their closet. Some are brought in after a loved one has passed away. Parents, partners, friends. Pieces that were worn for years and carry memories in every fold. Instead of letting those jeans sit untouched in an attic, families choose to have them transformed into something new and wearable again. A jacket, a bag, a piece that stays in daily life. In those moments, Oudfits is not just about upcycling denim. It becomes a quiet way of keeping someone close.