Senior Madeline Leslie finds a piece of clothing that may not be the best looking and makes it into something completely new, this is called “upcycling.” Veganism isn’t all about the food that you consume. It’s a lifestyle that affects not only the food that you eat but the clothing that you wear, specifically where exactly it’s purchased from and where it’s made.

The first thing that Leslie “upcycled” was a long sleeve flannel shirt that she cut and sewed into a dress.

Leslie has been strictly thrifting for clothes since her freshman year. It was then that she promised herself to stay true to all aspects in veganism, including the boycott of purchasing clothing from department stores. Leslie would rather shop from a thrift store than at a mall.

“It sounds really stupid, but it goes along with the veganism thing…helping out the world by not contributing money to these big corporate places, such as unsafe working conditions or unfair pay,” Leslie said.

Aside from taking a stand against corporate companies, Leslie enjoys standing out from the crowd and making something new out of an old piece of clothing. She says that she feels accomplished when doing this instead of buying something from the department store.

“I don’t like being the same as everyone else,” Leslie said. “(My style) gives me a sense of individuality.”