Greenloop’s 1st Annual ReShirt Contest has come to a close. Each contestant had to take a t-shirt they already owned, and with only snipping and tying techniques, refashion their T into an original one-of-a-kind creation. The Winner issssssssss……drum roll……deep breath……hold it……..issssssss…..Angelina Schneider of Long Beach, CA! She has won a $300 gift certificate from Greenloop and a 30-minute virtual styling session from celebrity stylist Barbra Horowitz! Angelina’s design used a free oversized Legalize LA shirt from American Apparel’s campaign to ease the bureaucracy that immigrants must face to work legally in the US.

This 31-year-old Cal State dance student sliced open the back to fashion a corset-like closure, turning the men’s t-shirt into a sexy one-of-a-kind for the stage, club, beach, or BBQ. By removing the bottom four inches of fabric from the shirt, Angelina was able to create a detachable bustle, which she tied around her waist. Apparently the bustle can also be attached at the neck for an 1880′s meets the 1980′s Hot For Teacher look. Spicy!

In close 2nd, was Chelsea Ferrette, hailing from our nation’s capital. An attorney by day and crafter by night, Chelsea rocked her DC pride with the redo of this DC Scores Cup “Sharks Vs. Suits” commemorative T from 2007. In addition to some ultra feminine split sleeves, Chelsea worked magic by weaving a gathered seam under the bust on this (now) bangin’ number. Though this is the first t-Shirt Chelsea has reworked without using needle and thread, you’d never know. As the 2nd place winner, she has won Barbra Horowitz’s style bible, Closet Control, and a $50 gift certificate to Greenloop!

And from Greenloop’s home state of Oregon, comes Jennifer Osawa’s standout Angel Dress for 3rd place! This stay-at-home mom has two daughters (14 months and 2 years). Reflecting on her involvement in ReShirt, Jennifer stated, “I do what I can to be environmentally conscious, but find myself running into the edges of our budget often. I am always on the lookout for things I can do to be green. Limiting my family’s carbon footprint is important to me…I want my children to respect and enjoy our world and all living things. For this dress I used a bunch of old stained onesies that I didn’t know what to do with, along with some scraps from my other reshirt project. I love how it turned out.” Well, it looks like Jennifer’s daughter loved how it turned out as well…this whimsical recycled fairy dress is adorable on her! Jennifer is walking away with a copy of Closet Control and a $25 gift certificate to Greenloop.

Honorable mentions go out to Marina Diehl who crafted a gorgeous dress out of her Dad’s old T’s, but couldn’t win because there were some details she created by sewing-Marina’s a rebel, what can we say? Another honorable mention goes out to Kelly Schirm of Portland who created a sassy belted look and turned old T to hot T. Also, shout outs to Jennifer Sweckard and Wendy Morgan for their nice detailing work.

Aysia Wright, owner of Greenloop and ReShirt’s primary judge, was extremely pleased with the outcome of the first ReShirt Contest. “The best part for me was that the contestants were so excited to participate and thankful for the opportunity to do so. Its great fun to see people exercise their creativity, and it was a great opportunity to demonstrate ‘upcycling’ in action as well. There is quite a bit of potential gathering dust in most people’s closets. All they need is a little inspiration to get started.” Well, inspiration is indeed what Aysia and Barbra manifested with this collaborative contest. Thanks to all those who participated, and to the big winners-happy shopping!

Fame and fortune people! This is the final week for Greenloop’s ReShirt Cutting Contest. All you need is a pair of scissors, an old t-shirt, a camera, and your imagination to get a chance to win a $300 gift certificate from Greenloop and a 30-minute virtual styling session from celebrity stylist Barbra Horowitz. Not only that, but all winners’ work will be featured right here on In The Loop!

Do you love reworking your old pieces to make something hot for the club or office? Do you have piles of shirts in your closet begging for a purpose? Give those ill fitting t-shirts from days gone by a serious revamp and enter ReShirt today!

Check out these prizes…

• Winner: $300 Greenloop Gift Certificate and a 30 minute FREE style consultation with celebrity stylist Barbra Horowitz
• 1st runner up: Copy of Closet Control by Barbra Horowitz and $50 Greenloop Gift Certificate
• 2nd runner up: Copy of Closet Control by Barbra Horowitz and $25 Greenloop Gift Certificate
• All 3 winners will be reviewed and posted here on Greenloop’s In The Loop…fame and fortune could be yours all with just the snip of your scissors!

Contest Rules:

1. You must reuse a t-shirt you already own, nothing new please.

2. The redesign process should only include cutting and tying techniques. For our inaugural ReShirt contest, there will be no dyeing, silkscreening, or sewing.

3. All participants must be US residents over the age 18.

4. The contest runs from today, Friday, April 25th, through Friday, May 23rd. All submissions must be received no later than 12:00 midnight on Friday, May 16th,2008

5. Design submissions are to photographed and submitted via email to aysia[at]thegreenloop.com. Please submit 4 photos: front and back shots of the t-shirt both on a person and lying flat on a surface. Biography about the designer must be submitted with the entries, limited to 500 words, and must contain email, address and telephone contact information.

Watch Tommy Shaw of Styx “purge” (that sounds very LA) his closet with Closet Control author Barbra Horowitz. Highlights include him painting on an orange jumpsuit from his touring days and getting repeated spankings by his very involved wife.

This is what you need to say to those sexy relics from the past, tucked way down deep in the back of your closet. By the way, we’re talking clothes here, people, not skeletons. (We’re just not that deep on In The Loop.) Ahem. In our continued coverage of tips for optimizing your wardrobe, celebrity stylist Barbra Horowitz shows you what to do with those gorgeous-yet-dated garments lying dorment in your closet. She also shares eye-opening info on what’s hiding in those plastic garment bags from the dry cleaners (again, not skeletons, folks.). Take a look.

Enter Greenloop’s ReShirt Cutting Contest to win a 30 minute virtual consultation with Barbra along with her recently published style bible, Closet Control.

Celebrity stylist Barbra Horowitz, co-sponsor of Greenloop’s 1st Annual ReShirt Cutting Contest and the author of style bible Closet Control, is in the business of teaching people how to dress themselves. Having learned the tricks of the trade from her fashionista mother, Barbra teaches people how to invest wisely in wardrobe and how to nurture those assets once they’ve been acquired.

One of her many lessons is how to transform garments from old & tired to fresh & fabulous by taking underused clothes you’re attached to- that family reunion t-shirt, cherished 80′s prom dress, or the oversized vintage couture piece- and cutting, dyeing, or tailoring them back to greatness. The woman is a closet alchemist.

In this video, Barbra shows you how to take a stained garment you’re on the verge of throwing away and dye it into something you’ll always want to keep. And it’s easy! Seriously, the whole video clip is so quick and painless, you might have to watch it again to make sure you didn’t miss anything. Check it out…