Your Complete FAQ Guide to Kantha Clothing and Recycled Silks
Renew Vintage FAQ: Everything You Need to Know About Our Kantha & Recycled Silks
Welcome!
Here at Renew Vintage we believe in transparency, quality, and helping our community make informed choices. Below you’ll find answers to the most common questions about our business, our kantha and recycled silk collections, and how to care for your unique pieces. This FAQ is always evolving, so check back regularly for updates!
About Renew Vintage
Q: Who is Renew Vintage?
A: Renew Vintage is a small, independent brand led by founder/owner, Brooke, who started the business with a passion for unique, ethical fashion. Our tight-knit team works closely together to create slow-made, one-of-a-kind clothing and accessories using recycled kantha and silks. You can read more about our journey, values, and how the brand began in our Get to Know Renew Vintage blog post, where we share how a small idea grew into a global sustainable fashion community.
Q: Where are your products made?
A: All our clothing is made by small, women-owned family businesses in India whose employees are paid above award-rate salaries and receive benefits that go beyond wages. Between them, our partners provide free healthcare and pensions for long-term security (employees are covered under the Employees Provident Fund Act 1952), daily meals, small no-interest loans for living improvements, and opportunities for upskilling that both increase job satisfaction and improve future career prospects. Workspaces are clean, safe, filled with natural light and certified by the Indian government for workplace safety including strict compliance with the Indian Labour Law Act 1961 to ensure no child labour.
Numerous breaks are encouraged throughout the day, religious holidays are always respected. The environment where our kantha clothing is made matters just as much as the finished piece.
Q: Why choose Renew Vintage?
A: Every purchase supports ethical fashion and helps reduce textile waste while celebrating unique, handcrafted clothing. Our recycled kantha and silk clothing is made to last and designed to bring vibrant, joyful style to your wardrobe. Many of our pieces are fully reversible, with thoughtful details like pockets, soft elastics, and French seams, giving you versatile options for everyday wear.
We are a size inclusive brand with our designs ranging from S to 3XL, along with free-size styles as well - we try to cater to a broader kantha-loving community so that more people are given the opportunity to enjoy our sustainable, handmade clothing.
We prioritise kind, clear and timely customer service, aiming to treat each individual in our community how we in turn would like to be treated.
At Renew Vintage, our small Australian team designs and curates every style, while our skilled artisan partners in India bring them to life using traditional kantha cottons and recycled silks. When you choose Renew, you’re supporting ethical production, sustainable practices and timeless clothing made with care for both people and the planet.
Q: What makes Renew Vintage pieces one of a kind?
A: Each garment is crafted from recycled kantha or crepe sari silk textiles, meaning no two will ever the same. Every fabric carries its own story through unique colours, patterns and stitching.
About Kantha
Q: What is Kantha?
A: Kantha refers to a traditional embroidery technique hailing from West Bengal and Bangladesh. Historically, kantha is woven on old saris and dhotis to produce functional blankets for a household. It is a simple running stitch used to create layered, quilted textiles. Today, this timeless craft is also often transformed into recycled kantha clothing and accessories that are ethical, one-of-a-kind and full of vibrant, handcrafted charm.
Q: What fabrics are used in Kantha?
A: Our kantha clothing is made from layers of recycled muslin cotton or silk/silk-blend saris. Each fabric is carefully washed, matched, patched and stitched to create soft, durable garments. By using recycled fabrics, our kantha clothing not only reduces textile waste but also gives these beautiful materials a new life as ethical, sustainable clothing for your wardrobe.
Q: Are Kantha garments soft and comfortable?
A: Yes! The softness of kantha clothing depends on the fabric and stitch density. Cotton kantha is smooth and supple, while silk kantha offers a natural sheen and luxurious feel. With regular wear, all kantha garments become even softer and more comfortable, making them perfect for everyday wear.
Q: How should I care for Kantha clothing?
A: To keep your kantha pieces looking their best, we recommend cold handwashing and line-drying whenever possible. If you prefer to use a washing machine, choose a cold, gentle cycle. All of our fabrics are recycled, pre-washed and have been worn before, but for extra caution you can add a colour fixative to your wash (like a small amount of vinegar) to prevent any colour running. Proper care ensures your recycled kantha clothing stays vibrant, soft and long-lasting.
Q: Is Kantha fabric vintage?
A: As a whole, Kantha blankets can be vintage (at least 20 years old but less than 100 years old, antique refers to items 100 years or older), but for the most part, are made from more modern reclaimed or recycled saris. Truth be told, true vintage kantha pieces are rare and tricky to verify, and they are usually heavier weight blankets as they have been added to over many years.
At Renew Vintage we primarily use recycled fabrics rather than century-old textiles, although some of our heavier jackets may include vintage kanthas. Using recycled fabrics lets us celebrate sari materials, create one-of-a-kind pieces, and keep textiles out of landfill, all while making garments you’ll love wearing.
About Recycled Silks
Q: What fabrics are used in your silk clothing?
A: Our silk pieces are made from recycled sari silk-blend fabrics, carefully washed, sorted and transformed into soft, luxurious garments. Using recycled silk fabrics helps reduce textile waste while giving these vibrant, unique fabrics a second life in your wardrobe.
Q: Are silk garments soft and comfortable?
A: Absolutely! Recycled silk has a natural sheen and a smooth, lightweight feel. Over time, the fabric becomes even softer, offering a luxurious and effortless wearing experience.
Q: How should I care for silk clothing?
A: To maintain the beauty and durability of your silk pieces, we recommend cold handwashing or a gentle machine wash in a garment bag. For extra caution, you can add a small amount of vinegar as a colour fixative to prevent any colour running (though all our fabrics are recycled and have been worn and washed before). Line dry to keep your recycled silks looking vibrant and lasting for years.
Q: Why choose silk from Renew Vintage?
A: Every piece of silk clothing supports ethical production and helps reduce textile waste. Our small team works closely with our makers to ensure each garment is crafted with care, creating a wardrobe that is both conscious and beautifully unique.
We always opt for crepe silk because it offers superior quality with better drape!
We love that our silks vary widely in colour and texture for a genuine one-of-a-kind piece that you can feel great in.
Styling & Sizing
Q: What sizes are available?
A: We try our best to offer an inclusive range of sizing, and most of our clothing is sized from S to 3XL, with some free-size kantha and silk options available in styles like our popular Ruanas and Flow Robes. Many pieces are reversible, offering versatile styling options for all body types, and you can always check out our Facebook community group for styling and fit inspiration from fellow kantha lovers.
Q: Do you have a sizing chart?
A: We have information on how to measure for picking your size on our Will This Fit? page, and the measurements for every single garment in the description on each product page. Please make sure you compare your measurements and choose your sizing carefully, as we do not offer returns or exchanges for incorrect sizing or change of mind.
Q: How can I style kantha and silk pieces?
A: Kantha and silk garments are perfect for layering or as statement pieces. Pair ruanas over dresses, mix prints, or fold a silk scarf for a pop of colour. Check our Instagram for styling tips, tutorials, and inspiration or again, jump into our Facebook community group where we also share our team OOTD's and favourite ways to style our own wardrobes.
Q: Can I see how a piece looks on different body types?
A: We love celebrating all shapes, sizes and ages. Our website and social media often feature our kantha and silk clothing on a range of people so you can see how pieces fit and drape. While we love being able to show you how a piece may fit on your body type, we are a small team and only have the ability to show our pieces on our office team at Kantha HQ at this point in time.
In saying this, we are embarking on a journey of running community photo shoots to get our real kantha community members involved, showcasing how they enjoy and wear their kantha and offering more opportunities to see our pieces on different people. You will be able to see these photos on our social media channels, on our website, in our newsletter and in our Facebook group!
Q: Are Renew Vintage garments reversible?
A: Many of our silk camis and many of our kantha pieces are fully reversible! We design them with French seams and finished edges so both sides look just as beautiful. It’s like getting two unique looks in one - perfect for making the most out of your wardrobe while keeping things sustainable. Be sure to read the garment description to find out if a piece is reversible or not.
Ethical Production
Q: How do you support your makers?
A: Our workshops provide living wages, healthcare, meals, pensions, safe workspaces, upskilling opportunities, and respect for holidays. By working directly with family-owned businesses, we ensure artisans are compensated fairly and work in positive environments.
Q: Why is sustainability important to Renew Vintage?
A: At Renew Vintage, sustainability is at the heart of everything we do. We create timeless, long-lasting pieces made from recycled kantha and sari silks, helping to reduce textile waste and celebrate slow fashion. Each garment is made through ethical production that supports skilled artisans in India, ensuring fair working conditions and preserving traditional craftsmanship. We also keep our packaging minimal and eco-friendly, so every part of your order reflects our care for people and the planet.
Q: What does Renew Vintage do in the office to stay sustainable?
A: Behind the scenes at Kantha HQ, we do our best to make sustainable choices every day. We use packaging materials that are made from recycled paper and are all recyclable, print as little as possible (as well as reusing paper), and choose eco-friendly options whenever we can. Our thank-you cards are printed on recycled paper, and we repurpose fabric scraps for tying orders and patching clothing instead of sending them to landfill. We use water-based tape for our orders, print on compostable shipping labels, and have worked with our partners in India to ensure no garments come individually packed in plastic garment bags (this is a huge source of plastic waste common in the fashion industry - even with other ethical brands).
On a personal level our team cares about our impact on the earth, and incorporates sustainability practices into our daily ways of life. We bring our own reusable coffee cups to work, bring our own lunches and of course, are joyful outfit repeaters! There is very little office waste, and we are very proud of that. You can read a little more about our sustainability efforts on our Waste Not, Want Not page of the site.
Shopping the Site
Q: How often do you restock your collections?
A: We release kantha and silk pieces weekly, including one-of-a-kind items and curated collections. We release each drop on the same days and at the same times each week, so you’ll always know when to shop our latest arrivals.
Tuesdays at 10.30am AEST: You'll catch us releasing mini restocks of community favourites (you'll also be able to see sneak peak photos of pieces from the Thursday drop on our Instagram stories these days).
Thursdays at 10.30am AEST and 4pm AEST: Bigger restocks and new item launches happen each Thursday, with a second smaller drop releasing later in the day.
If you feel overwhelmed by shopping at drop times that's totally fine, we get it! We prioritise making sure that there are always plenty of gorgeous items still left on the site so that you can relax with a cup of tea and peruse the new arrivals page at your leisure.
Q: How do I know what the drop times are in my country?
A: All drop times are listed in Australian Eastern Standard Time, or AEST (not to be confused with AEDT where they partake in daylight savings time, you want Queensland time). To make it easy, we recommend checking the time difference for your location or setting a reminder. Follow us on Instagram and subscribe to our newsletter for drop alerts and updates wherever you are in the world. You can also opt to use a time converter to make sure you're on the right track - we like this one.
Q: How do I edit my order?
A: Once an order is placed, you will have a 15-minute window in which to edit your order through our order editing app. Once the 15 minutes has passed, we can no longer change your order for reasons like change of mind or incorrect size. Please be sure to make any changes to your items or addresses in this time! You can find the 'edit my order' button on the order confirmation page after checking out, or in the order confirmation email you are sent right after you place your order (if you can't see it, check your spam folder).
Q: What payment methods do you take?
A: We accept major credit and debit cards, PayPal, Afterpay and Apple Pay. All payments are processed securely to keep your information safe.
Q: Can I have a discount?
A: We occasionally offer promotions and sales. The best way to stay in the loop is by subscribing to our newsletter and following us on social media for updates on special offers.
Some of the regular discounts you can take advantage of include 5% off using an affiliate link or code from one of our brand ambassadors, 10% off your first order by subscribing to our mailing list, 10% off for posting a review of your order with a photo and varying discounts in our Secret Sale at the end of every month.
One thing that makes us stand out from other brands is that we don't inflate our pricing in order to run constant sales and offer huge discounts. We charge our customers a fair rate all the time, and offer small discounts where we can. This means we can still provide the highest quality garments possible while supporting our partners in India, paying them living wages so they can support their families.
Q: What is the Secret Sale?
A: The Secret Sale is held on the last 24 hours (AEST) of each month. We switch up our sale each month, but it can look like a % off your order, free worldwide shipping or first dibs on new collections. To recieve your exclusive link and be notified of when the sale starts be sure you are subscribed to our mailing list. There is a countdown timer at the top of every Secret Sale email that lets you know how long you have left to shop the sale. If the timer has run out, the sale is over. We cannot extend the sale for those who miss the emails, but you can always catch it next month!
Q: Can you pick an item for me?
A: While we don’t offer personal styling services, we love showing you lots of inspiration and images of how we style our Renew Vintage pieces on our Instagram and in our community group on Facebook so that you can get a feel for the types of patterns and styles you might like for yourself.
Q: Can you make me a custom piece?
A: All our kantha and silk clothing is handmade from recycled fabrics, making each piece unique. Unfortunately, we don’t create bespoke pieces at this time, but every item in our collections is one-of-a-kind.
Q: Can I have a specific piece from a photo I saw online?
A: Our pieces are unique and often sold quickly. We can’t guarantee the availability of a specific item from a previous photo, but we encourage you to check our website and new arrivals regularly to find a piece you’ll love.
Q: What colour is this garment?
A: We aim to show colours as accurately as possible by keeping photo editing to a minimum. That said, the exact appearance of colours can vary depending on your device, including phones, tablets, or computers, and factors like screen brightness, contrast, and display calibration. Our goal is for the colours you see online to closely match the garment in real life. We always encourage you to take your time when deciding on a piece, to make sure that the colour is right for you as we don't offer returns for reasons like change of mind.
Returns & Exchanges
Q: What is your returns policy?
A: Because every piece at Renew Vintage is one-of-a-kind, all sales are final. Returns and exchanges are assessed on a case-by-case basis, and will be subject to a 15% restocking fee based on the purchase value. Original shipping charges are non-refundable.
If your order arrives and you believe it has a fault that affects its wearability, email us within 3 days with your order number, a description of the issue, and clear photos. Our team will review and get back to you.
You can read more about our returns policy on our Returns and Exchanges page.
Q: What if I change my mind?
A: Since all our pieces are unique and all sales are considered final, we generally cannot accept returns for change of mind. We always encourage everyone to check the listing carefully and take their time deciding on an item before ordering - we want you to love what you pick!
Q: Can I cancel my order?
A: We generally do not allow order cancellations for reasons such as a change of mind, swapping items, or changing the payment method. Cancelling orders incurs non-refundable transaction fees from Shopify and payment providers. To cover these costs and the time spent processing cancellations, a 10% cancellation fee applies if we are able to cancel an order. We encourage customers to review their cart carefully before completing checkout to avoid the need for cancellations.
Q: What if I’ve picked the wrong size?
A: Please check all measurements carefully before purchasing. We recommend comparing the listed measurements against a similar piece of clothing rather than your body. Phone measuring apps work well if you don’t have a tape measure handy. If a sizing issue is due to an error on our side we will happily work with you to resolve it, just email our team at hello@renewvintage.com with your order number, any relevant photos and a description of the sizing issue. You can read more about how we measure on our Will This Fit? page of our website.
Q: Are all pieces perfect?
A: All our kantha and silk clothing is crafted from preloved saris and Indian cottons. This means there may occasionally be small quirks like holes, repairs, loose threads, faint marks, or dye variations. We see these as part of their story, the little details that make each piece perfectly imperfect.
If there is a flaw that we believe could affect the wearability of a garment we will list it in the description and sell that piece at a discount. If you have recieved something with a flaw that you feel should have been noted in the listing, send our team an email to hello@renewvintage.com with images, your order number and a clear description of the fault and we will do our best to help you out. We are only human, and so sometimes things slip through, but make sure you carefully check all images before checking out!
Shipping & Delivery
Q: When will my order be shipped?
A: All orders are carefully packed and shipped from Australia within 2–3 business days. Once your order leaves our HQ, you’ll receive a confirmation email with tracking details so you can follow your parcel’s journey. Please double-check your delivery details to avoid delays, as we cannot be responsible for lost or unclaimed parcels once they enter the postal system.
Q: How long will it take to arrive?
A: Domestic orders within Australia usually take around 5 business days to reach you via Regular Parcel Post. International orders are shipped via Air Mail and generally arrive within 6–10 business days. Occasionally parcels may be delayed by customs or postal services, but we promise these instances are rare.
Q: How can I track my order?
A: Tracking details are provided in your shipping confirmation email. You can also visit the carrier’s website, such as auspost.com.au for domestic parcels, or for international parcels pop the same tracking number into your local postal service once it has reached your country for more specific tracking information. If you can't find your shipping confirmation email, please check your spam folder - sometimes they end up there!
Q: Do you offer Express shipping?
A: Yes! Express Post is available for domestic Australian orders and can be selected at checkout.
Q: How much does shipping cost?
A: Shipping is calculated by weight and location. Australian orders over $200 after discounts qualify for free shipping within Australia. International shipping costs are calculated at checkout and may be subject to duties and taxes.
Q: Will I have to pay duties and taxes?
A: International buyers are responsible for any duties or taxes in their country. For US customers, due to recent law changes, a 25% tariff is included at checkout, and we are currently covering the additional 25% penalty. All parcels are sent DDP (Delivered Duty Paid) so there should be no hidden surprises when your order arrives. If a parcel is returned due to customs refusal, a 20% restocking fee applies, and original shipping costs are non-refundable.
It is important to check your country's duties and taxes information before ordering. These are not fees that we collect, they are collected by the government. Trust us, we wish they weren't a thing either!
Q: What is Shipping Protection?
A: Shipping Protection is an optional add-on at checkout that covers your parcel against loss or theft while in transit. If your order does not arrive safely, you can receive a refund or store credit to find another special piece to love. To make a claim, email hello@renewvintage.com with your order number and tracking info. Claims for domestic orders are investigated within 15 business days, and international orders within 30 business days.
Q: What if my parcel is lost or stolen?
A: If your parcel is lost or stolen and you have paid for Shipping Protection, simply file a claim with us via email including your order and tracking details. We will review the case, investigate with the carrier, and resolve it based on the circumstances. Please note parcels marked as 'Delivered' are assessed individually, and delays due to customs or incorrect addresses are not covered.
If you have not purchased Shipping Protection and are outside of Australia we advise that you lodge an enquiry with your local postal service using the tracking details provided in your order confirmation email. Once a parcel leaves the country there isn't much we can do to track it down, it's best for you to handle it directly. If you are within Australia and have not purchased Shipping Protection you can contact Australia Post directly and lodge an enquiry, and then let us know via email at hello@renewvintage.com.
Q: Can you re-ship my order if it is returned or unclaimed?
A: If an order is returned or unclaimed, re-shipping is the buyer’s responsibility. A 15% restocking fee applies if we cannot re-ship, and original shipping costs are non-refundable.
Need More Help?
Still have questions? Email us anytime at hello@renewvintage.com or follow our Instagram for behind-the-scenes stories, styling ideas and the latest collections.