Connie Swartz of Kansas City has recently launched Celebrate Fatigues to honor the service of the country’s active military and veterans.
Celebrate Fatigues provides a respectful and dignified way to dispose of previously-used or unused veteran fatigues by repurposing them into handy accessories.
“My idea was, ‘Let’s resurrect these and make things out of them that people can enjoy and also feel that they’re showing honor in remembering to the people who wore them,'” Swartz said.
The accessories include purses, backpacks, scrunchies, dog scarfs, luggage tags, and even face masks.
Some of the first uniforms for her initial product line came from her husband, 1st Lt. Barry Morris, who served in the Army Security Agency in Turkey during the Vietnam War era.
“At least I know that someone is able to use it and somewhere along the line, someone is giving recognition to the service that not only I, but many people who served in the Armed Forces, gave,” Morris said.
A few veterans at Kansas City’s St. Michael’s Veterans Center volunteered to deconstruct the uniforms and have them ready for their next line of duty.
Non-profit organization, Sewing Labs, is currently recruiting people to sew the new uniform products together. Swartz said she aims to spread military pride throughout the US through this initiative.
“It’s a unified force in our country,” she said. “We don’t have many of those right now, and this, to me, is a unified force that everybody can put their fingers and hands-on.”
All the proceeds from purchases made will be used to make more of these products.
