Sheltersuits keep out the cold

Sheltersuits keep out the cold

If Dutch fashion designer Bas Timmer has his way, homeless people in SA could soon be sleeping cosily in a designer ‘shelter suit’ made from upcycled and recycled materials. Timmer said he was working on a winter clothing range when he heard that his father’s friend, who had been rendered homeless, had died of hypothermia while waiting for a shelter to open. Distressed, Timmer vowed to come up with a solution to protect the homeless from extreme cold, and the Sheltersuit was born. Timmer said he was on a mission to share his Sheltersuits far and wide and would launch Sheltersuit SA this year. Sheltersuits are made by volunteers, formerly homeless people, refugees and the unemployed, with some of the workers receiving payment.