Most visitors to Amsterdam's swanky Bijenkorf department store are probably more interested in brands than in anything that came from a rag pile.
But with the help of the Bijenkorf, Dutch designer Harry Puts hopes to change that and in the process raise cash for the homeless, many of whom spend their days milling around outside the store's landmark building in the Dutch capital.
His vision? One-of-a-kind, pret-a-porter clothing stitched together with the help of a stylist from cast-offs donated to his client, the Salvation Army.
"This is about living together in society," Mr Puts, an art director for Dutch advertising and marketing firm Only, told Reuters.
"The idea was to bring different kinds of clothes and cloth together to make unique new parts, as unique as every human being is."
The project makes use of just a fraction of the donated clothing which the Salvation Army, the international Christian charity, cannot use.
Of 11,000 tonnes left annually at its Dutch clothing dumps alone, just 25 per cent can be used to help the needy.
People involved in the programme say that while they are hoping the clothing, sold under the "50/50" label in the Bijenkorf alongside top brands, will bring in money for social projects, that is not the only aim.
Another goal is to raise awareness of issues facing the homeless, who make up a very large part of the roughly 10,000 people in the Netherlands helped by the Salvation Army.
Piet Stigter, director of vintage goods for Salvation Army, was enthusiastic about the programme.
"It is normally very hard for the Salvation Army to get the attention of young people. By launching this clothes line... we can bring them all sorts of messages," he said.
"Half of the profit will go to the Salvation Army (and) money will be used for projects for homeless young people, or drug addicts, especially young ones. So the money will come back to young people again and again."
While Mr Puts is not a professional fashion designer, he is hopeful that the clothes, which hit the shelves on November 1, will appeal to young shoppers.
"I think it can be successful because of the whole trend in vintage clothing, people are looking for unique things and all our clothes are unique. No two pieces are the same," he said.
The bright and bohemian results of his labours found an enthusiastic audience when they were presented at a fashion show at the Bijenkorf in October.
The show included skirts sewn from curtains, trousers pieced together from worn dungarees and old dress shirts, and belts and handbags made from woollen blankets.
The clothes - for obvious reasons - are an amalgamation of colours and style but common themes run through the whole line.
They have a decidedly retro flair reminiscent of Woodstock and similar to much of what has hit the catwalks in fashion capitals such as Paris or Milan in recent years.
But they still manage to have a down-to-earth casual feel, not unlike some of what might be found in a jeans and jersey shop like the GAP or Benetton.
Prices vary from €30 ($35) for a pair of gloves to more than €100 for a coat.
Every product will be sold with a flyer attached to it carrying the Salvation Army's message - that all people need each other and nobody should be excluded from society.
Salvation Army spokeswoman Trix Kruisinga said that was perhaps the most important part of the whole 50/50 programme.
"It is a creative manner of communicating with younger people and passing on the message that they must care for each other," she said.
If the clothing line is successful, it could lead to a whole range of other products, Mr Puts added.
"We are broadening our view on all kinds of materials that are brought in to the depots," he said.
"We are thinking of sawing up a chair to see if we can combine chairs or tables or whatever. The designs are all improvised and we will see if perhaps we can get some nice accidents between benches and tables. We will just have to wait and see."