Now that the groundhog's been outed and the big game's over, time to think a strategy for spring fashion with this year's buzz word which happened to be last year's, too: cheap.
I recently hunted the thrift store racks for a garment suitable for refashioning into a hip new one. Like Project Runway's potato sack makeover, lots of crafty designers are expressing their fashion sense by making new clothes out of old ones.I set a $10 limit for my thrift garment and found that was way too high for the Unique Thrift on half-price Monday. I chose a shirt from the long rack of men's button downs. The one I bought, with horizontal blue stripes and a plain button front, cost me half off of $4.99.
At home, I made a sketch of how I wanted to remake the shirt, then promptly abandoned it once I realized I should try for a top I'd actually dare to be seen in public wearing. Project Runway designers, how do you do it? I once sewed clothes nonstop, but now was out of practice.
I started by deconstructing the sleeves. By pinning and cutting, I
constructed armholes to fit the female form. I ironed and stitched them
by machine.Next, I cut the off the front and back shirt tail at a level just
below the waist. I cut and sewed these dissected pieces - the sleeves
and tail - into one long strip.
Folding it as I ironed, I pleated it
into two front sections and two for the back.
By machine I sewed the pleated pieces to the bottom edge of the shirt, making it dip slightly in the back.
In the gallery below are more examples of eco chic fashion where used clothing has been remade into new things to wear.
Filed under: DIY projects
