Fashion Friday!

Get ready to haul out your sewing machine in a heated rush – it’s Fashion Friday time!

Today, your eyeballs will be taken on a journey of inspiration through ladies-wear. But first, we make a pit stop at the thrift-store and load up on some despondent duds and garish garments.

Like, for instance, this green poppy dress. Features included an ill-advised turtleneck and enough fabric to stop a bullet. Or a lustful gaze.

 

But Jillian reworked it into a button down mini-dress with three-quarter sleeves, and she looks so adorable! That poppy print is actually super cute in small doses.

See it on her blog ReFashionista.

 

Next up, you’ll never guess where Jillian picked up this XXXL Hawaiian shirt, unless you guessed Hawaii, but you didn’t because that would have been too obvious, and you’re smart like that but I guess not smart enough, because she actually did get this in Hawaii.

That’s right, she didn’t take a break from refashioning even though she was vacationing in paradise, and turned her thrift-store find into …

 

A Hawaiian print dress! She’s all set for a luau on the beach. Check out how she did it (no-sew!) right here: ReFashionista.

 

 

And here’s more Hawaiian hi-jinks, this time from Angela at Gallimaufry Grove who took a shapeless shift and turned into …

A form-flattering tunic! Again, the print is much easier to handle on a smaller scale.  I mean, I love a hibiscus as much as the next guy, but that was hibiscmuch. But what I love most about this makeover is that it seems so simple to recreate. If you are wanting to try some refashioning too, but don’t know where to start, why not try out something like this?

Angela says “I make my fitting decisions by finding a top that fits well and is in a similar fabric – that gives me a basic idea of size.  I lay the top over the refashion project and cut around the top, leaving generous seam allowances.  Then I do several fittings as I sew, to tweak the fit as I go.  Basically, if you own a shirt that fits, a sewing machine, and you know how to sew a straight line, you can refashion.  The hard work (sleeve-setting, zippers, buttons, etc.) is already done for you.  And at $0.71 (the price I paid for each item in my most recent thrift-store run), it doesn’t really matter if you mess it up, so there is no pressure.”

Give it a shot!

And for those more advanced seamstresses, here’s a slightly more complicated tunic that started out in life looking like something your mom probably wore to (chaperone) prom.

 

 

 

But now it looks half its age!  Step one – remove shoulder pads ASAP. Steps 2: learn more at at Gallimaufry Grove. (Side note: What if shoulder pads make a comeback? I’m sure they will. Everything always does.  Have they already made a comeback? Are all the hip kids wearing them and I’m the last one to know? Should I preemptively start wearing them so I can be ahead of the trend? These are the questions that keep me up at night).

 

Let’s check back in with Jillian who has a knack for finding the wackiest clothes any thrift-store has to offer. A knack for wack. A wacky knack. Anyway, what is going on here?! I guess someone decided that the floral floorlength dress needed more flair, thus the red swath of material all the way to the knee and that ruffled collar were born.

And died! Jillian cut their lives short and now this old dress has just the right amount of quirk and attitude. See more at ReFashionista.

 

Ok, last one from Angela, and I think this one is my personal favorite.  Before: denim jumper. “Denim Jumper” are possibly the two saddest words, right behind “What party?”  And this sad thing was very dull and drab.  Looks like something you might clean the house in.

Oh, but hey! With a massive trim and a dip in dye, it’s totally date-night worthy. I would wear the heck out of that, heck yes I would.

Great job Angela! See the how-to on her blog Gallimaufry Grove.