I have long made a pact with my frugal friends; we will never buy new clothing again outside of intimate wear and shoes of course. We will always buy vintage. Today I spent a couple of relaxing hours with one of my close friends who really knows her way around a sewing machine. For the record, I can manage a needle and some basic repairs, but a sewing machine might as well be like flying a UFO to me. I have not a clue. So, for the price (gift really) of a coke-whiskey cake, we did some work on some of the more recent vintage treasures I’d picked up.
Some helpful hints and highlights:
● Try it On. I snapped up a silk men’s vest that I thought was going to need alternations because I didn’t realize had a small belt in the back to make adjustments. I didn’t even need to have it altered as a result.
● Run with Scissors. Today we cut up a couple of items including a sequined stretchy dress that would have been perfect for a bachelorette weekend of debauchery in Las Vegas. It wasn’t a fit for my lifestyle, but I have been wanting a sequined top, so we cut the bottom off the dress and then made a top AND a pillow. Yes, a pillow. We have extra stuffing from the next project and one of my grandkids loves bling in her bedroom decor, so we made the bottom half of the dress into a sparkly pillow for her room. The sequin top I can layer or wear alone. We also cut up an inexpensive black sweater that we turned into a shell. I have plenty of expensive, cashmere black sweater tops but I wanted a basic black shell. Mere minutes with the scissors and some quick stitching netted a new shell and a sparkly top.
● Think Outside the (Fabric) Box. I chanced upon some gorgeous flamingo patterned napkins recently. The fabric was very expensive and the napkins generously oversized. We turned them into decorative pillows by using stuffing from some thrifted pillows that literally cost a couple of dollars. The old pillows were literally chosen for their stuffing, and the new flamingo pillows are perfectly chic and quirky for my cottage core guestroom. You can also find lace for use in many vintage clothing projects by buying old table runners, tablecloths or clothing. Odd clothing made of interesting fabric can be made into cool scarves and fabric belts. Again, think outside the box and see the fabric for future possibilities, not what it currently is.
● Size is Relative. Think about the men’s vest I recently bought that ended up fitting because of the little belt in the back. Also, buy big so you can have things cut down to size. I found a really cool skirt for my granddaughter, but it was way too big. My sew-savvy friend quickly figured out we could cut two tiny slits in the waistband and snake a leather cord through so she can adjust the size to make it fit. Elastic can work wonders as well.
● Raid the Men’s Racks. Men’s clothing is frequently made better, classically styled and constructed of expensive fabrics. Men’s suits in particular are much better made than most women’s jackets and suits. For less than $10 you can often update your wardrobe with a new jacket and for very little. If you can sew or have a friend that does, grab the matching pants and make them into chic shorts.
● Thrift Stores have Sales too. Our local thrift store occasionally holds sales that allow the buyer to fill up a large grocery bag full of clothing for $20 and sometimes even for $10. That’s when I buy some of the ugliest and biggest ball gowns for the fabric if nothing else. My sew-happy granddaughters love those ballgowns because they get to be creative, don’t worry about making mistakes and can try out different fabrics for various projects. Bonus points if there is beading or special embellishments on those old gowns that we can save for some other projects.
● Hunt Vintage for Classic Accessories. Leather belts, men’s silk ties, scarves and funky jewelry can all be found at charity and thrift shops for a song. My sew-savvy friend has a particularly envious talent for finding funky, vintage jewelry that I could never spot.
● Special Occasion Shouldn’t Break the Bank. Seek out vintage and thrift stores for one-time or special occasion clothing. For an annual charity event or holiday cocktail party, you are only going to wear that pricy outfit once or twice so seek out vintage options first.
● If the Shoe Fits. Sometimes you can get brand new, never used shoes at thrift stores and in that case, I say go for it. Also, if you need some footwear that is for a special occasion or strictly for fun, you can afford to go vintage as well. I found a frankly amazing pair of snakeskin pink boots in a size ten which one of my granddaughters called dibs on. She wants to paint them red, but she’s done this to other shoes and she is the one who knows fashion the best, so the boots are hers for sure.
● Dye is Your Friend. I needed a fishnet top. I know, doesn’t sound like me but we are doing vintage Madonna for Halloween and thus I needed a fishnet top to wear over a black tank top. The tank was easy, $3 from the local Goodwill. The fishnet over-top? Harder to find but again, I thought outside the box. I found a men’s sport top that was mostly fishnet in construction, but it is dark green not black. I have black dye to change the color so not a problem at all and it only cost a few dollars.
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