Today's piece comes from my southern belle Amber in Independence, Kentucky! I thought it was fitting as this weekend was the Kentucky Derby and Animal Kingdom took it home!!

Here's what she said...

"I am lucky enough to live by a GAP Clearance Store (even cheaper than Gap Outlet or thrift stores!) this is my go to shop as many things just need buttons replaced or small tears repaired. I found a Banana Republic Silk dress, but it was way too big and it had these stains/spots all over it.

Let's see what she did to make it Derby-worthy!

I LOVED the fabric and couldn't leave without it. I had to get it dry cleaned to get the spots out, which was more expensive than the dress itself! I loved the neckline and did not change that but I took in the sides a little bit at the top, took in the waist, hemmed it, and also made it an A-line.

I wore it to work with a sweater and pumps a few times but wanted to make it more appropriate to wear for going out so I decided to hem it again. As I am a true southern belle from Kentucky, I wore it to the Kentucky Derby last May. (Here's a photo of me with my dress sipping a signature mint julep! How appropriate!)

The hat I wore was a hand-me-down made by my beautiful cousin Jill that she wore last year to the Derby. She made the rest of the hats seen in the hats photo below ( bought cheap hats and added decor to them).

I also wore the dress a few months later to a college teammate's wedding ( I played soccer in college). I paired it with a vintage blue and gold belt and gold BCBG heels!