Remake: Metallic Brocade Dress

Hey friends! It's been a VERY long time since my last post and I apologize profusely for the delay. I've been hard at work on a brand new site that will be launching in about two weeks! Eeeeeeee!!!! I couldn't be more excited to share it with you. It's been many months in the making and it's almost ready to reveal. There's going to be a lot of what you've seen on NDAD since 2009, however there's going to be lots of new stuff too. It's a new year and time for a bit of a refresh, you know?

I'll share more about everything as we get closer...lots of amazing little treats are in store for you in less than a month. Wooooooooo!!

Today's remake is one of my most FAVORITE pieces I've worked on in a while. It involves metallics... *mic drop.

Check this lovely out...

New Dress A Day - Metallic Dress

New Dress A Day - Metallic Dress

A neighbor of mine has an incredible vintage collection and has been having sales to downsize her racks of goodies. I hopped on this dress as soon as I tried it on.

New Dress A Day - Metallic Dress

New Dress A Day - Metallic Dress

It was $10, so the beaded neck, heavy brocade, and metallic threads came home with me.

New Dress A Day - Metallic Dress

New Dress A Day - Metallic Dress

So did those robot moves which shockingly must have come with the dress!!

New Dress A Day - Metallic Dress

New Dress A Day - Metallic Dress

I had a segment on GMA to plan for and I thought this piece would be the perfect on-camera look! There was a LOT of work to be done, however...

When I first tried the dress on, it was so much heavier than I expected. I thought, how could someone actually wear this all night as a dress? It didn't seem feasible in my mind. So that thought really helped solidify what I was going to make.

New Dress A Day - Metallic Dress

New Dress A Day - Metallic Dress

I began with that zipper down the back and started to remove it.

New Dress A Day - Metallic Dress

New Dress A Day - Metallic Dress

I won't need it to keep the dress together anymore because I'm turning it into a coat! Flipping the puppy around and wearing that back as the front!

New Dress A Day - Metallic Dress

New Dress A Day - Metallic Dress

Once the zipper was removed, I continued to open the center seam down the back of the jacket until I hit the hem. This seam was located directly under the zipper, right around the hip area.

New Dress A Day - Metallic Dress

New Dress A Day - Metallic Dress

Once the back was completely open, I tried the jacket on to see progress. I was actually envisioning keeping it as a long coat, however it felt way too dramatic, like the metallic version of Joseph and the Technicolor Dreamcoat! I know I was going to be shooting my segment on Broadway, but this was a bit too literal. 😂😂😂

New Dress A Day - Metallic Dress

New Dress A Day - Metallic Dress

I decided to go a bit shorter with the length - something that would hit around the knees.

New Dress A Day - Metallic Dress

New Dress A Day - Metallic Dress

I did a little post-cut/post-pin check in to see how the jacket was coming along. Once I saw the new length, I was totally sold and ready to move on and complete it. (PS, this was all going down in the hotel room across the street from the studio! You can see my opened suitcase and mess in the background.)

New Dress A Day - Metallic Dress

New Dress A Day - Metallic Dress

I spent the next few hours working some magic on the coat including a whole lot of hand stitching before heading to set at 5am.

New Dress A Day - Metallic Dress

New Dress A Day - Metallic Dress

It was showtime, and my jacket was totally ready to go!

New Dress A Day - Metallic Dress

New Dress A Day - Metallic Dress

NY wasn't as cold when this was shot as it is now, so the jacket was the perfect thing to wear without any crazy layers or scarf action.

New Dress A Day - Metallic Dress

New Dress A Day - Metallic Dress

If you want to see the whole segment on winter hacks, click here!

I was a bit hesitant to return the mic because I had such a great time. Hey GMA, need another correspondent??

New Dress A Day - Metallic Dress

New Dress A Day - Metallic Dress

This piece totally screams winter - winter whites and metallic are my fave - and the perfect seasonal piece for me here on the West Coast.

New Dress A Day - Metallic Dress

New Dress A Day - Metallic Dress

I'm tank toppin' it because it's in the 60s right now, otherwise I'd be in a turtleneck sweater, for SURE!

New Dress A Day - Metallic Dress

New Dress A Day - Metallic Dress

I must say, every time I look at the embellished neck close up, I get super excited. That was one of the first things that drew me to the piece. The beadwork and rhinestones were in perfect condition.

New Dress A Day - Metallic Dress

New Dress A Day - Metallic Dress

It's like I got a free necklace with this frock!

The more I wear the jacket, the more I've been finding out that it doesn't matter what I'm wearing underneath!! Old T shirts, workout gear...I can basically wear anything and the only thing that's focused on is the jacket.

New Dress A Day - Metallic Dress

New Dress A Day - Metallic Dress

That's a total score in my book!

Marisa Lynch

Marisa Lynch is a published author and blogger who loves to craft, upcycle, and play dress up in vintage gear!