September 20, 2015

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Outfit Remakes

Remake: Pink Striped 90s Maternity Dress

September 20, 2015

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Outfit Remakes

New Dress A Day - 90s Striped Maternity Dress

I've got four words for you. This. Dress. You. Guys.

Loved the pink and white striping, but just wasn't as into the shape or style.

It was straight 90s, yo! It was also a maternity dress, once I looked at the label. I thought a little tweaking could come to fruition to make this the perfect dress to wear during the September heat wave of Los Angeles.

I mean it's just waiting for some TLC. TLC, I'm a-coming for you!

To start off, I did some serious trimming. SERIOUS.

Goodbye sleeves! Goodbye collar!

I created a little sweetheart neckline as well, pinning under the fabric once I trimmed off the top portion of the dress.

With my new neckline pinned, it was time to stitch it in place and take the bodice in about six inches to make it fit me.

With the new seams stitched and dress taken in to fit, I trimmed the excess fabric with my pinking shears...

...to give the new edges a zig zag trim to help with fraying.

Now it was time for straps! I pulled a few trim options...

...and pinned and stitched in place.

For extra waist cinching, I added one of my newest vintage belt additions and was ready for the hot, California afternoon.

It's my summer candy striper look!

I paired my dress with black & white Report flats and a strawberry LeSportsac purse to contrast with the super pastel color palette from my remake.

Cotton dress to stay cool in during 90 degree weather, check!

The 90s are coming back, however I don't think the original dress would have made that cut.

Kind of obsessed with this before and after!

One gal's maternity dress is another gal's new September Summer OOTD.

I'll take it!

August 9, 2015

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Outfit Remakes

Remake: Ivory Romper

August 9, 2015

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Outfit Remakes

You. Guys. I was working in Orange County last month with I Love to Create and Joann's getting my tie dye on with shoppers, and I stopped at a sample sale on the way home.

First thing's first. I LOVE myself a sample sale. It's the one place where you can get your hands on more expensive branded gear for wayyyyyyy less than retail. This sale was at the Dainty Hooligan warehouse in Anaheim and I took advantage of the $1 bin that housed a ton of "damaged" items! I'm going to show you all the pieces I scored for a buck this week that I transformed into new, non-"damaged" items that look like they came right off the rack!

First piece I scored, this fab romper:

Romper - Dainty Hooligan - New Dress A Day

I couldn't find the exact one on the site, however I found something similar for $42.50.

So, I'd say I got a steal! But, the downside was that there were spots EVERYWHERE!

There's a spot...

...and there's a spot...

...and there's another few spots!!

So, what do you do when you're stuck with a slew of spots on an ivory romper???

You know what to do. When in doubt, DYE IT OUT!

Keep reading to find out what color I went with...

Into a bath of glorious dye this romper went! After a quick roll in the dryer, my romper was a gorg shade of cornflower blue!!

What I should have planned for was a bit of shrinkage even drying my new piece on low. So, note to self...air dry when there are no tags on a romper from a sample sale.

I LOVED the color!

Look how fab the crochet trim turned out too!

My shoes were a steal of a score at Goodwill in Austin. Brand new Juicy Couture for $6.99. Holler!

The before and after action below:

Because it was a little too short to wear out, I shot these lovely pics at home without worrying about flashing people in public. However, tomorrow...see how I made it public facing!

Check out the easiest little fix for when you end up shrinking your garments in 24 hours.

February 15, 2015

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Outfit Remakes

Remake: Tweed Dress with Buttons

February 15, 2015

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Outfit Remakes

This tweed dress remake was one of my favorites from last year! It's President's Day, so this tweed look felt a bit Washington to me - perfect thing to re-post for today! My sewing machine has come out of the moving boxes, so it's back to the grind! You'll see what I've been working on this week. I hope those of you who have off today enjoy an extra bit of R&R, Three day weekends are always a treat!

I've had this tweed dress for a while but just haven't been inspired to do anything with it. Do you guys ever feel that way about things - you either have errands, projects, or tasks to complete and you just can't motivate to get 'em done? I feel that way about many things (I have a bag of clothes in my trunk that need to be dropped off at the dry cleaners, yet they've been there since Thanksgiving...) and this dress has been one that I've just been staring at.

It's still way warmer here than anywhere else in the country (Atlanta, where y'all at right now?? The newscasts have been comparing your city to The Walking Dead. Just stay safe and beware of those zombies, k!!) but a chill in air has started to make way. Today I finally brought out the tweed to make it work.

It's about as close to a winter wardrobe as I'm going to get right now!

In figuring out what kind of piece I'd actually enjoy wearing, I came to the conclusion that this would only need a few adjustments. First off, cutting it a little shorter. I used the bottom button as my guide and trimmed right underneath it.

I love the fabric leftover! I'm thinking about something fabulous that I want to turn this into. (Stay tuned!!)

Once I trimmed the bottom, I prepped the raw edges to be hemmed. The bottom button/buttonhole were folded under and I used those as my guides to make my way 'round. It was going to be the perfect length to hit right above the knee!

It was a smidge too big, so I took in a little over an inch - I didn't want it to be tight, but thought it could benefit from a minor alteration.

I added some tights and boots to my new jumper and I was ready for the day!

I loved the idea of adding a blouse with a big bow peeking through, but because the bow was hidden beneath the buttons, I opened the top two and folded the ends under so the bow was front and center.

I couldn't resist breaking out one of my favorite Goodwill Outlet (in Queens!) finds as well, a vintage black briefcase. It was perfect to tote around my laptop in!