The trouble with being a fashion lover, is that often you want clothes, but can’t feasibly afford them. Waiting for them to become a sale item, or learning how to make the clothes already owned appealing is a task. Wearing the same clothes over and over doesn’t have to be boring though, because you can customise them so they appear to be a brand new item.
Customising clothes is supposed to be about having fun and expressing yourself through a creative outlet. It allows you to show the world who you are through your clothing choices. And the best part is, it’s incredibly simple to do so, so long as you’ve taken the time to practise on clothes from thrift shops, before putting needle and thread to items you bought from the M&S Women section of the popular UK department store. The trick is to not start too ambitiously. Try the ideas below.
Buttons
A fresh set of buttons is sometimes all it takes to bring a three year old blouse up to date. Sew some gorgeous new buttons in place of the old ones (they may have fallen off already anyway). thrift shops will often have an assortment available for little cost, or you can enter a crafts or fabric store. Just make sure the thread starts from the inside, so if you make a mess of the stitching, it’ll be hidden.
Ribbon
Adding ribbon to the straps of a basic dress, gives your outfit personality. Or better yet, the ribbon can become the straps on a once strapless dress you wish to modify. Ribbon is perfect to add detail to cuffs, collars, necklines and even pockets. Practise your straight stitching using a sewing machine, before trying this on your wearable clothes.
Mix and match
You can make an older outfit appear new by changing the role of a piece of fabric. For example, you can take the ribbon which wraps around your waist on a dress, and use it to create a one shoulder strap. Perhaps an old scarf can become a belt for your old and tired jeans. Or take a Jewelled elastic bracelet and use it to tie your hair up, instead of a basic band. Broaches can become parts of a belt, buttons can be used as decoration rather than function etc.
There’s so much you can do. Be creative.