In the movie Pretty in Pink, Molly Ringwold plays a teenage girl who stands out from the crowd, not just because she is from the poor side of town, but because of her atypical style and fashion sense. Pretty in pink is what she becomes when she takes two very different, pink prom dresses and remakes them into something much more attractive.
We may not all have the ability to do what she does but with a little sewing skill and some creativity, old clothes can be reinvigorated with some simple updates.
Dye clothing – Take something you love that was last year’s hot new color and dye it to match the skirt you just got that is so in this season.
Redesign a skirt – There are a lot of options to make changes to old skirts.
- Cut open a seam and add a strip of contrasting fabric or lace. You can also add fabric where there is a slit.
- Cut open a seam and reclose it using interesting buttons or attractive stitching detail
- Turn a gathered skirt into a wraparound one by opening a side seam and removing the elastic from the waistband. Add ties to a new waistband and you have a new skirt.
- Add lace or a ruffle to the bottom of a skirt.
Raise your hemline – Shorten long pants to below the knee and turn them into capris. Long dresses can also be shortened.
Old t-shirts really lend themselves to redesigning and since they aren’t usually expensive, mistakes aren’t expensive. You can have new graphics printed on your t-shirt. Either take it to a print shop or purchase special paper to make a transfer at home on an inkjet printer. T-shirts also lend themselves to redesigned necklines. You can make the front or back scooped, square or v-shaped with a few snips with a pair of shears.
Adding embellishments such as beads or fabric patches can dress up something simple or help you make a fashion statement with little time and effort.