01/07/2015
NINE GREAT WAYS TO UPDATE HAND ME DOWNS OR VINTAGE CLOTHING
No matter how amazing vintage garments can appear, it’s rare to find a piece that’s 100 percent perfect for you. Often times, you’ll need to make slight adjustments to a vintage garment to achieve the right fit and look for your body. A seamstress can help you design a look just for you.
The next time you browse the racks of vintage or thrift stores, keep an open mind about imperfect pieces. With a little creativity and these easy tips, you can transform a blah throwaway garment into a beautiful statement piece.
1. Change the buttons
If a garment is missing a button, don’t sweat it. Just replace every one with new or vintage buttons that are easy to find online or in fabric stores. If buttons are old or cracked, replacing them with shiny new buttons can immediately modernize the piece.
2. Hem it
Vintage dresses and skirts can be way too long. So don’t shy away from midi-lengths that hit your legs at the calves, because you can always shorten them. It’s super easy and inexpensive to have your local tailor hem it up to your desired length. Same goes for pants and jeans.
3. Add leggings
On the flip side, some vintage dresses, especially the Twiggy micro-mini dresses of the 1960s, can be way, way too short. Wear the dress as a tunic instead with a pair of contemporary leggings that will cover all your bits and show off your amazing ’60s dress.
4. Remove self-belts
Vintage dresses sometimes have self-belts (belts made from the same fabric as the dress) that are often attached to the garment by one or two small pieces of thread on the sides. If the belt is cracked, doesn’t flatter your figure or doesn’t hit your waist in the right spot, carefully detach it from the dress. Adding a contemporary belt can transform the dress and flatter your figure in a way that some vintage self-belts simply can’t.
5. Hide imperfections
Over time, vintage clothing can get unfortunate moth holes or stains that are difficult to repair. Instead of tossing the garment, get creative and hide those imperfections with jeweled brooches, layered necklaces or strategically placed belts or scarves. If you can hand sew, consider covering the imperfection with beads, epaulettes, leather elbow patches, an appliqué of sequins or a patch of fabric.
6. Accessorize your shoes
Some vintage footwear can become faded or look like little-old-lady shoes. Add some modern oomph to your vintage shoes with jeweled shoe clips. Can’t find any shoe clips you like? Search for a pair of vintage clip-on earrings that will firmly clip on to the tops of your shoes.
7. Remove shoulder pads
Many vintage dresses and jackets, especially from the 1980s "Dynasty" era, have sewn-in shoulder pads. Taking out these puffy pads will instantly update the garment. Many shoulder pads are easy to remove with a simple snip of a thread, but some pads live underneath a garment’s lining. If you’re not savvy with a sewing machine, let your local tailor remove the pads for you.
8. Add a faux collar
If you don’t like the collar of a vintage dress or if it’s a bit worn, try wearing a removable faux collar on top of your garment. Many retail shops sell new faux collars of all shapes, sizes and styles like faux fur, beaded, Peter Pan, tuxedo and dress shirt varieties. The best part: there’s no sewing involved, just slip it around your neck. Plus, faux collars can be inexpensive and you can wear them on several other garments. More »
9. Go punk
Have you ever found a great vintage T-shirt or leather jacket, but it had a few holes or tears? Embrace the imperfections by taking a DIY punk approach. Try adding a few more holes so that the garment looks like it was meant to be worn and edgy. Add a few safety pins or studs to get that Johnny Rotten look.
