Creative Clothes

[forHISglory]

Here's a little creative-thinking exercise.

1. Think about the clothes in your closet.

2. Choose one garment (shirt, pants, skirt, dress, etc.) that fits and is in good condition. Doesn't matter if it is out of style, but must be wearable.

3. Now think of an entirely different way to wear it or pair it. Maybe mix up some colors? Try a belt or scarf with it? Combine some patterns? Layer some texture? Add some vintage touches with old jewelry?

4. Now tell us what you came up with.

Here's mine: I have a dark green circular velvet skirt. I decided to try it as sort of a cape. I wore it with a long black skirt and white top. The skirt opening was a zipper, which I removed. I wore it with the opening in the front, under my chin, and put an old brooch there to hold it. The length of the skirt came down just past my waist, and it really functioned very well as a cape for Christmas!!!

[Cricketlegs]

I've been redoing my wardrobe recently. I have removed the lower rise jeans and am now going for a higher waste slack type pant with a sweater, jacket, and matching jewelry.

Most is coming from Hopes Closet and name brand nice stuff. I have added slacks in gray, black, tan and a soft almost plum color. I added sweaters in cranberry, black, tan, purple,sapphire,and lime green. I then added a red jacket, a lime jacket and tanish jacket. I have added scarves and jewelry. Also, I added a tan and brown stole and I am about to make me a capelet. I already had a few pairs of jeans that fit and an assortment of tops and shoes. I try to only buy new colors and keep only one outfit in each color but they can be paired with others to keep it fresh.

My old style was to young for me (41) and my "muffin Top" was looking like a "Bunt cake" lol ahhhhhhh!

The higher pants make that go away and the longer sleeker tops add height as well as the longer looser pant leg and heels. I just look thinner and more stylish. The jewelry grabs the eye and I enjoy making it to boot!

[many houseapes]

I did this for my 9 yr old dd....she had torn holes in the knees of her jeans, so I cut the jean legs off about 2" lower than the back pockets. Then I took a pretty skirt that I cut off of a dress that was given to us & sewed it to what was left of the jeans. Now dd has a very pretty skirt that has become a favorite part of her wardrobe

With the jean legs, I gleaned the best material from the back of the legs & that became part of a jean tote..the front of the legs went into the ragbag....as did the bodice of the dress that I cut the skirt from.

[Catherine]

Huh! I've even dressed such a mixed suit. My old skirt, a T-shirt and new beads... I've done a little veiled hat. So I've got a nice suit of 60s))) We've done a nice party with friends. It was amazing

[nuisance26]

~This week I took some built-in-bra tank tops and cut the bra out of them. I never wore the tanks because they were too short. The bra inserts look like a layered tank under v-necks but don't add the bulk. Love 'em!~

[Ramona]

Here's one: I bought a denim dress on ebay for less than $10. The fit was a little tight and it buttons all the way down the front. The denim is heavy enough and the sleeves are three quarter length so that I now have a new denim coat for spring and fall weather. It's a nice touch that there's small roses on the front in pink and blue and green beading.

[Imarachne]

I took a dressy top I got at Goodwill and added some decorative country style buttons to it and removed some of the frills and I love it !!

[forHISglory]

What awesome ideas!

[shoiji]

I took a wrap around sweater and removed the ties that wrap around your waist. Now I have a nice sweater that drapes in the front.

[valerian]

Ds had a store-bought, knitted cap that our puppy chewed on each side of the brim. A friend had given it to ds and he was very unhappy with our dog. I had saved a favorite, long-sleeved, band shirt that ds had ripped thinking that I'd use some parts of it for something else for him one day. Well, today was the day. I sewed up the chewed areas as best that I could and used small pieces of the shirt to make patches to cover those areas and then I took the band's name which was in small letters and made a patch from that and sewed it to the back of the cap in the center. It came out so cool! Now ds has the cap he loved, but it's also custom-decorated. Tomorrow is his birthday and I'm going to surprise him with it.

[larabelle]

I love denim jumpers and find them for less than $5.00 each at my local thrifty. I wear them to death. Anyway one of my favorite denim jumpers which I had worn and washed until it was really unacceptable to wear ...as it was so faded. I thought about just keeping it to do housework in....and then I had an idea.
I got a box of navy rit dye for less than $2.00 and I dyed it. I also removed the old buttons and replaced them with buttons from my stash. It looks great!!! Now I have a like new jumper for only $2.00!!!

[Nana2two]

Back in the 80's the Jean top skirt was popular.Don't find them anymore. So easy to make. Old Jeans and a skirt. Cut off the legs and crotch take the elastic out of the skirt and and sew to the old half of jeans.Starting to see them in Handmade Boutique places.

[lyra]

Great ideas here. I decide to never enter a clothing shop before planning what I want to buy, and keep my wardrobe in monochrome colors, so it's easy for mix and match.

[Imarachne]

Sometimes replacing buttons is the very thing to change the look of stuff. Using a limited color range and using accents help too for me.