90's Polka Dot Dress Restyle

It has been far too long since I've shared a restyle. To be honest, I took a mini-break from thrifting because I was really getting bored of it. Don't worry, I am slowly getting my thrifting spirit back. On another note, don't stare at the pattern on the dress too long... you will go cross eyed. Photographing tiny polka dots might be the worst thing ever!

I shared this long 90's dress a while back. When I first grabbed it, I thought it would be the perfect maxi type dress, but upon further investigation (after the thrill of thrifting wore off) I realized it wasn't the right fit or material. Boo... on the form it went so I could come up with ideas. 

I knew I needed to take it in, so I started there and took it in until the waist. Then, I moved on to the length. The slit up the side just wasn't for me, so I hemmed it to the knee. I used my rolled hem foot and it made this task a breeze. When I put the dress back on the form, it had the best shape, but it was missing something. I used the material I cut from the length, and made a removable collar using this pattern. 

Now, it has a classic feel. Take the collar off and it instantly becomes a timeless dress that can be worn with anything. I am thinking I could even wear it over a collared shirt... I love pieces that can be layered. Have you thrifted any pieces that don't fit the idea you had for it? What did you make them into?

Charlie

Thrifted: Lady Like

Anyone else in love with the longer hemlines? After thrifting my first maxi skirt, I am a believer! So much less to worry about, yet still light and breezy. I have already worn the floral 90's maxi(ish) dress twice and I just love it! The polka dot dress is a little more dressy than I thought and it might need a little restyling before I wear it. As for the teal skirt, it has pockets(!) and it fits wonderfully. I know it is more of a fall color, but maybe it can still be worn in the summer too. 

Summer is definitely setting in here in Michigan... finally a few days without rain! Now, to catch up on all the yard work that has been getting rained out. How has your summer been so far?

~Charlie

Button Front Skirt Restyle

I love button front skirts, but for some reason, the ones I find while thrifting are always too big for me. Luckily, they're pretty easy to take in.  I am super excited that I got to keep the belt buckles on this one.  I love the character it gives to the skirt! Ignore the fact that it won't button on the form... that means it fits me perfectly!

How I did it:
1. Put the skirt on inside out and figure out how much you want to take it in on each side. This amount should be equal to keep everything centered.
2. Once you know how much you're taking it in, lay the skirt flat (inside out still) and put a pin at the top, marking that measurement on each side.

3. Go along the side of the skirt, measuring out two inches from the seam all the way down (as pictured above). You will want to keep the shape of the skirt as much as possible.
4. This step is optional: With a pencil or fabric pen, take a yard stick and and connect the pins. I do this to help me see the angle and to make sure it works on both sides. It also helps me keep the seam straight.
5. Sew both sides of your skirt and try it on.
6. When you know the skirt fits, you can trim the excess with pinking sheers or serge it.
7. Hem the skirt to your desired length, and you're done! Just remember to always hem last because taking it in will make it sit differently when you have it on, even if it is just a little bit.

I hope this will inspire you to give things that don't fit a chance at the thrift store! 

~Charlie

Thrifted: Tops

I've been in a bit of a thrifting rut... nothing was catching my eye until I spotted these shirts! I got them for $2.00 a piece and I don't regret it one bit. I am not sure you could find more spring/summer appropriate shirts. I love when you can thrift perfect pieces while in the right season!

How has your thrifting luck been lately?
~Charlie

Strapless Dress Restyle

I have had this dress for a few years and have never worn it. I bought it from Forever 21 while on vacation and didn't try it on. Ooops... live and learn! As you can see, it is just the worst fitting thing, even on the form. An even better reason to never wear it is that the zipper always got stuck while attempting to zip it up. Awesome!

How I did it:

1. Zip the dress all the way down so you can still use the zipper.
2. Seam rip all the way around, including the lining. You will need to cut that zipper at the same point that you rip the seam. (I didn't keep my lining, but you may want to).
3. Fold at the ribbon, pin and sew all the way around. Done!

Since I didn't keep my lining, I knew I would have to wear a slip. I decided to pair it with a vintage slip and let the lace hang out the bottom.

What do you think? What do you have in your closet that you could restyle?
~Charlie

Thrifted: Shorts

Yep, I am going to attempt elastic waist shorts. Laugh if you must, but they're really comfy and I am thinking that if you pair them with a cute blouse you won't even be able to tell. To be honest, I didn't know the yellow tennis skirt was a pair of shorts until I was attempting to put it on the dress form and it wouldn't go... yea, I am really observant! Either way, I like it... a nice bright color for the summer.

I have had the blue khaki shorts for a while. Enjoying them is what made me more confident in thrifting other pairs of shorts. In general, I have a horrible time with shorts... they were always too short, too tight, or had improper rip placements (I would really rather you didn't see my underwear). As you can see, none of these shorts have any of those issues.... they may be a bit dorky, but that is one issue I'm totally okay with!

~Charlie

Thrifted: The 90s

I thrifted both of these pieces in the same trip. I have been having a bit of a dry spell... nothing really catching my eye, but these two pieces did. I cannot wait to wear the polka dot skirt. It fits me perfectly and it is long enough to be maxi style. I don't own anything like it and I have a feeling I am going to wear it way too much. The jean wrap dress has pockets! Any dress with pockets has my name on it and who doesn't love a patterned jean dress?! 

~Charlie

Thrifted: Sweaters

I know I already mentioned it a few posts back, but seriously... be sure to look through the out of season things while thrifting. I found both of theses beauties in with the winter clearance. The pink one can definitely be worn in the spring, but if they want to give me a discount and call it a winter item, that is fine by me! Probably the only bright side to it still being so cold here is the fact that I have a chance to wear sweater number 1. 

~Charlie

Thrifted: Skirts

I found these two beauties over the weekend and I can't wait to hem the mint one for spring!  I also think I need to start selling off some of my wool skirt collection (loads of Pendleton)... I am just not sure of the right way to do it. Should I add them to my Etsy, open a Storenvy, open another Etsy or put them up on here? Anyone have any insight out there?? I would greatly appreciate it!

~Charlie

Thrifted Dress Restyle

I know this dress is a mildly obnoxious pattern. I picked it up thinking that it would be cute when made smaller! I may have been wrong...

This was my first time really using my dress form as a guide and working on it.  It made everything a lot easier and I don't understand why I never did it before (duh!). Using the dress form made it possible to get rid of the bulk from the top half and not need the elastic at the waist anymore. I have never been able to get that right.  I also learned how to use my rolled hem foot and it made it so easy that I'm sad that I feared it for so long.

I couldn't be more excited about the things I learned, even if this dress is less than awesome.  Maybe the fact that it was a little less than awesome freed me from the fears I had about trying these things before.  Even if I never wear it, there's no loss because I learned so much!

~Charlie

Thrifted

Of course I find awesome shoes after writing about how the shoe sections creep me out. I am glad I braved the section because these lovelies have never been worn... and for $9.00, score! I also found the lovely red train case that still has the mirror and the perfect yellow sweater for Spring! Hurry Spring! 

What have you been thrifting?

~Charlie 

Thrifted: Sleeveless

One of the things you can do while thrifting is look for things that are out of season.  I find some of the best things in the off seasons like these sleeveless collared shirts. The two on the left are Gap and I got them for $1.00 each. Top right (brown gingham) is Wrangler and has the best country western accents... score!  Bottom right (vintage Sears) will have to be taken in, but for 50 cents, who could say no?  It is so light and I can't wait to wear it in the summer. I've already worn the three that fit layered under sweaters. I love how much they add to my closet.  I promise, if you thrift for things out of season you won't be disappointed!

What are some of your tricks while thrifting?

~Charlie

Forever 21 Coat Restyle

I recently picked up this coat on sale for a steal at Forever 21 ($6.00).  I liked it a lot, but got annoyed that the buttons didn't line up. Once I removed the buttons (so I could line them up properly), I fell in love with just having one set.  I have also been searching for things to use lace on (thanks to my great grandfather I have literally hundreds of yards of vintage lace trim) and this seemed like the perfect opportunity! After much pinning and fidgeting and pinning some more, it was done. 

 I love embellishing/personalizing things like this!

~Charlie

Thrifted: Dresses

I am in love with the blue patterned dress (1). It fits well, and it can be paired with so many different sweaters and vests. It might be the best .80 cents I've ever spent! I bought the blue uniform-ish dress (2) to experiment with methods of getting yellow stains out.  I got it all clean, but now that it is saved I still doubt I will ever wear it.  The 90's (I think) plaid Gap dress (3) is the best shape and it even has pockets! It is one size too big, so it is in the to-be-altered pile, but I can't wait to wear it!  I thrifted the khaki dress in the summer and it has been in my restyle pile since, but it is growing on me just the way it is. I am thinking it will stay plain... thoughts?

~Charlie

Thrifted: Skirts

I have more skirts then I could ever wear. I mean I do my best, but I have skirts that don't even fit me that I couldn't leave behind at the thrift store. Yes, I know this could be a problem, but they're so pretty! 

-Wool plaid (I am thinking 70's) skirt. The plaid had such pretty colors... blue, purple, gray and pink. I have 2 others in this style and they are so comfy to wear.  

-Pendleton pleated wool skirt! This is the perfect Christmas skirt.  I was trying to figure out how to wear it for this Christmas, but sadly I couldn't come up with a top/sweater combo in time.  Oh well, I will just have to wear it next year!

- Ann Klein gray skirt.  It doesn't happen too often, but I do thrift other things than vintage/handmade and this skirt made the cut.  It fit like a glove and is such a lovely color and texture.

-Pink handmade skirt.  This darling skirt was probably sent to the thrift store because it isn't perfect. The thread used is more red than pink and the zipper needed a bit of fixing, but something about the color (which I hardly wear) made me buy it.  I am thinking it may be a staple in the spring.

Is there anything you just can't leave behind while thrifting?

~Charlie

Can we talk about slips?

I am a lover of slips, and thanks to my mom I have quite the collection.  She was a firm believer in them... always telling me that my dress/skirt was not complete without one (no one wants to see your underwear). I know slips aren't the cool thing to wear anymore, but let's think about all the cool things they do for you:

1. They keep people from seeing your underwear (thanks mom).
2. They get rid of that windowpane look when you're back lit.
3. If it is a windy day and your dress/skirt happens to fly (which has happened to me more times than I would like to admit), people only see your slip... and it's pretty, so who cares!
4. They are a nice blusher if you happen to forget to bend over like a lady.
5. They help combat static cling from tights and unlined dresses/skirts (even some that are lined..why in the world?).

They come in all lengths and styles.  A full slip can even save you from having to wear the tanktop layer, that even when you try to tuck into your tights, will roll up anyways. Also, they look pretty under a sheer top!

You may ask... where can you even find them anymore? I promise you, regular old slips are still available.  Yes, you may have to weed through some shapewear to find the little rack, but it is there in every department store... even Target! If you are a thrifter, you can usually thrift beautiful spotless slips for dirt cheap (yes, I said spotless cause it is kind of an undergarment and spots give me the creeps).  If you are still having a hard time finding them, check Etsy, or if you like to sew, check out this tutorial.

How do you pick the right one? Is this slip too short?  I think it is personal preference, but here is how I do it.  If the dress/skirt is very sheer, I make sure my slip comes within an inch of the hem line.  If it isn't very sheer (like wool), I will often go for my favorite slip that will keep me covered in an embarrassing wind situation (usually a 16'). I pick colors like I pick out what color bra to wear.  For me, it is often nude or black, but you know what colors and fabric hide bright bras... Same goes for slips, unless you would like the contrast look that can be very appealing sometimes.

Okay, my very long and unorganized rant about slips is over.  Yes this is my opinion and no I won't point and laugh at you if you don't wear one... so please don't tell me I am old fashioned or dumb!

~Charlie

Thrifted: Tops

Happy Monday! Hope everyone had a wonderful weekend... I know I did!  Here are a few tops I thrifted recently. I find that tops are the hardest things to find new or thrifted. They're either too short or too boxy... anyone else agree?  

1. A paisley yellow print - I love this blouse even though it is a bit too short to wear with jeans. It is perfect for skirts. 

2. Navy and cream knit - I have yet to wear this one... it is a bit on the long side and I am not sure how to layer it. Thoughts?
3. Polyester zipper back top - This top is so simple, but for some reason caught my eye even though it was stained.  I have a hard time buying stained items, but a little vinegar and Clorox 2 and it is perfect!  I wear this shirt often. It fits like a dream and something about the zipper makes it feel more fancy than a t-shirt (it is all in my head, I know).
4. Floral blouse - This top is handmade and I can't help but feel it was for a costume, but it looks perfect under dresses and sweaters. I love button up shirts!

What have you been thrifting for?
~Charlie

Thrifted: Sweaters

I am sure by now you all know how much I love sweaters. I think the orange sweater is my favorite in the haul... I could wear it everyday! The gray one is almost a tie. It is roomy and easy to wear with lots of layers. The other three I have yet to wear, but I have some ideas.

Have you thrifted anything lately?

~Charlie

Thrifted: Pendleton

I know I may have said before that I wouldn't buy any more Pendleton skirts, but ummm... this happened!  Also, pardon my wrinkles.  

I am in love with the teal skirt... it was hemmed to the perfect length for me. I have already worn it twice! It is so comfy and the weather is perfect for it right now.  I can't wait to take in the gray one just a bit!! I have been in need of a gray wool skirt. Now, here is where I have a problem and am becoming a hoarder. The plaid, red, and purple don't fit me and can't be taken in to fit me.  They were just such good deals and in such great condition that I couldn't help it. 

I also came across my very first Pendleton new-with-tags thrift! 

It is not my size either, but I got so excited that I had to get it (as I said before, I have a problem)! I am not sure if I should re-purpose the wool or attempt to sell them? Thoughts?

~Charlie

Today was for... Hemming

Thanks to my being shorter than your average person, I always have lots of things to hem. These things tend to sit in piles forever until I get frustrated and feel like I have nothing to wear and finally put in the time to hem. (I am an all-star procrastinator)!

While we are on the topic of hems... can we agree that taking scissors and hacking off the bottom of a dress/skirt is NOT a hem?  I promise you, hemming your clothes is not all that hard. If you can't/hate to sew, you can use this (stitch witchery). No one ever has to know, and I promise it works every time. Also, if you are a vintage seller and do not want to "actually" hem the item in your shop, PLEASE don't shorten it in the first place! (I understand that fraying fabric can be stylistic) (Yes, this is my opinion, and I understand everyone can do what they want) (Please don't hate me)!

Three wool skirts and a dress can now be put into rotation.  Nope, this didn't even put a dent in the pile... but these are the things I always wish I could wear. Someday, I will get through the whole pile (but probably not)!

~Charlie