Hey everybody! Welcome to refashion #1 and our first day of refashioning bootcamp!
I have received SO many questions from people over the past few months about HOW to approach a piece of clothing you want to refashion. How to dive in, how to get started, how to get ideas for what to change in your piece. So today I want to talk you through, and demonstrate, the approach I take to refashion garments everytime.
When I approach a garment that I want to refashion, I look at 4 specific areas, one by one, to break down the piece
and determine what I can and want to change. It all comes down to NSLF. Neckline, Sleeves, Length, and Fit. Looking at each of these areas individually, one at a time, helps me to segment the piece and tackle it in more doable sections. Looking at the piece as a whole is important, too, but can be overwhelming. So when I find myself unsure of what I want to change, this is where I start. NSLF. Neckline, Sleeves, Length, and Fit. I typically change atleast 3/4 of these areas with every project.
First, the neckline. Ask yourself -- What is the current neckline? Do I like it as it is? Is it flattering to me?
If the answer is no, and you determine you want to change this area, ask:
Can it be lowered? Raised? Changed to a v? To a sweetheart? To a scoop? Can a collar be removed, or shortened? Can a collar be added? What would it look like with a fun detail like a trim or a ruffle added? Can you find a similar fabric/print as your garment on Pinterest to help visualize different necklines?
Second, the sleeves. Ask yourself -- What are the current sleeves like? Do they fit well? Are they flattering? Are they practical for the season/weather/occasion?
If the answer is no, and you determine you want to change this area, ask:
Does the garment need sleeves to be added? Would the garment look better without sleeves? Would simply shortening the sleeves do the trick? Do they need to be taken in? Let out? Would the sleeves look good cuffed? Would they look good gathered with elastic? Would a raglan sleeve work better? Could they do with some added detail -- like a bell sleeve, a ruffle, a trim, a scallop, or a band? Can you find a similar fabric/print as your garment on Pinterest to help visualize different sleeves?
Third, the length. The simplest, quickest transformation to a garment. Ask yourself -- Is the current length ideal? Is it flattering? Is it practical for the season/weather/occasion? Would shortening the garment give me extra fabric for details I want to add to the piece? Could the garment be lengthened with a contrasting fabric? A trim? Lace? Eyelet? A ruffle? A pleated panel? What length would look best and be most flattering for this piece? Knee-length? Ankle length? Midi? Maxi? Mid-thigh? Waterfall cut? Rounded hem? Hi-low? Asymmetrical? There are so many things you can do with the hem of a garment that can instantly elevate and renew the whole look.
Fourth, the fit. I also lump shape into this category. :) This is often the hardest, but most important focal area in refashioning. You can read an entire post I wrote about resizing oversized garments here. I want to point out that their is a difference between shape and fit. Fit is about how well a garment sits on your body - hitting the correct points with things like shoulder seams, darts, side seams, etc. Shape, on the other hand, is about the silhouette of the garment. If the garment fits fairly well, I move on to shape. Ask yourself -- is this the most flattering cut? Would adding emphasis at the waist improve the garment? Should that be done with tailoring or with a belt? Can I play with excess fabric to change the silhouette from straight to fit and flare? From straight to flowy? From boxy to curvy? Babydoll? Peplum? Mermaid? Trumpet? Relaxed? Form-fitting? Can you find a similar fabric/print as your garment on Pinterest to help visualize shapes?
After addressing these four areas, one by one, you have visualized and mapped out your transformation. Give yourself a pat on the back. Sketch out your changes, and then get working! :)
SO. Now, let's take a look at this red maxi shirt dress using this approach.
Neckline -- I felt like the collared look with this particular print (red gingham) looked a little too... 50's/60's housewife? For me, anyway. I didn't feel like it was the most flattering collar and I didn't love it in this fabric. I spent some time browsing Pinterest and searching for red gingham dresses and tops. Ultimately I decided to remove the collar altogether. I felt that a v-neck would work better with the button front of the dress than something like a scoop neck or rounded neck, and I generally feel a v-neck is more flattering on me personally anyway.
Sleeves -- The sleeves on the original dress were just... regular, plain old sleeves. Nothing wrong with them, but also nothing too special! So I decided this was the perfect refashion to try out a sleeve trend I've seen a lot lately -- the bow sleeve! Little details like this can really elevate a piece, prevent it from looking homemade, and add so much interest to the look!
Tip: I keep a stockpile of sleeve patterns (old sleeves I have cut out of tshirts, dresses, tops). These come in handy with nearly EVERY refashioning project I do... I pull out several sleeves, pin them to my piece, and see which pattern will work best. It saves me so much time with every project!
Length -- The maxi length felt weird to me for a shirt dress, with this print. The print to me seemed so summery and the length seemed to contradict that. So I decided to go for a cut just above the knee. The excess fabric gave me some to play with for details like the bow sleeve, as well.
Fit -- The overall fit of the dress wasn't bad. It wasn't crazy baggy or ill-fitting. So I looked next at the shape. The shape itself wasn't doing very much for my body. Just a straight cut. Now, I love straight cut dresses and have several in my closet, but in this fabric, again, I felt it wasn't the best pairing. So I decided to cinch in the waist with a belt using the excess fabric I had.
Okay, guys. I've talked long enough! I hope this information helps as you approach your refashioning projects. It is my tried and true method and always helps me when I feel "stuck" about how to transform a piece. You can watch the whole transformation take place in the video below. Please feel free to leave questions and comments!
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