Layers of contrast color lace creates a neat detail in an old dress/skirt. The lace can also be sourced secondhand if you look up sewing supplies in vintage stores or outdated lace garments that can be cut up. Remember, if your dress is polyester, use also polyester lace. Bt of it is wool, use viscose or other natural fibred lace. If you don´t know, rip a tread and do a firbe burning test. Note that lace is not cut straight, but according to the weave pattern as you can see from the picture above.
McQ is by far one of my favorite fashion brands. I´m very intrested to see now after the passing of Mr. McQueen, where the design team will take this collection to. These photos are from their Fall 2010 Hommes collection. The styling is pure awsomeness and in my eyes would work well for women also. At least I'd wear them. The sweaters sewn from knit pieces and pachworked plaid shirts are a DIY fall must-do. Wool kilt worn over trousers and man-leggins (long johns?) worn with cropped army pants and a smart jacket. Get inspired here and go shopping. Similar pieces are available at your local secondhand store. And if not for you then pimp up your boy.
Nickie pointed out to me this thick cable knit cardigan with ribbon detailing she saw at Teenangster. Love the styling on these photos! Really quick DIY. You need to just thread the ribbon through the loops and if you feel like going without it just take the ribbon out. The ribbonends can be finished by running a flame (cigarette lighter) through them. No cutting or sewing needed.
And here´s one way to wear a knitted body, with a ruffled skirt and 60's styled do. The body could be reconstructed from a (1x1) wool sweater, sleeves used to make the gathered shoulder straps and a piece of silk or satin for the top fold. The body top can be sewn onto a pair of your old bra to make it more wearable and confortable. The skirt can be refashioned by cutting an 70's secondhand A-lined maxi skirt to half and the sewing a gathering thread to the top of the bottom half. The top half can be then used to make the waist band.
Photo Marloes Horst by Marc de Groot for Jackie September, October 2010. via Fashion Gone Rogue.
Many designers have taken 90's references in their Fall 2010 collections. The body is one of these pieces that many have not seen or used since 1997. But what if you sew it from secondhand knitwear? Dolce & Gabbana thinks it´s nice. Me too. If you´re affraid that it will be itchy, just use jersey from an old t-shirt as lining... Oh c'mon! They are kninda adorable, right?
The leg openings and top edge can be finished in two ways:
1. FOLD. Zig zag an elastic band to the edge, fold it underneath and top stitch it with an "elastic stitch".
2. RIB PANEL EDGE. Cut the rib from sweater hem and use a serger to sew it to the leg openings.
I think the 2. is better for thick cable knits and 1. for thinner 1x1 knits.
This fall go out and get yourself a secondhand plaid wool kilt. Style it "paperbag" with a belt. I´m also loving the traditionally cut Antonio Marras fall 2010 man-coats decorated with upholstery fabrics, vintage jewelry and cross stitch. Buy them secondhand, as the coats and furs in Antonio's collection are all reconstructed from original vintage pieces. They remind me of Spanish mainstream brand Desigual and how they construct their clothes, but Antonio does it the way I would.. Chic. The difference is that Antonio uses real vintage fabrics: wool, viscose, silk and fur to create his works which makes the garment just look so much better than done in polyester. But I recommend to visit Desigual for recon inspiration. If you want to get an Antonio styled fall coat but are not skilled enough to sew it yourself, take it to a seamstress for a tune up.
All bloggers know what a horror it is to carry a big camera with you everywhere. But it is a must if you want to have good pics posted to your blog. And the official camera bags are just plain ugly.. Luxirare makes the best indie fashions and constantly coming up with new fashion concepts. Her newest item is the Nikon D90 camera bag which is just pure dynamite. I propably need not to say anything more as I know your jaws just dropped. Mine too. Available here. Just wondering why no camera brand has figured out to make these before...?
More about reducing your carbon footprint in fashion.. Denim is one of the most controversial fashion pieces when it comes to sustainability. We all need and want them to be a part (sometimes a big part) of our wardrobes, but looking at them from the ecological point of view, it does not look so good. Good, genuinely fashionable eco denim brands are very few. Jeans need loads of cotton and cotton is one of the most harmfull materials to grow. It requires much water and pestisites and contributes to erosion. Of course there is organic cotton, but that too is a new material and requires energy and resources to grow. Using recycled materials is really the most ecological way to manufacture garments as all the materials all ready exist and using them you take away waste. Of course some energy is used in reforming the recycled material into their new use, but still it is far better than making clothes from complitely new materials. For example polyester fleece can be produced nowadays from recycled PET dringking bottles.
I´ve not heard that jeans (cotton) could also be made from grinding fibre from used jeans to a pulp and then spinning it to make new recycled cotton fibre. REUSE Jeans does this. They use about 80% recycled cotton, 18% new and 2% elastane in their jeans. And all their styles cost less than 100$! This is the denim business of the future. Reforming the cotton fibre does use some water in the production but I´m sure we are still talking a fraction of the amount that would be used in growing it.
Just think about it. If all jeans manufacturers is the world would gather their unsold cotton jeans from their stores into one place, make them into "new" recycled cotton jeans and use them to cover some of the new cotton denim market, it would make a huge difference. Customers would get the same quality and models they are accustomed to, but greener. I´d buy it. And pay for it.
Here´s an interview of REUSE Jeans founders:
I´m not too exited about the REUSE Jeans denim models though. In my eyes the treatments, stitchings and embroiberies look a bit cheap. As a Scandi I prefer my jeans to be more clean cut, with a more classic and genuine looking treatment, and no big embroideries or visible stitchings.. I hope they hire an expert denim designer that has worked with some big brands if they´re going to make it in a global market and get fashion recognition. Being green is not the only thing a brand need to have to make it, but true fashion credibiliy. You know.. that you´re good enough for Vogue, or Elle :)
P.S. Get someone to redo your website. I can´t stand it when eco brands clog their site with flowers and butterflies, or globes.. Even if your brand is 100% eco, you should not have to underline it all the time. The product should be good enough as it is. Being eco is just a huge additional value to it. You´re also missing all promotional images from your website. Bloggers need good high res images in their posts. If you get people to write about your brand and supply them with fashionable good quality photos it is free press for you.
The simpleast way to transform or refresh an old garment is to dye it. I prefer black and gray as they look timeless, fit my wardrobe perfectly and work 95% in dyeing. Old is the New Black is a fashion reclaiming movement instigated by the Black Fashion Bureau. They use black paint to refashion any old garment back into life. I´m quite sure they don´t see this my way, but the first thing that came to mind after seeing these creations, is the oil catastrophy at the Gulf of Mexico. To see all of their works, go to Old is the New Black gallery
HOW TO
1. Source old garment(s) this could be something you own that’s damaged / stained / no longer on trend / OR something you have found / reclaimed
2. Source black paint. This could be from your local DIY store / art shop / something left over found in your shed…
3. PAINT IT BLACK using a small sponge or a small paint roller!
4. Get someone to photograph you wearing your finished garment(s) and submit them to Old is the New Black!
When you go out at fairs to sell your handmade goods, make sure that also your sales stand is top notch. But it does not have to cost much money to make it, just the time and effort. If you make stuff from recycled materials, maybe your sale stand should be done with the same principle. Here are some ideas.
These trashion sale stands and displays made from scrapwood pallets and cardboard. Paint them white or black for a cleaner look. Via CMRTYZ.
Pallets can also be used as trashion shoe shelfs.
Hangers can also be made from cardboard. See my Idol-hanger tutorial for instructions. If you use regular hangers, the hanger "wire" could be made using hanrdware store chain. This way the wire can be attached diagonally and the hangers will not slide from their loops.
Shop name could be made from recycled clothes stiffened to form letters.
Painting frame pieces (painted to match wall color?) and doll parts nailed to the wall as wall shelf displays for jewelry and bags. You can also just use long nails as hooks.
