Old Style Book - Clothing Tips Needed

DizzyDee_2

Once you have scoured the good charity shops and collected your old clothes together why not completely re-design your garments. If you are handy with a needle and thread it will be all the easier. If your young daughter gets bored with her old jeans and bored on a sunday afternoon, buy a tube of glitter glue or two from your local craft shop and spend the afternoon together customising them around the hem or around the pocket area like the ones in the shops. Chop old trousers off at the shin for the new stylish 3/4 length style, add a turn up for extra style. Turn an old pair of cords into a funky shoulder bag and fray the edges. Chop up an old long fitted dress, make into either a top or a skirt (both if you are lucky). Velvet is good for this.

I recently made a fab cushion cover out of a thick natural coloured wool jumper. Turn inside out and stitch across the top of the sleeves and chop sleeves off, sew up the neck and then turn jumper right way round and put your cushion pad inside then sew up the bottom with either some chunky wool or a leather thong for whatever style you want. Maybe sew a few chunky natural wooden buttons on.

If you have a favourite v-neck or crewe-neck sweater that has holes in the elbows chop off the sleeves leaving an inch or so for a hem. Then get some wool either matching or preferably contrasting and do some over stitching around the arm holes and maybe around the bottom hem to make it look like like a trendy designer garment. Fashion is still presenting us with shabby looking raw edged designer clothing so why not make your own!

Sari's are great to use for window treatments or for a table runner or for a decorative runner across the bottom of your bed and you could even run up a few cushions to match it for a designer look. If you can't sew, try using fabric glue to attach sequins or trimmings etc.

If you see a fab strapless bridesmaids dress in your charity shop window in summer grab it because I am looking ahead to Winter already. Then when it comes to Christmas you can use if for a ball gown or chop it off at knee length and convert it into a lovely cocktail dress. Bridesmaids dresses come in good colours these days, not just peach! Have fun getting creative and re-cycling.

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hilary1

If you usually buy from catalogues dont pay full price for anything.

Wait for the sales and buy at less than half price. I mean how much do a pair of trousers change or tee shirts, so they dont go out of fashion. And you can change anything with a needle and thread or a bit of diamontee (spelling??).

I bought some clarks softee boots from Empire for £24.99 (plus less 10% com) reduced from £54 last summer catalogue. I've just got them out of the wardrobe as my oldies have finally jumped into the bin. Great boots, soft and comfy. I'd never have paid full price for them.

I've had jackets, tshirts and jumpers sometimes below half price so why pay full price at all?

oh and I always try to get a free gift with my orders aswell.

heather_stewart

Perfect play jumper for kids - if you can do basic knit stitch and have wool oddments, and a pair of needles ( they don't even have to be the same size), you can make this while watching the kids or tv.

No pattern or shaping - simple T shape.

Start at waist - knit straight up to shoulder - cast off stitches in middle of next row, (allowing plenty of width for head) - cast on same number in middle of following row - then knit straight the same length from shoulder to waist. Cast off stitches.

Pick up enough stitches along shoulder edge to make a fairly wide sleeve - knit straight to wrist - cast off. Do matching sleeve and sew up seams with same wool.

Useful tips - if you sew seams carefully, so that it looks neat inside and out, then this jumper is ideal for small child, who does NOT want to be helped to dress - so it doesn't matter whether it is on inside-out or back-to-front! And for older kids who wrestle their way into clothes.

Also mud-coloured wool rather than pastel, for kids to play out happily without being shouted at.

If you can add ribbing, (or get someone to do it for you) by picking up stitches on finished jumper round the waist, wrists and neck - then you can increase the size as the child grows.

Finally, you can show child that it can knit one for teddy!

haveiwon

By far the best way to cut your expenditure on clothes is to forget diets. Clothes styles for the 'skinny challenged' are so awful you won't want to buy anything. Of course you have to 'weigh up' whether it's better to be skinny with a huge wardrobe or to be fat and naked!

Mr_Proctalgia

Over the years I have bought my stuff exclusively from Charity Shops, I now have a good wardrobe that is all classic designer stuff, and mostly new too! Pierre Cardin, Balmain, Gant, Thomas Pink etc I even found some new silk Liberty and Hermes ties for £1.99 recently. The trick is to get to know your shops, where I live the local Hospice shops are the best for value whilst Oxfam is taking the mickey with their prices. I pop in every few weeks and see what they have, favourite shirts get their collars turned if possible and it is easy to re-zip trousers once you have done a couple of pairs. My one luxury is Shoes I get mine from Tim Little and when they need attention they are taken back to the factory and rebuild for me with soles of my choice. I justify it by saving on the rest of my stuff.

shetitasatic

I agree with everything that's been said about charity shops- most of my wardrobe comes from them - I have Boden, Monsoon, Jigsaw etc.
I rarely pay full price for anything (that's how I acquired my user name!!) but when I do I ask myself:
Do I really NEED this or do I just WANT it?

Does it go with THREE things I already have?

Joannaclaire

Wedding tip - I made my own cathedral length veil - they are really easy to do - took just a couple of hours and cost £15 (plus crystal beads costs of about £6) for almost 3m metres of fabric and a cheap pattern. In the shops veils that were not nearly as nice were £200! Basically they don't need hemming as tulle doesn't fray, and just needs a row of stitching at the top to gather it up and sew onto a plastic haircomb 50p or so at hobbycraft). And tada, a veil :-)

Juni_3

I get together with friends and family and buy in bulk from companies such as https://www.polo-shirts.co.uk

Not exactly old style but can save a bomb. I pay under a pound for my summer t-shirts.

frannyscho

I found this one out by making a toy for someone. If you have or find a super jumper in a style that just isn't you, preferably a very large one from a charity shop. If it is older and well washed, it won't come unravelled when you cut it up...so remodel your jumper with the help of a sewing machine or a helpful friend with one. It will make anything, a new jumper style, a dress, a skirt, kids clothes, toys, anything...all without the bother of knitting it yourself.