Help, how can I change my dresses?

minniemaus1970

Hello everyone,
i will try and keep this short..... Mother of 2 daughters, husband left 05 (affair) and I have managed ok since then thanks all the good people on MSE ( thank u btw)
I am working in Admin @ Headoffice. I haven't got a lot of money (unlike my collegues who are all married, 2 incomes, posh houses), which I am not too bothered about, I manage very well

Here's my dilemma.....

I have 2 work functions in Oct, no money to buy 2 cocktail dresses shoes and handbags ........
I do have some evening/ cocktail dresses ( red, black, multicoloured and black and gold)
but I would to change their look slightly to make them look different.
Anyone got any ideas?

Help
MM

ajs88

Adding a nice belt can really improve a dress, add brooches to the toe of a plain pair of shoes can look really good if your wearing them with a simple dress, sometimes i dye clothes to change or refresh the colour

sm1971

Could you add or remove straps on the dresses? Or turn up / down hems or sleeve length?

TrixieB

Cocktail dresses really don't tend to go out of fashion so think about wether they really do need changing about.

minniemaus1970

thanks u for the replies
No straps on them , sorry. the hem is "pointy" on the red one, just overlocked on the black ones. I forgot to mention I am a trained seamstress, so change shouldn't cost too much

minniemaus1970

thanks TrixieB,
but I have worn them before on work functions , I should ve really saved some money for a new one. I thought I well clever and bought one for £8 in the sale in Jan, and then gone to one of our Charity events, I can't even dye it because its not cotton

TrixieB

minniemaus1970 wrote: »

thanks TrixieB,
but I have worn them before on work functions , I should ve really saved some money for a new one. I thought I well clever and bought one for £8 in the sale in Jan, and then gone to one of our Charity events, I can't even dye it because its not cotton

Ah ok, you'd not made that clear lol

Can you upload pics of them?

likklegibbon

Have you got any friends you could borrow some accessories/frocks from for the evening? - you could always trade your seamstress skills (v. jealous BTW) and offer to alter something of theirs for them for free in return

peachyprice

Could you make one with sleeves into a spaghetti strap dress instead ?

euronorris

minniemaus1970 wrote: »

thanks TrixieB,
but I have worn them before on work functions , I should ve really saved some money for a new one. I thought I well clever and bought one for £8 in the sale in Jan, and then gone to one of our Charity events, I can't even dye it because its not cotton

Is it really necessary to have a new dress for every work function?

By all means, if you want to add new life to old, maybe out of fashion, dress go ahead. But I don't think you should feel you have to, just because your colleagues have seen you wear it once before.

So, belts can change a dress. Adding some trimming can help, but as someone already asked, pics please! It's quite difficult for us to suggest alterations when we don't know if they would 'work' well on the dress.

adelight

Add a decorative strap to one and sew a big corsage flower to where the strap attaches to the frontof the dress. Or also sew multiple flowers up the strap, tapering up the front of the dress (wide at the base, sloping to a really small flower at your neck). If you can't get any flowers in the same colour then use a contrasting colour, could put beads/sequins in the middle of flowers if they look a bit naff.