By Gina Unda Ground
You can be stylish without dropping a load of cash. Here's how.
Focus on accessories
If you have a hard time spotting vintage in your local thrift stores but still enjoy the hunt, you might want to focus your strategy on vintage accessories. They are more noticeable and less monotonous than sliding hanger after hanger in the clothing sections. Moreover, a vintage hat or handbag is sure to stand out with your modern ensemble as quite the conversation piece! Here are a few examples of trendy accessories to target next time you go thrifting:
Make the (denim) cut If you’ve been thrifting recently, you might have noticed that vintage tops are somewhat bountiful, while vintage bottoms — especially denim jeans and shorts — are a rare find. Do not despair! Turn your most raggedy pair of old jeans into cutoffs. Snip off the legs, fold the frayed bottoms to make cuffs or leave them au natural, and VOILA — old is new
If you want the high-waisted look that is quite popular right now, find a pair of tapered leg Levi’s (AKA “mom jeans") from your local thrift store and cut off the creepy parts. What will remain is an adorable pair of high-waist denim shorts in which to tuck all your current AND vintage tanks and blouses!
Once you’re done cutting up your shorts, you might even want to embellish them with some craft ribbon or buy some fabric dye and get all patriotic, as seen in this DIY tutorial from The Metric Child, a DIY fashion blog.
[See exclusive photos of Gina's ensembles from the recycled.stylez shoot in Huron HERE.]
Tee, anyone? Vintage t-shirts are an easy find and a great way to show off your DIY creativity! Find one with some funky vintage flair and add your own touch by slicing and dicing it up. Cut off the bottom to make a midriff shirt, or cut the ribbed collar out for a better, more feminine neckline. Don’t be afraid to get really creative by slicing up the back or cutting straps and tying them back together.I’m a sucker for those 90s marbled-dye tees with Native-American themes and pictures of wolves and eagles on them. These look best cut and fringed across the bottom, with either the sleeves cut off or fringed up, too. Add some plastic pony beads to your fringe if you REALLY want to make some noise. There is a plethora of DIY t-shirt tutorials for you to peruse online, including step-by-step videos of people cutting up their old tees! Here are a few that we really like: Easy, no-sew t-shirt modification from I Just Might Explode Easy DIY t-shirt with cut-out back from ...love Maegan DIY Workout Shirt from Rabbit Food For My Bunny Teeth DIY cut-out tank top from Harper's Bazaar
Go Custom!
If you go vintage hunting, the following scenario might seem familiar. You browse the dress aisle and find a pretty cool day dress from the 1960s through the 1980s, but it’s too long, the sleeves are too poufy or have shoulder pads and the overall frumpiness factor is a tad too high….if you have a vision, BUY IT!Take your “damsel in distress” to your local alternation shop and explain what you want done to it. Stay ahead of the game: take and write down your measurements prior to arrival. The finished product — your very own, one-of-a-kind, upcycled-vintage piece — will be well worth the wait and the extra cash spent….and your dress will no longer look like your mom wore it to homecoming in 1981!
NOTE: Many vintage dresses featured in upscale online vintage shops have already been altered. They shorten the skirt, contour the bodice, cut off sleeves, etc. and add that to the offered retail price. By taking a found vintage piece to the alteration shop yourself, you are saving money and gaining the experience of seeing your treasure in its various stages of coolness! Local alteration shops: Martin Alteration and Tailoring Sandusky Plaza 1052 Cleveland Road, Sandusky 419-621-0953 or martincustomsuits.com French-Tex Cleaners 1172 Cleveland Road, Sandusky 419-625-2283 Midtown Dry Cleaning 99-B Whittlesey Ave., Norwalk 419-663-8060 or midtowndrycleaning.com WW Williams Tailor Shop 501 Tiffin Ave., Sandusky 419-609-0858
