I can’t say I am a great fan of remodelling existing outfits. I had a go last year as part of the SWAP contest, and was pretty underwhelmed with it. It took forever to reclaim the fabric and then I didn’t much care for the outcome. But on Instagram there are a few people who put up before and after pictures which are a lot of fun. I could give you a picture of some fabric, and then show the outfit, but it is fun to see someone looking ridiculously swamped or hideously dated, and then – a few days later – we see a picture of the horrid hippy blouse turned into a gorgeous sexy top – for example. These professional photo shoots normally work best on fantastically pretty girls – the remodelling will always need to be smaller than the starting garment so it helps if you have nice, slim legs and a washboard tummy. One person I follow is Sarah Tyau a petite Korean-American who does this all the time.
Which reminds me. One of my dear friends is a big supporter of the Museum of London. He met the person responsible for all the clothes in their collection, who explained the small sizes of many of the items in their collection. Aparently this was not due to people being much smaller than they are today, but due to them constantly being cut down and remade for smaller people, including younger adults. It’s obvious really.
Using the “changing room selfie” method, standing in sad, grubby, overly lit, faux wood changing room, I had a go myself. Complete with recycled plastic hangers and a charity advert and a particularly washed out complexion. In a moment of madness I bought a suit in a Traid charity shop that is currently unwearable. Certainly over my trousers it’s a bit of a shocker. The shoulders, in particular, are much too big for me. The suit is size 44 (UK s16) so it should be possible to make something of it.
1980s German suit
Of course what attracted me to this suit is the lovely colours and the fact that it is mainly made from wool, with a bit of polyester. I think I will be able to remodel the skirt fairly easily – not sure what to do about the jacket. Maybe a nice hat?
Close up of 1980s suit
What do you think? Do you think I can make something nice from this? Just the skirt? A coat? A suit? Has anyone every restyled a jacket – is it likely that it will yield enough cloth?
I would appreciate any feedback – thank you.