For my very first upcycled vintage piece I chose a pretty hideous corduroy prairie dress that I bought at the $1 Sunday Sale at Jet Rag Vintage Shop near Melrose Ave. Literally tons and tons of clothing are sold for only $1 every Sunday. Not everything is amazing, yet there are some surprising finds if you go early and have an eye for picking great vintage pieces with a good structure and lasting quality. After washing the dress I finally tried it on.
This vintage dress fit pretty well yet it was so awful I couldn’t bear the idea of sharing a photo of me in it online in fear of it possibly being taken out of context. It really was that bad!
As I’ve mentioned recently I’ve had a major shift in my personal style where I love wearing skirts and dresses more than anything else. I’ve been replacing the clothes that I haven’t worn for a few “new” pieces. I will admit that I do like corduroy, and the color wine is perfect for this time of year. I was also drawn to the cream v-shaped embellishment along the waistline.
Vintage Wine Prairie Dress–Front
At first I was going to remove the outrageous collar and create a sleeveless jumper dress until I realized that it would look too much like a school uniform. Once I came to my senses, I chopped off the top of the dress completely. I left a good amount of the waistline to redesign a high waisted skirt. I then took in the side seams to create a snug fit to my waist. I created a new high low hemline with the skirt to modernize the overall look. Finally I used the two corduroy ties in the back of the dress to make suspenders.
Vintage Wine Prairie Dress–Back
For my first upcycled project I’m pretty pleased. I have a few other pieces that I’m looking forward to recreating when I can make the time. I really enjoy the creativity that goes into these pieces and how uniquely mine they are once completed.
THE RESULTS…
I can say now that I think I enjoy upcycling clothing more so than creating them from scratch.
My minimalist wardrobe had been taking a new form since I’ve been thrifting more and more. This year I’ve watched the colors in my wardrobe shift to wine, plum, green, teal, and blue with my favorite neutrals adding corals during the warmer months. I’ve also seen even more patterns enter my life than ever before versus solid basics. Upcycling really allows me to continue to use my wardrobe for more artistic expression. I don’t want to get too crazy with it, but I’m certainly having fun!
Are you into upcycling fashion?
(Images by Dawn Michelle)
Alexis says
I love it!! I don’t have an eye or skills for stuff like this but I love seeing others do it. You should check out the blog new dress a day…she does the same and there are lots of great ideas there as well.
I hope you do more of these upcycling projects!
Dawn Michelle says
Thanks so much Alexis! I hope I can find the time to do more as well. I don’t know how I juggle so many things all the time but at least it is what I love doing!
Lydia says
Awesome! It turned out great. I have been doing things like this for years and its always great to see how we can get even more creative with altering rather than sewing a pattern from scratch. Can’t wait to see what you make next! ^_^
Dawn Michelle says
Thanks so much Lydia! This project was a lot of fun!
Brittney Letrice says
This is probably my favorite of all your upcycling projects. I love how if it wasn’t for the white waistband you wouldn’t even know it was the same dress, complete transformation =)
Dawn Michelle says
Thank you so much Brittney! This is definitely one upcycled piece that I like a lot too!
Jen says
LOVE the final product!
Dawn Michelle says
Thank you so much Jen!