Haute Thrift

Textures

noreply@blogger.com (Lc) — Thu, 6 Dec 2012 10:14:00 -0800

The Trend

The Haute Project

Yeah, this last picture obviously shows that the hidden peplum was a creative risk gone wrong. So I took it out and left it alone.

I found this shirt in the mens section for a $1. I've been noticing lots of textures in magazines so I decided to see what I could make from this. Considering its an XL, there was enough fabric to make a skirt or a shirt. And there is still lots of fabric left, since I used the sleeves to make the..umm..torso part--jeez, I get so technical by using sewing jargon, I hope I didn't lose any of you.

All I did was take out the buttons, cut the shirt in half, sew up the front, take in the sides,take off the sleeves and use them for the..torso part and sew up the raw edges and I be done!

Here's the piece I have left. I might add a black waist band and make a skirt. Let's see how hoochie it turns out. Or I could still make a peplum like the trend above.

Update: I wore this top already and did not like how this felt on. This has been now donated to charity in hopes that someone else will love it more than I did.

TOTW - Take 2

noreply@blogger.com (Lc) — Sun, 25 Nov 2012 20:13:00 -0800

Just making a quick stop to show you guys my thrift of the week..

It was a whole $2.

I would have paid a whole $3 more for it.

Anyway, major score.

I need to clean it however.

It's All Unraveling

noreply@blogger.com (Lc) — Thu, 15 Nov 2012 01:33:00 -0800

The Inspiration

The Project

I wanted a striped chunky sweater for the season, just like the one above but without the smiley face.

I don't do smiley face. I do poker face.

I got this sweater for $4.

Before you go taking your turtleneck sweaters apart, make sure that there's a stitch connecting the turtleneck to the sweater. Otherwise, you'll be cutting into knit work that will eventually make the whole sweater fall apart.

Isaac Mizrahi for Target. Betcha it was more than $4.

Once you find the stitch make one small nip at the yarn and undo the stitch manually from there on out. The neck part should fall right off.

I got happy pulling yarn. Is this any indication that I'm a cat person? 'Cause I'm not. WOOF! Anyway, I ended up pulling far too much.

I kept pulling until I had enough yarn to sew the hole up. The good thing about knitwear is that the yarn gives enough allowance to sew; not re-knit.

And I'm done.

Look anything like the inspiration picture above?

So....what to do with the neck?

I unraveled the yarn and sewed the loops together. Pulled on the string to gather the ends and...

I've got me a beanie. That completes the entire look from the initial picture above. My first thought was to make a baby beanie but this thing fits me! So I'm keeping it. Sorry Benji.

I'm sure Mr. Mizrahi would be okay with this minor transformation.

For $4, I don't think I did too bad.

Oxblood, Wine, Burgundy.. Same Dif.. I Failed

noreply@blogger.com (Lc) — Mon, 12 Nov 2012 13:54:00 -0800

The Trend

oxblood by hautethrift featuring short sleeve tops

The Haute Project

I got this top/dress things for $1 and if you keep scrolling you will understand why...

Seriously, this thing was hacked up! But I liked the color and wanted to make a sheer peplum from it but I failed... keep scrolling.

I cut this thing in half and fixed the stitches.

Took the bottom half an folded together. I had the cool idea of making a bubble peplum, if that makes sense.

But I failed. I tried it on and it looks like I'm wearing a matching waist apron. So if I ever want to impress any guests when I'm hosting dinner, I will pull this baby out. But I won't further embarrass myself by posting a picture.

Sowwy.

Thrift of the Week (TOTW)

noreply@blogger.com (Lc) — Tue, 30 Oct 2012 20:42:00 -0700

Hey buds!

I've been having thrifting/sewing/sanity withdrawals. Who knew babies required your time whether awake or asleep? How selfish...

Anywho, all of you know what a thriftaholic I am so I had to get my fix. And here's what I scored this week..

Did I or did I not score big with those Tory Burch peep-toe wedges? There's isn't even a scratch on them! They'll go great with my awesome vintage dress (sans the belt, of course). So that was a $20 well spent.

But that's not all. I also went to donate some unwanted stuff at my local Salvation Army and lucky me, donations are rewarded with 10% off coupons AND it was 40% off everything.

Yippee! Here's what I scored:

This picture does not do the color justice. It's a bright red/orange vintage red leather tote ($8). It was a bit pricey for me but it's not every day that you find a vintage leather bag that can be used as a diaper bag. I'm sooo trying to avoid buying a diaper bag. I might as well buy a mini van.

Let's not forget this...

Diggin the ikat. This was $4.

So, not bad for this week... or month. Who knows when I'm on the hunt again.

What have you thrifted lately?

The Vest

noreply@blogger.com (Lc) — Tue, 16 Oct 2012 14:41:00 -0700

I found this tuxedo style vest for $6 which, to me, is practically a fortune. It was a size 10 so I just wanted to take it in around the bust and the arms and leave the bottom as is for a flared effect.

Just a minor alteration today so it went from this...

to this.

All I did was open the arm holes at the bottom. So in case I messed up I could sew it back together and my arms would hide the imperfections.

Since the vest has lining, I folded the inside out to make adjustments to the seams.

From Preggerz to Swinggerz

noreply@blogger.com (Lc) — Tue, 9 Oct 2012 23:22:00 -0700

The Trend

The Project

I bought this coat when nothing else fit my belly. I was actually traveling for work last winter and couldn't button up my pea coat. So I hop into Forever21, because that's where pregnant women shop, right? Anyway, I found this coat on clearance and thought, "It'll do."

It served its purpose and now had to be transformed. Do you notice the difference?

I'll give you a hint: I took in the sleeves and the sides. No more poofy shoulders.

So there you have it; a sweet little swing jacket. Pretty neat, eh?

Preggo Pants to Skirt

noreply@blogger.com (Lc) — Mon, 8 Oct 2012 22:46:00 -0700

I bought these pants when I was in my second trimester of pregnancy.

I was going to take them in, but what would be the fun in that?

I did open up the slit a little more and sewed in the lining to keep it in place.

Bicycle Chain Necklace

noreply@blogger.com (Lc) — Thu, 27 Sep 2012 08:00:00 -0700

The Trend

My Version...

So I think this is a bicycle chain; I'm not sure. But I found it one random visit to my new favorite Thrift Store. Neither I nor the cashier knew what this really was. We guessed a bicycle chain.
But little did she know this bicycle chain possessed a new life; one that I would resurrect in the form of this fancy necklace & bracelet combo.

The creativity bug just wouldn't bite at first. I needed a clasp and my initial thought was to buy a small lock. But in fear of looking like flavor flav, I used some hair ties. The cool thing, I can change the hair tie to any color I want and the tie itself provides some stretch to help put it on.

I wore it out the other night and no one was the wiser.
And if anyone needed a bicycle chain, I knew I could save the day. :)
See. Always a hero.

Shirt to Skirt

noreply@blogger.com (Lc) — Tue, 25 Sep 2012 14:09:00 -0700

The trend...

The skirt... pictures first, story later.

Ok...
I don't know about you but doesn't the skirt look kind of like what the 1st model is wearing in the collage?

I found this shirt for $1 and thought it would make a nice skirt. So all I did was take off the sleeves, sew up the sleeve holes and cut off the top. Adjust for waist and hips then open up the back seam (for the zipper). Next I took apart the sleeves and folded them up to make the waist band, sewed in the zipper (which, I know, I did a super sucky job. Better luck next time) and I am in on this trend.

Sadly, I'm always late on these things. Oh well.

Haute Wardrobe

noreply@blogger.com (Lc) — Thu, 20 Sep 2012 08:53:00 -0700

I don't know about any of you reading this, but the last thing I want to look like is like I shop at a Thrift Store. And I test this by casually asking people how much they think I spent on things. If they blurt out a handsome number, then I reply with the true price followed by an "in yo face!" comment.

Yeah..I do get pretty smug when I know I've scored something that looks like I spent tons on when I've only spent my lunch money; it feels good to save!

Anyway, I thought I'd pass along my tidbits of advice on how to have Haute wardrobe.

Fabric, Color/Print, Cut, Fit!

Fabric

When thrifting these are the most important elements to look for. When I'm at a thrift store, I don't even look through the racks first, I extend my hands and start rubbing the fabric. Look for cottons, silks, wools--you know, natural fabrics. Try and avoid things that are shiny since they often look synthetic. Sometimes, I'm fooled by a synthetic that feels luxurious in my hands. I look at the garment and if it's not stiff or itchy, I nab it. Feel for texture and comfort against your skin; lord knows you don't want to walk out wearing a thin and itchy fabric. Not only will you be scratching, but your butt will be on display!
No thanks.

Oh! don't forget long lasting fabrics. Some knits are made to last a lot longer than others. I hate it when a sweater starts to grow those little lint balls. Yes, they grow! And I'm such a haute-lazy mess, that I never pick them off. One trick however: use a razor and shave those sweater babies off. If you've got a dull razor, make it's final use one that'll bring life back to your sweaters. Just lightly run over the fabric and don't press unless you want to cut right through your sweaters; I speak from experience.

Colors/Prints
First, find out what undertones you have! If you don't know what undertones you have, go online and take one of the millions of quizzes out there. Find out whether your a warm or a cool chick and try and look for colors than make your skin look haute-tastic. If you're skin looks radiant with what you wear, then you already look fab!

Also, go for prints/colors that are so basic you'll wear them year-round. Some prints never go out of style; stripes and polka dots are my closet go-to's when I don't feel like wearing all solids. Remember If you're a petite frame, larger prints are for you and vice versa. But solids will always, always, always be your best friend. Make sure when picking a solid color, it's vibrant and not faded. Deep, rich colors--to me-- look better than light, dusty colors. Although equally as pretty, sometimes light/dusty colors just look like they've faded and are old and dingy.

Cut/Fit

Finally, try the item on. I've made the mistake once too often to buy something that looks gorgeous on the hanger but looks horrible on me. And I find this happens often because of the fit. A garment's cut is crucial when finding items that fit perfectly and accentuate your best assets. For example, pleating detail is often not the best cut or style since it puts the focus on your hips and tummy. Make sure the cut accentuates your body. I've got large/wide hips so finding things that sit well on the waist to camouflage some of the hippage is necessary for me. If not, people think the pear from the Fruit of Loom commercials is on the loose and out of costume! But please, I don't do autographs either way.

Fit and cut especially goes for pants and blazers. Tailoring is everything for these items. It doesn't matter if you've spent 5 or 500 dollars on a suit; if the fit is off, it doesn't look good. If pants are too long, hem them. Remember to find pants that fit the biggest part of your body and tailer-to-fit the rest. As for blazers, I often fold the sleeves for an instant fit. If you're up for a little project, a little gathering at the elbow may do the trick as well.

All these elements combined will make for some great lux pieces that will leave you looking like a million bucks day in and day out. But I can't forget to mention one more thing...

Styling and attitude is everything!

The way you combine pieces and accessorizing has a lot to do with looking fab. Sometimes, jeans and tee look soo much better with the right purse and sunnies. Even the right purse can often look better with a scarf wrapped on it. Miss Coco Chanel said it best: "when accessorizing always take off the last thing you put on." So, don't over do it; you don't want to look like a christmas tree that's missing the lights.

If you don't know how to wear something look for inspiration in a magazine, your favorite TV character on your favorite TV show or my tried and true friend Pinterest. Also, be confident in what you're wearing. The key to "pulling things off" is utter confidence. I don't care if your 2 year old dressed you, you stick your nose up in the air like miss Rachel Zoe picked that outfit and rock it out!

Got any additional advice? Let me know. We all know I need it.
xo

Not Just Any Hoodie

noreply@blogger.com (Lc) — Wed, 12 Sep 2012 10:38:00 -0700

This, my friends, is a brand spanking new Sprockets hoodie that I thrifted for $1.20!!

I was actually at Sears the other day picking up Benji's portraits when I stopped in thinking I'd find a good deal. Can you believe a baby hoodie was $20?!

Nuh-uh! The baby chick in me refused to fork over the money (can we say: "cheap - cheap!").

Thank goodness I didn't; I found something similar for pennies.

..but I wasn't diggin the SPKT logo thing.

So I took them off and added Benji's initials (sans the middle one)

It's too hot for sweaters but by the time it gets cold, it'll fit.

If any Luv's diapers reps read this blog, I want to say that I LOVE LUVs diapers...

will you send me a free supply?
Thanks.
xo

Aqua Net Dress

noreply@blogger.com (Lc) — Fri, 7 Sep 2012 09:06:00 -0700

I bought this for $2 and it is sooo 80's! I totally need some Aqua Net to compliment this dress.

It's funky, but I like it!

I just realized that I am openly showing everyone the chaos that is my former office. It will become Benji's room soon. For now, we call it the "other" room because it has all of our other crap in it. Sigh... I've heard people say "more money, more problems" but really, I think it should be "more stuff, more problems-- 'cause where are you gonna put all that ish?"

Anyway, all I did was alter it a little. Hemmed it up, got rid of some of the sleeve and got rid of the collar.

It reminds me of this dress I pinned earlier this month.

Which reminds me, are we Pinter-friends?

Join me on Pinterest.

Haute Oversized Shirt

noreply@blogger.com (Lc) — Thu, 30 Aug 2012 07:40:00 -0700

One thing I've learned from thrifting is that you should overlook size. Unless, its too small then maybe you should pass it by.

I found this 2XL shirt for $2.

Besides doing the obvious of taking it in to fit, I decided to leave it as is.

Notice the big sleeves...

...and the crazy shoulder pads. Seriously, who wears shirts with shoulder pads??

Obviously some old ladies still do, because then I wouldn't find so many tops with them attached.

I wonder..if I had saved all the shoulder pads I've taken out since I started this blog, what could I make with them?

..a pillow?

...that's how many I've taken out.

This is all you have to do: take in the sleeve at an angle. Then you've got that bat-wing look.

I kept all else as is and intend on tying the front.

Tie-front shirts are everywhere right now, but I think its kind of stupid that the shirts are cut with those two pieces hanging in the front so you always have to tie them.

What if you don't want to tie it? ...not the business.

Atleast I can adjust the knot in front to accommodate for some butt-coverage in the back; or some gut-coverage in the front.

That's Me

noreply@blogger.com (Lc) — Sun, 26 Aug 2012 13:57:00 -0700

I bought this dress for $2. It seems like everything I buy is $2 or less lately; I'm stuck up that way...

If it's more than that, then I'm too good for it.

That's me; a $2 snob.

I'm a little late on the maxi dress thing. Summer has reached its peak and I'm just

barely getting in on the trend.

That's me; fashionably late.

This dress was a little too boxy and obviously a few sizes too big.

Along with the fact that it was literally falling apart at the seams, I still knew I could save it.

That's me; a hero.

So I took off the collar. Took it in a bit for a better fit and sewed up the front to get rid of the button detail. I tried to gather the top so the front seam didn't look so awkward.

A here it is, in all it's glory; my haute maxi dress.

Those were just last minute pics before I walked out the door. Should have snapped shots without the jacket.

But that's me; super lazy.

Moschino for $4!

noreply@blogger.com (Lc) — Mon, 20 Aug 2012 08:30:00 -0700

I try and do my part by closing the thrifters loop and donating all my unwanted stuff for someone else to love.

It's for the better.

In doing that however I often walk into the store next to the donation center to see what I can find. I mean, someone else did the same thing I did and probably wants me to love their unwanted clothes too, right? And being that I'm a lover...and a fighter... I'm compelled to seek out these items (and then claw someones eyes out if they try to take it from me). Like this piece.

Moschino!!!! $4!!!! Dude, I can't believe someone walked away from this. Whoever you are, I'd like to shake your hand. But there's obviously something wrong with the fit. Do you see the super-poochy gathering in the front? I know, I know. It's probably for someone slighty, ok fine--alot, smaller than I but I don't care. It's like those ladies that squeeze into a size 6 shoe despite them really being a size 8.

I'm working this thing out.

This is the result; Ta-dah!!!!

But after ironing the pleats to what I thought was perfection,

I had an eye-opening and liberating epiphany.

I'm clearly not a perfectionist.

Onesie to Twosie

noreply@blogger.com (Lc) — Thu, 16 Aug 2012 00:00:00 -0700

After a certain age, you start looking at your closet with a

different set of eyes. You start looking at your stuff and asking yourelf:

is this too young, short, tacky for me now?

(because we all know we have those "what was I thinking?" pieces that we keep anyway because we may have another lapse of judgement and wear it again. And for me, that's comes often).

As much as I'd like to convince myself that I can still pull these things off, I know

in the back of my head it's become inappropriate

and appears like I'm trying too hard.

Ok, I know I try too hard, but I don't want to give off that appearance...

For example, this jumper is just too short.

I still like the top though...

I might take off the belt loops, if it doesn't look good.

I haven't worn it out yet but, I swear, I feel like Mr. Miyagi with this on.

I don't know why it feels like part of Karate Gi, but I'm digging it and sooooooo going to find that Japanese flag headband to finish the outfit.

Ummm... anyone else noticing an Asian theme in my life?

Didn't think so.

Post-Partum Peplum

noreply@blogger.com (Lc) — Mon, 13 Aug 2012 00:00:00 -0700

I bought this from Forever 21 earlier this year because of its shape. It's a perfect maternity top and I figured I'd belt it up later and still get some mileage out of it. Well I tried the top on again and tried the belt thing, but why do I still look preggers??

So over it, I'm fixing this baby.

But I have a theory, folks: Maternity clothes make you look pregnant.

Yeah, I understand some women want to show off the bump as soon as they get the positive sign on their e.p.t. test, but I have a hard time embracing life changing events.

So I purchased regular clothes, but one to two sizes bigger and I was lucky enough to pull that off then entire time.

Those days are now gone--and some of you may resent what I'm going to say--but I don't miss them at all. I'm glad to look like 'me' again.

I might have to go back and take in the sides a bit more. The armholes look a bit wide.

Anyway, thanks for reading!

Tank To-Do's

noreply@blogger.com (Lc) — Sun, 5 Aug 2012 12:24:00 -0700

I bought this oversized tank a while back and fit perfect throughout my pregnancy. Now, I'm trying to get rid of or refashion anything that even remotely makes me look preggers.
I could merely have taken in the sides enough to make it fit now, but that would be no fun. So I decided to challenge myself with baby clothes.

This is my workspace at 1am. Since I can't sleep. Typically, I put Benji down for bed, but wait a while before I lay down because he often wakes up after half-hour. So, I grab all the things I want to do, throw them in a basket and lay it all out in front of me while the TV and laptop serve as lighting.

First project: a baby beanie. I used one I had to figure out the size.

and second: pants! Benji's got lots of onesies and pajamas but only one pair of lounge pants. I used the bottom of the tank as the hem for both the beanie and the pants. Hey, it saves some time sewing.

add a little elastic to make a waistband, and....

there you have it! If you use a piece of clothing as a pattern template, you're probably cutting right around the article which already leaves seam allowance.

As for the beanie, I wanted to add a little something so I sewed some strips together to make a poof. The result looks a little blah, but I hope the pieces curl up after a wash.

Recycle Recieving Blankets

noreply@blogger.com (Lc) — Sat, 14 Jul 2012 07:00:00 -0700

I was gifted lots of receiving blankets at my baby shower. Some I've already re-purposed into burping cloths..but I set aside 4 blankets to make this..

Not sure how many new mamas out there read this blog, but all you have to do is cut up the receiving blankets into fours and sew the pieces back together how ever you'd like.

I used an old bed sheet for the opposite side.

Don't forget to top stitch the edges and, if you're up for it, a "+" where each of the quilted pieces meet. That way, the fabrics aren't shifting too much after washes; they wrinkle easily.

This project, despite how easy it looks (which it truly is that easy), does take a little time.

If any of you have taken up quilting before (I know, I'm 30 going on 80), it requires lots of stitches and ironing--and then re-sewing--to ensure symmetry.

But, after 2 weeks, I did it.

You think making this qualifies me for senior discounts?

My Benji's 2 months today. :)

"Magic Mike's got nothin' on me!"

Golden Girl

noreply@blogger.com (Lc) — Wed, 11 Jul 2012 18:33:00 -0700

Found this for $5, but it was 3 sizes too big. So what do you do with a shirt that's too big?
This...

Sew in the sides to make the shirt fitted.

After a few tries of taking the sides in, grab a small piece of elastic and insert into the hole like so...


Sew elastic in place at one end. I preferred to sew it twice in case the first time was too close to the elastics end and it unravels during a wash.

Sew the bottom in place and now you have a side-gathered top.

I didn't do a thing to alter the area around the shoulders since I wanted it to drape over the shoulders.

A Good Deed...for Me

noreply@blogger.com (Lc) — Mon, 2 Jul 2012 19:03:00 -0700

Every now and then I shop with the intent to buy the Hubs some shirts. I found a Façonnable gingham button up, for...hmm...I forgot how much I paid for it, in my man's size. So I proudly hand over the bag to show him what I found him and he tries it on only to ask me "why are the buttons on the wrong side?"

Doh! It's a woman's shirt. Boo!!

Oh well, I held on to it all throughout my pregnancy thinking I'd wear it since it was rather oversized and never did. Soooo, as usual, I hacked it up and made this:

Great for summer.

Anyway, I'm on a mission to refashion my maternity clothes--which were mostly regular clothes but a few sizes larger. Wish me luck.

Call Me Miss Fix-It

noreply@blogger.com (Lc) — Thu, 28 Jun 2012 11:53:00 -0700

...or Miss Ruin-it; either suits me just fine-depending on the project. I bought this blazer over a year ago and had BIG plans for it. Yep, the plan was to make it fit.

So, the plan was to alter it from everywhere--sleeves, waist, sides.. all of it. And here's how it turned out..

So I adjusted the sleeves. The lapel is a different fabric to give it a tuxedo-like effect and the waist was exaggerated to have that peplum look. So, yeah, a peplum-tuxedo jacket?
Ever seen one?
No?
Lies; you just did...

Recieving Blankets

noreply@blogger.com (Lc) — Wed, 27 Jun 2012 12:27:00 -0700

I got so many receiving blankets at my baby shower and who knew a baby's feet would dangle out from them after a month. So, I'll be cutting most of them up and making a larger blanket--like a quilt, almost. There are others--which I've already recycled into burp cloths.

And here's what I did with one..

Fiber fill is so expensive at a craft store, so I thrifted a bag of stuffed animals for $1 and tore up the ugly ones, soaked the fiber in bleach solution overnight then rinsed and let it thoroughly dry.

I'm no professional stuffed-toy-maker, but I think Benji likes it.

Ch-cha-changes

noreply@blogger.com (Lc) — Fri, 15 Jun 2012 22:37:00 -0700

So let's get re-started, hmm? This kind of feels like starting over and in a way I am.
It's like all the reading material and people say: your body does change after pregnancy. I'm of the lucky ones where it hasn't changed drastically so most of my clothes still fit. (Yay!) As for those pieces that don't fit, I have an excuse to replace those items with new ones (double Yay!)

Here's something I finished today.

I was a little late and absent minded to take before pictures but this blouse had long sleeves that kind of looked like this..

And used the wrist cuff to give the sleevelessness (that's a Haute Thrift technical term) a military tone.

Lastly, I replaced the granny buttons with those you see on the shirt.

I have a confession to make: I'm a button hoarder.
Sometimes, before I donate an item I no longer want I cut of all the buttons and put them in a container along with all the other orphaned buttons I tear away from their home. And who knows, I may use them all one day, but until then I do get lucky and find that I've stowed buttons--with the right quantity to replace others.