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Thursday, August 27, 2009

Repurposed: The Art of Recycling Vintage Clothing

In a box of vintage fabric I recently acquired I discovered this cute, mint condition bodice that had once been part of a dress now taken apart. The skirt bits appeared to have been sourced for some creative venture, but the bodice was left intact, with simply a raw edge at the bottom where it once attached to the dress.

What do to with a vintage bodice...boring by itself, a little too simple and homely for my vintage taste..."I know, I'll alter it a bit to make it more contemporary". Also, in my stash is a vintage accordion pleated skirt that my friend gave me when she moved. As a skirt it underwhelmed me a bit, but as a trim it had potential.

I cut wide strips from the accordion skirt and carefully arranged it to make this luscious ruffled collar and cute shoulder frills. I altered the bodice and made the neckline lower, raised the hem and opened up the arm holes a bit to make it more comfortable...*drum roll* I present you...my latest creation!
Not only are the garments recycled and repurposed, but the design offers versatility in that both the collar and the shoulder frills can be worn two ways, offering a few options for your look.



I have always enjoyed giving new life to vintage fabric and clothing. Even when I first started designing in college, I used pieces of vintage skirts and other garments in some of my designs as the fabric tends to be rich in color, texture and quality. Today, I have been repurposing antique kimono obis in many of my designs. I also use vintage fabrics in a lot of my purses, especially as liners. Be sure to read my item descriptions as you browse my store as I always mention when I am using repurposed fabric and what it was before. Enjoy!

Love this cropped jacket? It's available now in my yazberryfashion.etsy.com store. Here is the direct link: http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=29856663

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