Recently, my friend Rhiannon McClintock approached me with a challenge. Rhiannon, an actress with a bevy of theater credits to her name, had a treasure trove of old vintage costumes she had purchased from theaters around the city. The problem? Vintage costumes look… well, costume-y. She needed to reinvent these theatrical pieces as modern outfits for for […]
No-Sew Solutions
The Sack Dress: A No-Sew Solution
Nowadays, over-sized EVERYTHING is the biggest trend out there. (The obvious pun? Intended.) The options range from enormous overcoats to baggy blazers and scarves that could swaddle an elephant. This trend can be tricky. Frankly, I’m wary of the whole thing. There may be many women who are supernaturally blessed with the figures that look fantastic in enormous sacks of fabric. […]
Altering A Blazer: The No-Sew Solution
Roughly 60% of my wardrobe is second-hand, hunted in the wilds of consignment and thrift stores. And there are many instances when I find something I love… but it isn’t my size. If something is too small, it’s a done deal — nearly nothing can save it. But if the potential purchase is too big, I start rationalizing, […]
Reinventing the Button-Up Shirt: A No Sew Solution
A few days ago, I took stock of my entire wardrobe, culling items for donation and color-coding the rest. During my closet clean-out, I realized I had managed to acquire at least a dozen button-ups in varying shades of plaid, polka dot and chambray. The vast collection irked my frugal side: aside from my solid white and black […]