5 Ways to Transform Your Old Clothes into Chic Fashions

Do you often think of the nice old dresses stored away in your basement when you go shopping these days? If you do, you are not alone.

At Selfridge's, you’ll discover that Simply Vera Wang dress with lots of soft ruffles. At Harvey Nic’s you’ll fall in love with that chic Inc. International Concept dress with bold floral patterns. And in the Tahari ASL brand section, a belted stares you in the eye. Somehow they look so familiar. Could it be that your favourite dress styles have been resurrected by these fashion designers?

To the delight of many women, there is really good news. Most of the new fashions for women today consist of outfits that are very flattering to their body shapes. In many ways, these clothes also remind women of the wardrobe they cherished a few years back. In fact, what was considered old and soft has now become vogue again.

This phenomenon presents a perfect opportunity for women to bring out the old collection of pretty dresses and give them a new life. With just a little touch here and there, you will be able to wear these well-kept clothes everywhere as if you had just bought them off those racks of big price tags.

How do you recycle those old dresses into fashionable designs? You will have more success if you begin with research.

First, you must spend some time doing window shopping. Check out the styles in the New Arrivals area. Find out what special features make these clothes attractive to you. You may also wish to take a good look at some on-line catalogues for women’s fashions. The pictures on the web sites of many department stores often offer helpful information. It includes colour, type of fabric, as well as pictures of the dress or other clothing items. These resources will serve as inspiration for your own creative ideas.

Out of the sample styles you have researched, you may wish to select a few designs that parallel what you see in your inventory of old clothes.

Next, you can start transforming your wardrobe into a dream collection of top-fashions by making simple changes to what you have. Consider these examples:

• Adding New Belts and Buttons
  For example, you may have a shirt-dress with point collar already. A simple way to update its look is adding a stylish belt. You could also go one step further by replacing the buttons with bright-coloured metallic ones. This will give it a sharper look.
• Attaching Ruffles
  A great way to add feminine touch and charm to an existing piece of clothing is to add ruffles. For example, by sewing a few strips of ruffles diagonally across the front side of a satin or knit jersey top, you can transform it into a chic tunic. The ruffles can be made with matching fabric or sheer fabric a shade darker than the tunic. If you prefer to sew the ruffles vertically along the sides of the top tunic, you will create an elegant look by wearing a necklace of medium length in the centre.
• Trimming with Ribbons
  This year both Alfani and BCBG brands feature dresses with black trims. BCNG offers a dress in the drop-waist style. If you have a V-necked floral dress, you can achieve a similar look by trimming your dress with narrow black ribbons of satin or similar material. The black ribbon should be sewn along the neckline, the hip line, and the hemline of the skirt portion. If you desire, you can add a piece of black ribbon vertically at the centre of the dress.
• Adding Beads and Jewellery
  Decorating a simple top or a dress with well-chosen beads may be the easiest way to give it a new look. You can choose a royal touch or a folk flavours by using different styles of beads and jewellery-like decorations that can be sewn along the necklines. Adding embroidered pieces to your clothes can serve a similar purpose.
• Making Scarves
  If you have an old dress that you are no longer wearing, but you love the colour or the pattern in the fabric, a good way to recycle this piece of clothing is to turn it into scarves. Decide the width of the scarf first, and then cut the fabric in diagonal lines. Seal the edges of the fabric strip and you will have a lovely scarf. A chiffon scarf makes a versatile piece of accessory. Drape a soft scarf along the centre of your basic tunic or tie a loose knot in the middle and you will get that lively look instantly. If you wish to buy a new scarf, you will find trendy colours in metallic sheer grey, plum purple and other hues. Scarves with frayed edges are also in vogue.

The key to success in transforming your old clothes into stylish fashions is to keep it simple. Choose one dress and decide on what part you wish to modify, and then begin. With these suggested methods, you can achieve the trendy look you want with very little sewing work.

Imagine the excitement you will experience when someone gives you a compliment on your new look!