Hobbies and Crafts

Re: Redesigning Clothes

anna_esq — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 19:15:03 GMT

Before doing any cutting, here's three older movies I suggest you borrow from your library to watch together with your daughter for ideas:

1. Desperately Seeking Susan

2. Pretty in Pink

3. Some Kind of Wonderful

I was mega into punk (complete with bustier-over-clothing and pink spiked hair) and, though I cringe at the photos now, also remember how much fun it was to make my own clothing (yes, I was a recycler even in high school). Here are some fun ideas:

1. Find a lacy puffy skirt, cut it so it sits around 3-4" above the knee, and layer it under a denim skirt (those multi-layered "western" style skirts work well, but a very-short mini will work as well). A middle-east-dance type waist gypsy-sash will do in place of (or in addition to) the skirt.

2. You probably don't want your daughter to wear fishnet stockings, but thick cotton tights and/or leggings in a variety of colors (preferably to match another item in the outfit) -underneath- the fishnets is period-appropriate. If you can't find colorful "slouch" socks, hunt the thriftstore for thick mens hiking or "ragg" socks (and let them soak in vinegar overnight before washing :-)

3. Hunt thrift stores for a wide belt, preferably 3" or wider, in a variety of colors and a loose-fitting white cotton blouse (or man's white shirt). The collar must be starched and worn so it "stands up." Also a loose-fitting mans plaid wool suit blazer in a funky color with the sleeves rolled up to just below the elbows (a.k.a. "the boyfriend jacket"). A narrow mans tie is an appropriate fun accessory for certain outfits, or you can wear the tie as a headband (with frizzy hair) with the ends trailing from behind one ear.

4. Don't just rip the jeans ... to be period authentic you have to sew little lace or colorful patches underneath the holes. No bootcut jeans ... run the inseam of an existing pair that has as close to a "natural" waistline as you can find so that they fit so slim, you almost have to wiggle you foot through the pants leg.

5. Recycle an old sweater into appropriate legwarmers ... just cut to fit around her leg and run along your overlock serger so it doesn't ravel.

6. We always wore either pump-style heels, or above-the-ankle womens work boots (the narrower kind like female soldiers wear with their dress uniforms, not the huge clunky kind construction workers wear).

7. Find an old bustier (lacy, leather, or plain) and layer it over a flouncy "pirate" shirt. For dressier outfits (i.e., a dance) look for outfits reminescent of Spanish flamenco dancers with narrow princess-seamed drop waists leading to flouncy, feminine skirts (preferably with lacy under-skirts).

8. Perms, frizzed hair, and lots of hair spray! Have fun with the look ... I certainly did the first time around!!!

Re: Redesigning Clothes

lwyrgrl1 — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 17:56:56 GMT

I love this kid! She sounds very creative. I also loved the 80's punk -- maybe she should review some old Go-Gos video's because they were really the top of the look, along with early "Borderline" Madonna. But remind her that a lot of people took the preppy look to the extremes, too, and even mixed it with punk! The top color combinations of '86 were pink and green, pink and tourquoise, pink and purple! Tons of people wore polo shirts with collars turned up, docksiders, and sweaters wrapped round their shoulders, but put them with several of those those thin rubber vacuum-cleaner rings worn as bracelets and short pleated school-girl skirts or super-skinny jeans that their moms took in on the sewing machine. Oh, yeah, and let's not forget Pat Benatar -- she wore ripped up hose with short skirts, anything vintage (especially hats and glasses), and anything military salvage. She could still get all that stuff today cheap in vintage stores.

Re: Redesigning Clothes

kabin — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 15:12:48 GMT

Sorry I haven't responded sooner, just have been very busy and not on line much.

Thanks for all of your ideas ladies! Some very good ones. My dd has been doing some of these things all ready, but the t-shirt thing is more of the direction she has been going. Then, yesterday (I am so happy about this) she decided to try knitting again. Now that she has figured out that she can make some very cool stuff by knitting, she is all into that. She made a cute scarf and now making some wristlets. LOL She is going to town. After all, school starts in less than a week.

Re: Redesigning Clothes

kabin — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 15:02:36 GMT

mommatothree:
"Some Kind of Wonderful",

That's absolutely one of my favorite 80's movies. LOL

Re: Redesigning Clothes

rlhall73 — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 13:50:20 GMT

My sister is into punk & she recommends the following:

wrist bands, jelly bracelets leg warmers, you can cut sweat shirts into t-shirts and wear them over tank tops, use what you cut off the sleeves of the sweat shirt to cut into rings for scrunchies for hair, hmm......gloves with the fingers cut out, anything bright colored and doesnt match. patches of any sort sewn with white waxed dental floss, t-shirts or long sleeved ones with the sleeves cut out of both, and the sides cut, then sewn up with dental floss to be more form fitting, and anything with colorful layers, if it doesnt fit and is too small, put a t-shirt that is too big over it to get a colorful layered look.

Re: Redesigning Clothes

rubberduckies — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 09:39:57 GMT

If your daughter looks up www.craftster.com there is a section on refashioning clothing. There are a lot of different categories for craft. quite a few people on there like the punk/goth style too. I'm sure she will get some ideas after looking though some of the posts there. They have categories on shoes and jewelery too. Often there are tutorials on how to do something too.

There are a few books around "generation T" I think is one. Search on Amazon there are a few for altering t-shirts in many ways.

You could also look on Flickr. There are photo groups for every style imaginable on there! Just do a search of groups maybe. and Punk rock or 80s fashion.

Hope this helps.

All the best with the refashioning!!

Ruth

Re: Redesigning Clothes

Harriet — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 21:25:09 GMT

I wore the punk look in the 80s. Denim jackets or men's blazers with tons of buttons on them. Those Boy of London overalls. Button down shirts with sleeves ripped off. Converse high-tops. Neon colors or black. Denim miniskirts with ripped tights. Doc Martens. 50s petticoats worn as skirts. Big studded belts.

(I still think all that stuff looks great.)

Re: Redesigning Clothes

tiredfromcoffee — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 15:23:51 GMT

It sounds as if your daughter is actually into the Emo/Punk look (less chains, cleaner, more stylized, with more colour).

-Try cutting off the sleeves of an old thread bare T- shirt to use as legwarmers (make sure there are no finished edges)

-The arm warmer look was origanly acheived by cutting a thumb hole in long shirts, cutting up a pair of tights, or using wide grained ribbon wrapped around the hand and arm and tied.

-T-shirts can be modified in many ways- start by cutting out the neckband and replacing it with bias tape this allows for the proper look while still meeting many school dress codes. The shirt can now be laced up the back for a Corset effect, providing some of the modern fit requirements. The shirt may also be slit up the side, cut down and laced together.

-Simplicity has a lovely corset-style design that has directions for making it out of fusible webbing and magazines- would be extremely cool in the scene, and helps your daughter learn some valuable skills (ironing, sewing, scounging, following directiond)

-For jewelry, wire or ribbon wrap objects found in the garage or in old computer graveyards

Fashions are reborn by changing the lines on things. This wave of 80's retro has a dropped waistline (even the pants), solid blocks of colour, small flat shoes, the shirts that are worn full have a peasent tunic neckline and a dropped gathered waist, really more Chanel circa 1927 than Madonna 1986. The hair and make-up are very Mod/ Audry Hepburn in the 60's. Have your daughter look at these era's in fashion, and why the fashions came about, and she should be able to predict what the next subtle change will be- being ahead of the curve can make things cheaper, and allow for making a profit when you are sick of your old clothes and want to sell them.

Re: Redesigning Clothes

mommatothree — Sat, 02 Aug 2008 14:59:14 GMT

The movie title is "Some Kind of Wonderful", oopsies! I'm thinking about the part played by Mary Stuart Masterson when you are describing what "look" your daughter is going for.

Re: Redesigning Clothes

mommatothree — Sat, 02 Aug 2008 14:52:11 GMT

Maybe she can check out some CD's from your local library from some of the bands that were popular in the 80's who's style she is trying to emulate. That would give her some creative ideas I would think. Also, maybe she can try renting some of the popular movies from that time frame and use them to get ideas too (Something Kind of Wonderful is popping in my head). As far as doing it on the cheap, have her try looking at Dollar stores or even eBay for notions before hitting up the fabric store. Those can get really pricey, especially with items that have a "vintage" feel to them.

Re: Redesigning Clothes

kabin — Sat, 02 Aug 2008 14:05:19 GMT

Yeah, I sort of remember those kinds of shirts, just wasn't into that myself. The punk era was coming in to play just as I was graduating high school. Fortunately for me my dd isn't into that kind of thing. She might write on some old jeans or something, but usually something like song lyrics. I told her nothing that is suggestive or violent though. The school she will be attending this year is a bit leanient with regard to clothing as long as no violent phrases or too suggestive or too revealing. The school she is going to is a magnet school. They have a fine arts program, which is right up her alley. I think for once she is going to fit right in. LOL

Re: Redesigning Clothes

Edey — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 12:27:27 GMT

Suggestive phrases was another problem to deal with as far as dress code went. That was more appalling IMO than the jeans with the shredded knees. There was a shirt that had 2 large handprints on the chest area; like that was on open invitation for a young teen with too many hormones to have a try fitting their hands there. Sometimes parents didn't even know their kids had these clothes; they'd buy them on their own, keep them in lockers and change into them when they got to school. It was difficult to get the girls to understand what a danger it was to wear the clothes with the suggestive phrases. Edey

Re: Redesigning Clothes

kabin — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 02:16:53 GMT

Thanks for all of your ideas ladies. No, she doesn't have long hair. Remember when very short hair was in style for a while? I mean very short. Part of her hair is shaved, but a long shave. It looks really cute on her. She is more into the punk stuff, than the slouchy stuff. No bangs or crimping here. LOL Think tighter skinny jeans, chains or straps and no holes. LOL She does, however, have some larger t-shirts that she is trying to alter to fit a bit better than totally huge, yet a bit loose.

Re: Redesigning Clothes

Luvd_Lioness — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 21:59:03 GMT

ACK... 80's!! I guess it's a matter of opinion which decade had the worst outfits... for me, it's the 80's (I cringe looking at old photos).

Well another "trend" is the look of guys w/ boxers showing.... that gets me going at times. I have heard of cities and towns now where if you are caught like that, you're fined, that I like in a way. (Adding to the unattractive comment by Seahound).

Re: Redesigning Clothes

SeaHound — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 21:52:09 GMT

what i notice with todays young ladies is that the shirts they wear are all tight in the chest and hugging there sides. When i was a kid it was a regular shirt not so form fitting. I dont llike the new look. And then there are the bigger girls who are spilling out ( if ya know what I mean. )

Soooo unattractive.