Cut it up!
AN EXCERPT FROM MY BOOK: THIS CAN BE BEAUTIFUL
Upcycling and reimagining one’s wardrobe is very much in Vogue today. Some of us have been embracing this ‘trend’ for decades. Here’s one of my fave fashion hacks.
And yes - I did chop up my accidentally shrunk Versace for this project and it turned out fabulous TYVM.
I like to cut my clothes. Straight up. No planning, measuring, or sewing.
If I want something shorter—with a slit or a different neckline - I get my fabric shears and go to it. I realize that this practice is not for everyone, but I get some major compliments on my layering skills and part of this look requires a good proportional cutting job. With this tip in mind, if you find a piece of cheap, cotton clothing and possibly something that you would wear a lot, I recommend that you buy multiples.
I also like to paint my clothes - you can see my painted denim collection here.
Let me tell you a story: I was in love with a pair of jeans that I cut. They were perfect in every way: cheap, soft, and oversized. They were frayed to perfection, and even after I washed them, the cuts that I made only got better. I took these jeans on a trip to Punta Cana. And there they stayed. On the way home, these jeans were put in my carry-all that got left behind in the taxi to the airport. I was devastated. I lost my pants in the Punta! And I did not snag a backup, so when I got home I did not have another pair to soften the loss. Mistake. Moral of the story: Cut your clothes because it makes them better. But don’t take beloved clothing on trips unless you have a backup. The End.
WHAT YOU NEED: Old or cheap clothes. Fabric scissors. Courage.
TIP: It’s easier to cut clothing items that are made of cotton or a cotton blend. They’ll fray, wash well, and still keep their shape.
THE BEGINNING
Baby, it’s cold outside. You have to layer up your long-sleeved cotton shirt with a sweater on top, but you don’t want to end up looking bulky. What to do? Cut the ribbed band off the bottom of your sweater so that it’s shorter. This means that you can see the cotton top underneath the sweater, and it becomes little less figure-hugging and more comfortable.
THE MIDDLE
Fully commit by getting rid of the cuffs from the sweater’s sleeves, too. You’ve done the damage now, so cut the collar to make a deep neckline as well. All of a sudden, you have the hang of it. BE BRAVE Any cut garment will look even better after you’ve washed it. I realize that this look is not for everyone, but tempered with the right items, this rocks the high/low trend in a major way. If you cut your proportions right, you’ll have all the cool clothes you could ever need hanging right there in your closet!
THE END
The moment of truth happens when you put the sweater back on. You look so cool! It looks like one of those sweaters that you could have purchased at a high-end hippie store, and now you’re hooked. This cutting clothes thing is liberating. The last thing you would have ever expected to do is now the first thing you will turn to when you want to step up your layer game. You proceed to spend the remainder of your evening thinking of ways you can cut items in your and your sister’s closet. Piles of T-shirts, old jeans, and light cotton sweaters all make the cut!
HAPPY CUTTING!!
PHOTOGRAPHY CREDIT: TARA MCMULLEN PHOTOGRAPHY
If you are interested in getting a copy of my book that has 48 incredible projects, you can purchase it here.