Make Your Off the Rack Item A Designer Original
How to Use Simple Creative Touches To Change Your Clothes
Off the rack clothes can be lovely and even expensive but they are mass produced from size 4 to size 20-plus. This may not matter so much if it is something you can easily accessorize with jewelry or a scarf, or if anonymity is what you are going for.
On the other hand it is easy and budget-wise to transform that blouse or dress or jacket into a unique item. Here are some things you can do to take the “rack” out of your clothes with inexpensive clothes design and original fashion. Make your off the rack item a designer original with simple creative touches.
Simple, Inexpensive Materials and Supplies Can Add Original Design to Off the Rack Clothes
Craft stores and vintage/antique shops are a treasure trove of possibilities for designing your own clothes by reforming clothes you already own or have found on the rack.
Once you get into this, your imagination will be triggered just by browsing. Some of the core decorative and sewing supplies include:
- Sequins, crystals, and pearls: These come packaged both as individual pieces and strands already strung together, in colors ranging from clear to pastels to bright colors. They may be sewn or glued on.
- Buttons: From old to new, the designs and sizes are limitless.
- Feathers: These range from tiny to large (not just those flashy “boas”).
- Charms: These are available in a variety of sizes and categories – sports, animals, careers, hobbies, plants, and so forth.
- Fabric paint, stencils and brushes.
- Fabric swatches, lace, edgings, cording, ribbons.
- Sewing needles in various sizes and threads in colors that match the project.
- Embroidery hoop and embroidery thread/needles.
- Fabric glue.
- Appliques.
Start With Something Easy and Practice Your Own Original Design
Before you tackle that special evening dress, practice on something inexpensive that can still allow you to express yourself.
If you are inclined to try fabric painting or stenciling, embroidery or appliqué, then a T-Shirt is ideal.
An off the rack blouse in your closet that has become boring is a good candidate to practice with inexpensive clothes design. Add creative touches with sequins, beading or other sew-on enhancements. Does the fabric have a pattern in it, such as a paisley? Add color-coordinating sequins or beading to the centers of the paisleys along the top front of the blouse in the collarbone areas or along the shoulders.
Do you have a jacket with a zipper? Attach an unusual charm to the zipper pull and stencil a related saying along one side of the bottom of the jacket. For example, a tiger charm on the zipper and the words “eye of the tiger” in all lower case on the bottom front side to back of the jacket.
Take a blouse or jacket and jazz it up with new buttons. Make every button different.
Upscaling Something New to Your Own Designer Original
Ready for something more challenging? That off the rack evening dress with matching jacket fits perfectly, but it is just a tad “blah.” It is white with a raised white-on-white design along the edge of the jacket. And because it is off the rack, there are thousands just like it.
Make it your designer original with easy, inexpensive clothes design simply by adding your own creative touches.
For example, sew white pearls along the raised edging design of the jacket and the neckline of the dress. Study the dress for where sequins can be further added to create a sparkle. Pastel sequins in a color of your choice will augment the sparkle and change the look of the dress. The same sequins can be glued to plain fabric shoes to match the dress.
Do you have a suit or dress that needs professional alterations? While the garment is being altered have the tailor add the other customized touches you want done to make it your own original clothes design. This is an option for those who are not creatively inclined or are time-challenged. The cost will still be minimal compared to the result you will achieve in having original, stunning clothes.
Remove or shorten sleeves; add sequins or lace; lower a neckline; add a slit to a skirt; remove bulky pockets and frilly bows; outline a pattern in the fabric with pearls. Add a panel of coordinating fabric to flare a skirt.
These are just some of the things that can completely change a run-of-the-mill look into an original fashion design.
Everything Old Is New Again
Similarly, vintage clothes, very much au courant, may provide the base canvas for new creations. Some vintage clothing needs repair. Make the repair a creative adventure for crafting a new designer original.
You can do the same thing with items buried in your own closet. Many of those items should probably be pitched. There is that old rule: if you have not worn it in a year, it goes.
On the other hand, if you are able to look at that old off the rack closet item from a new perspective, perhaps it can be reborn in your craft supply cabinet as your own designer original.
Make Off-the-rack a Designer Original
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Lace for Original Clothes Design
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Beaded Strips for Inexpensive Fashion Design
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Crystals/Sequins Can be Glued or Sewed on Clothes
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Ribbons,Lace,Buttons for Original Clothes Design
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