Do you have a garment you love, but no longer wear because it has an obvious stain or hole, or is missing a button?
Or maybe the length doesn’t feel right anymore?
Rather than reasons not to wear these garments, think of these ‘flaws’ as opportunities to really make them your own by repairing them and adding personal touches at the same time. Here are just a few easy DIY ideas for customising pieces to add character to your wardrobe.
Too-short hems
Miniskirts, cropped pants, tops with three-quarter length sleeves … hem and sleeve lengths are not only subject to the whims of fashion. What feels right changes with our own tastes, with shorter items sometimes seeming less appropriate as we get older.
If you have garments in your wardrobe that are not being worn because they feel too short, why not try attaching some fabric, ribbon or braid to add length?
To lengthen an item by a few centimetres, it can be as simple as finding some wide ribbon, lace or braid and hand sewing it to the edge of the hem or cuffs. For those with more advanced sewing skills (and with access to a sewing machine), skirts and dresses can be made longer by creating gathers in a length of fabric and attaching them to the hem in a single layer as a flounce, or add layers of ruffles. Use fabric in a similar shade and weight to the skirt or for a contrasting effect, try different colours or a clashing print.
Rips, tears and holes
One of the more challenging repairs is mending holes or tears, particularly when they are significant in size and the material is delicate.
For heavier fabrics such as denim or thicker cotton, you can stitch the rip together or apply an iron-on patch in a similar colour, but to add character, why not try embroidery stitches in a contrasting colour or a fabric patch in a bold hue?
You could also use a woven patch featuring your initials, a favourite animal or motif, or a travel souvenir patch.
Rather than only mending the site of the hole, add patches randomly all over the garment to look like part of the design.
For lighter, finer fabrics such as voile, chiffon and silk, if the garment is printed you can probably get away with carefully stitching the rip together using thread the same tone as the main colour in the print and leaving it at that, as the print will disguise the repair. On plain fabric, however, any stitching will probably stand out. To cover it up, try adding seed beads, little sequins or embroidered French knots over the top of the mending.
If you’re fine with the repair work as a one-off feature on the garment, then you can finish here; otherwise you may want to repeat your work over the rest of the garment for a cohesive effect.
Missing buttons
Depending on its function, a lost button can be a minor inconvenience or make a garment completely unwearable.
If the button is crucial to how the garment is worn (if it serves to fasten the waistband or preserve modesty over the bust, for example), it will need to be replaced with a fairly practical button that is sewn on firmly with sturdy thread.
But if functionality is less important, it’s a chance to experiment with aesthetics.
Often on new garments, a spare button is supplied, either sewn to the side seam or attached in a small packet with the swing tag. If uniformity matters to you and you do have a spare supplied button, use it, but otherwise why not go for something completely different? On a shirt front, for example, you might choose a button in a colour that contrasts with the garment, is an unusual design or made from an interesting material.
Try buttons made from faceted glass or plastic that look like crystals and gemstones, designs made from horn, shell or resin, or buy a kit of self-cover buttons and use a scrap of fabric or ribbon to make your own unique piece.
You may actually prefer to remove all the original buttons from the garment and replace them – either with all matching styles, or a random assortment.
Don’t forget that you can use buttons in a purely ornamental way as well – sew a group of them on around the cuff of a jacket, use them to sketch out a pattern on the back of a shirt or add a few to create accents on a lapel. As well as making a style statement, this is also a handy way to cover over stubborn stains or small holes.
Stains
While stains can often be removed through washing, household remedies or dry cleaning, some are difficult to shift.
If even the most thorough efforts at cleaning fail to get rid of a stain, covering it with fabric patches, buttons, beading, applique or embroidery are all good options. Depending where on the garment the stain has formed and on the type of fabric, you may need to experiment by adding decoration over the stain itself but also other areas on the garment to create an all-over pattern.
If it’s a small stain on the chest area or collar, for example, it might be possible simply to pin a brooch over it.
Dyeing the entire garment may also be an option – go for a solid colour or play with tie-dye effects.
Fabric paint or fabric markers can also be handy for turning stains into patterns. If you’re artistic, you could create a picture that starts with the stain as inspiration, Mr Squiggle-style, but even the least creative of us can draw polka dots, stars, flowers and so on to disguise a stain and add a personal touch to a garment at the same time.
Also read: Cashing in on classic skills
