Showing posts with label Summer Looks. Show all posts

Tuesday, July 28, 2015

Reduce, Reuse, UPCYCLE! My Latest Project: 2 Old Men's Shirts = 1 New Shirt Dress

2 Old Men's Shirts = 1 New Shirtdress

Greetings!

I can't believe it's almost August already! It's definitely hot here in NYC and I have been living in comfy and cool dresses. I normally gravitate towards flow-y bold prints and color with my materials, but when my husband handed over some old shirts he was discarding, I was inspired to do an upcycling project for myself with a little more polish.

The Project:

I don't currently own tailored shirtdress, so I decided to create one!

I had a blue shirt and a white one, so I decided to go with a color blocked design. Keeping blue on the bottom, I was thinking it might be a little more flattering and would wear over time better than the white would. I sewed the pieces together with French seams, which give the overall dress some structure for a clean and crisp look!

The Result:

I'm really happy with the result! It's such a sleek and versatile piece; a blank canvas to change up with so many different accessories. Here I've photographed it with one of my best vintage clutch finds and a staple in my wardrobe for this summer- It's leather, made in Italy, and only cost me $15 :)

TIP: If you want to invest in some high quality accessories, but don't have a lot to spend, try some vintage shopping! For me, I love the thrill of the treasure hunt, the quality in which things were made in the past, and having a unique item that's not hanging in every department store in the country. If you're intimidated by a thrift store or a vintage shop, check out eBay online - I've found some great pieces on there.

You don't have to be an expert seamstress for a project like this, so it's a great beginner sewing project idea. Also, something like this would be a great way to preserve memories by using old shirts from a loved one! I hope I've added a little DIY inspiration to your week!

Cheers,

Erin

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Wednesday, July 1, 2015

My Fearless and Feminine Five Dollar Find

My Fearless and Feminine Five Dollar Find

Much like a go to LBD (Little Black Dress), for the summer I have my go to colorful dresses. I'm attracted to ones that can take me from day to night, or occasion to occasion. On a recent trip home to hot Louisiana, I threw some dresses in a carry-on backpack and I was good to go!

My favorites, and the ones I get the most compliments on, are all thrift store finds. Most of them weren't more than 5 dollars! In many cases, I'll do some slight alterations in size or just to better accommodate my body shape. The dresses then feel even more unique.

If you know me, you've probably seen me in this dress. It's one of my favorite $5 finds. I wear it from Spring, all the way into Fall. For super hot weather, I love that it keeps me cool and comfortable. For cooler weather it makes a lovely layer under a sweater or jacket.

I tend to gravitate towards deeper, more saturated color, and this pink print is spot on. I also love that this dress has a little cap sleeve that adds to it's versatility.

I can throw it over a swimsuit, then take it into nighttime with dressier heels or sandals.

Sometimes I add on booties and my bomber jacker to change it up and add a little bit of edge. (I got this jacket when I was 16 and I still love it!)

I altered the hem a little bit and it made the slouchiness of this dress more flattering for my body.

For me, confidence is key. I'm not always the most comfortable in shorts. If I ever start feeling a little anxious when getting ready, I throw on one of my favorite vintage dresses. I instantly feel more confidant and unique, and that's the power of wearing clothes that you love.

If you feel like you're in a dress rut (or a clothing rut for that matter) and on a budget- hit some thrift stores and explore the possibilities!

Thanks for following along friends!

xo,

Erin

Follow along the journey of ErinElsie and *Textile*Repurposed*Style.* Subscribe by email in the sidebar of my blog or sign up for Bloglovin!

Thursday, June 25, 2015

Hot Summer Nights! A Simple Upcycling Project with High Impact Results.

Greetings!

It is officially summer now, and it certainly is feeling like it here in NYC. With temperatures rising and summer events filling up my calendar, I took some time to do a quick upcycling project for myself. I got a little burned out on my rotation of dresses and decided to do something different this time.

Way back in September, I shared a couple of potential vintage upcycling projects with you. And as life happens, I didn't get to work on all of them right away. I thought if ever a time to tackle this bold yellow number, summer is it!

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Before:

Below is the entry from my original blog post, the before photo, and the results!

The Unflattering Yellow Jumpsuit

I know yellow is not for everyone; but while I have a summer tan, I thought if I'm ever going to sport it, now's the time. This 70's era vintage jumpsuit was sent to me by a dear friend for the very reason that I might find the potential in what it could be. I am intrigued by it's possibilities and the creative part of me is taking on the challenge of transforming it.

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The Project:

I normally am a fan of a good jump suit, especially for easy summer dressing. With this one, the gathering at the waist was just not working plus the bold yellow color from head to toe was a little overwhelming.

After some deliberation, what I thought would be a more complicated project had a surprisingly simple solution. I just decided to cut it apart and refinish it into 2 separate pieces. I had some other soft yellow remnants that I incorporated and I thought it would further help to break up the bolder yellow color.

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After:

The result is a bold 2 piece outfit that can easily replace a dress for a fun summer event! Showing just a little peek of skin breaks up the bold yellow and makes this look more flattering. The crop tops of the 60s have come back in a major way and can be super chic if worn right (just keep the rest of the look less revealing).

The top is comfy and can be worn with a regular bra, which is great if your dancing the night away!

Also the pants are super floaty and fun, it's almost like wearing a simple pull on skirt.

Another great result of this project is that I now have 2 great pieces to work with! The pants were adjusted to be worn with a lower heel or flats. This way I can also use them for different looks like the casual one below. I pair my favorite chambray shirt with everything! It's a good neutral piece to counter the bold yellow.

I also like the idea of pairing them with a simple black top! Easy breezy...

It's nice sometimes to take a little time to transform something for myself! Thanks for reading and enjoy the rest of your week friends!

xo,

Erin

Follow along the journey of ErinElsie and *Textile*Repurposed*Style.* Subscribe by email in the sidebar of my blog or sign up for Bloglovin!

Tuesday, July 29, 2014

The Easy Piece of Summer, Swathed in Beautiful Prints!

Oh how time is flying by! I can't believe that July is almost over. I have been trying to enjoy summer here in NYC, but mostly busy in the work shop plus a 7 day stint in jury duty. I am so happy to be finally putting new pieces out there!

The first of the new things are a group of kimono-style tops. For me, inspiration starts with the fabric, and these tops are the perfect canvas for displaying beautifully printed and dyed fabric. I have been hunting and collecting some beautiful vintage fabrics, and I hope that the new pieces to come give them a new life and add to their story. This is certainly one of the most versatile trends of this summer. They are an easy way to add a pop of color or print to your basic pieces. They are also so great to travel with as they can be worn with shorts during the day, as a swimsuit cover up, and even dressed up at night.

Violet & Gray Tie-Dye Boho Kimono

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Turquoise Tie-Dye Boho Kimono

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Red Vines & Floral Boho Kimono

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Graphic Tribal Print Kimono

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Beautifully Bold Red Print Kimono

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Please follow along this week for other new items!

Wishing you all a great week ahead!

Cheers! xo,
Erin
http://www.erinelsie.com
Follow along on Instagram: ErinBlank_Designer

Many Thanks to:

Photography by the one and only Ben Kulo http://www.benkulo.com/

The red-headed beauty, Stéphanie Rupe, stephaniearupe.wix.com/stephaniearupe

Thursday, July 3, 2014

Red, White, and Blue Love

Greetings everyone!

Wishing you all a lovely Fourth of July weekend ahead. Watching the World Cup in the past couple of weeks, has made me proud to be an American, while also globally inspired. Colorful fans from allover the world, uniting to cheer on their countries. Especially here in NYC, no matter how or where you are watching the game, it turns into quite the international scene!

In the spirit of this patriotic time, I leave with with some red, white, and blue looks from ErinElsie and my favorite outfit for the weekend. All thoughtfully made by me in the USA!

Continuing my love of 2 piece sets this summer in my easy breezy red, white, and blue look.