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

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Tuesday, June 16, 2015

Clothes with Stories, Sewing with Soul

Greetings! I'm getting a little sentimental today...

On my last trip home, I started to help my mom organize this hug box of old family photos. There's a something nice and nostalgic about a time when we actually did have to print out our photos and I miss that! I want to try and preserve as many of those as I can and this was step one.

Spending time with so many old family photos, and being home in general, makes me miss my grandmother. If you're a new reader on my blog, her name was Elsie and I feel lucky to have been able to spend time with her while growing up. I love the below photo I found of her with my grandfather, A.J. I never got to know him, but loved hearing about him from my mom and maw-maw. I love that this photo is on their old property in Thibodaux, LA and has Bayou Lafourche peeking in the background.

Elsie inspired my clothing label, and what it represents. The idea of new things, created and inspired by older things - clothes with stories and sentiment. In the world today where we are bombarded by so many chain stores and endless options for your clothing needs, I long to keep my wardrobe special and to create items that my customers will hold special. Some may say, "It's just clothes," but to me it is so much more than that!

When I returned from my trip home to Louisiana, I was unpacking and trying to organize my tiny closet. If you don't live here in NYC and think you have a tiny closet - I bet mine could make you feel so much better about yours - it's seriously tiny! This old dress I made years ago fell out from the back; it made me so happy to rediscover it, especially since Elsie has been on my mind. The more I got into sewing growing up, the more she would give me a few pieces of fabric at a time from here closet full of vintage fabric. It was special to me that I knew she had this closet full of fabric and she would choose certain pieces to give me at a time. The green details on this particular dress were one of those pieces. The other more neutral fabric was from an old skirt in disrepair, passed on to me by a friend who thought I would love the fabric.

It is now a dress with a story, and a sentimental one at that. A unique piece with my grandmother close to my heart.

I also feel like I've been gravitating to green lately - perhaps inspired by the lush spans of green all over my hometown and also in my Brooklyn neighborhood!

Current project - more green :)

Okay, back to work for me! Thanks for reading and enjoy the rest of your week friends!
xo,

Erin

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Thursday, June 11, 2015

It's all in the (Denim) Details!

Hey Ya'll!

I had to throw in the ya'll as I recently returned from a trip home to Louisiana. One of my best friends got married, and it was great to have a little girl time + a little family time. I'm busy with a freelance job this week; and since I don't have the time to create in my home studio, I'm just taking a little time to share about some recent work that came out of the studio.

There's definitely a noticeable pattern in my recent designs - lots of denim details! I love how the neutral denim compliments the bold patterns of these vintage fabrics, while also adding a little structure and edge.

Americana Cold Shoulder Top

Americana at its best. A little bit structure and a little bit boho. This chic and breezy top is made of reclaimed, vintage fabric, as well as light blue recycled denim parts.

Although it make look complex, the fit is actually easy. The trapeze silhouette drapes gently away from the body. The back has elastic, revealing just enough back and shoulders to keep it feminine and flattering.

Shop this top!

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Hawaiian Trapeze Top

Flow-y pieces can be flattering, it's all about shape and proportion. The trapeze silhouette of this tank drapes gently away from the body, and I love, love the print of this vintage Hawaiian fabric. It was salvaged from a shirt I picked up in Hawaii a couple of years ago.

My favorite part of this top is the back, it shows just the right amount of skin. The adjustable tie closures at the shoulders add just the right amount of sweetness.

Shop this top!

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Gray Graphic Print Convertible One-size Maxi Dress

A bold print, denim details, and versatility take this maxi dress to the next level! The black denim details pull it all together.

Ties along each side allow you to wear this dress a few different ways. You can simply tie the sides together to secure it and have them dangle, you can tuck them in and hide them, or you can cinch the front in for a different look. The back tie slides through the denim detail like a draw string, so you can adjust that however you like as well.

Shop this dress

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It doesn't get more classic than denim. A textile that was originally created to make tough, long lasting work clothes, a quality denim will truly stand the test of time. When I walk into a thrift store, I'm always blown away by the racks and racks of discarded denim in perfectly good condition. A lot of my personal favorite pairs of jeans are from thrift stores or are hand-me-downs from friends.

Thanks for visiting! Have a lovely weekend, in your favorite denim ;)

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!