From funky shorts to rhinestone stilettos: how to be unique with DIY fashion
In a world where turning up to an event in the same dress as another attendee is considered by many to be a disaster, putting an outfit together can be quite nerve-wracking.
However, the solution is very simple, though often overlooked: DIY fashion (as embraced by our May Book of the Month author, Kirsten Nunez).
You don’t have to have the creative skills of a fashion designer to give DIY fashion a go – Internet access and enthusiasm qualify as adequate substitutes. Pinterest (such as this board from Stacie at Stars for Streetlights) is a great place to start looking for inspiration, though some of the projects are decidedly more ambitious than you might be looking for as a first taste of DIY fashion.
Pick something simple for your first attempt. If you dive in and go for something excessively complex, it’s likely to turn out sloppy and unwearable.
A great place to start is with old clothes that you’re considering throwing out, as ruining them won’t break your heart. That old pair of unsalvageable jeans with the holes in the knees, for example, can be turned into a cute pair of denim shorts. Spruce them up by adding lace or material in a funky pattern to the back pockets. There are also some easy tutorials for dip dying shorts available online, which don’t even require steady hands in order to look indie-cool.
Put those black stilettos with the chipped heels down, and back away from the bin! All hope is not lost! In fact, you’ve got multiple choices. Try personalising your shoes with strategically placed rhinestones, and no one will ever need to know how close they got to being thrown out.
We also love glittery shoes. Decide how much glitz you want by painting the parts you want to coat with PVA glue, then pouring glitter in a colour of your choice over it. If you think the entire shoe is too much try painting just the heel, or the heel and the platform. You could also give the underside of the shoe this treatment, or achieve a similar look by painting it with nail varnish. There are countless ways of turning your old, worn out shoes into something special.
Basically, next time you’re about to throw something out have a think about possible ways to revamp it, and next time you’re considering buying something new have a look at the back of your cupboard for clothes that could do the same job.
If you get good at it you’ll never turn up to a party with the same outfit as anyone else again.
