Guest Blogger: Ways to Alter Your Thrift Store Finds Without Sewing

guest bloggerTags: DYI, fashionista, Goodwill, Goodwill Huntingg, re-purpose, thrift, vintage

As an avid thrift store shopper and Goodwill fashionista, I’ve managed to stock my closets chock full of great vintage and thrifted clothing that I wear in my everyday life. It can be a challenge to make a thrifted garment look more modern, especially when you don’t know the first thing about how to operate a sewing machine, but here are five of the easiest alteration tips that I use day to day to style my cheap and chic outfits.

1)      Re-purpose it

Clothing is not always as it appears. Especially when dealing with skirts and dresses, sometimes the easiest thing we can do to alter is to simply repurpose it. You can wear long skirts as strapless dresses: simply belt it at the waist or leave it billowy. Likewise, you can wear strapless maxi dresses as skirts: just belt it at the waist so it stays up. If you’re dealing with a dress that has straps, you can just layer your shirt over top of it.

2)      Belt it

This is almost a no-brainer, but a belt can really transform a shapeless or oversized garment into something modern and sophisticated. Look how I’ve belted this plus-size women’s top right at the hip, it completely changes the look and feel of the garment, making it appear as a current fashion item.

3)      Cuff it

This one works with both pants and shirts, but most recently I’ve been using it on my thrifted pants. Cuffed and cropped dress pants are all the rage, but you don’t need to spend a bundle to get the look! Just buy a nice pair of older dress pants at the thrift (high waisted and tapered leg, preferably) and then just cuff the bottom to the desired length. You can then just iron the cuff so it stays!

4)      Cut it

This is perhaps the riskiest, and requires a little bit of knowledge about fabrics. Woven fabrics will unravel when they are cut, so unless you want the unfinished hem look, I don’t recommend chopping something off. Knits on the other hand won’t unravel, so you can cut to your hearts content (if it’s a jersey it might roll up on the edge). This sweater actually came with a mock turtleneck, however I wanted it to be a little sexier, so I just chopped off the neck to create this off-the-shoulder look

5)      Tie it

It’s difficult to find your exact size at the thrift store, especially in tops. Not to mention that the length of shirts comes in and out of style quite frequently. If something is too long or too short, you can tie the bottom to make it look more deliberate. You can also emphasize your waist this way and show off those trendy high waisted bottoms.

For more outfit inspiration, be sure to check out my style blog, Goodwill Huntingg.

Stacey Kay is a freelance fashion blogger residing in Cleveland, Ohio. She holds a BA in Fashion Merchandising from Kent State University, and has studied fashion throughout Europe and Asia, specializing in Fashion Retail through an exchange program with Hong Kong Polytechnic University. She has written for fashion websites such as FashionablyCleveland.com and Collegefashionista.com, produces her own personal blog, GoodwillHuntingg.com, writes as a style and fashion blogger for ClevelandFreePress.com, and is the Cleveland Women’s Fashion Examiner for Examiner.com. She has been named “Goodwill Style Icon” of Greater NY and NJ, and been featured on Modcloth.com for her thrifting savvy. Her mission is to help real women find ways of reinforcing their self confidence and self esteem by finding their personal style.