Thrifted Couture

One thing I love to do is thrift shopping at my local Goodwill or vintage store. Most days I’m not looking for anything in particular and I don’t always find something.But when I do find a truly unique piece, there's a magical connection that takes place.

For years my favorite thing to do has been to remix the pieces I find, and I rarely leave anything the way I bought it. Guaranteed there will be some sleeves missing, holes cut and bleach galore (blame my obsession with YouTube DIYs). While most of my "DeeMixes"(what I call my creations) are a hit, some have definitely missed the mark, but hey that’s why you practice on a $2 blazer vs. a $200 one.

Recently while searching for a vintage leather jacket to paint on, I found an awesome gold double-breasted jacket that was calling out to me. It has no collar and big black plastic buttons that look straight out of a 1980s music video. It was in great condition and at $2.50 it was a steal. With some expert alterations by my trusty tailor, we took the entire jacket in, nixed the shoulder padding and slimmed the whole silhouette out to give it a modern cut.

The result: the perfect blend of 90s era New Jack cool with a modern aesthetic.

Tips to Tailoring:

1. When In Doubt, Yelp! It Out: Use apps like Yelp!, Thumbtack or Angie’s List to shop around for a good tailor that can help customize your clothes. This helps remove the guesswork as you can read reviews and ratings from real consumers.

2. Trust a Try: Any tailor or seamstress worth their salt can perform simple fixes like adjusting hems and replacing buttons, to full overhauls like I did for my jacket. Whoever you choose, make sure you are fully confident in their work.

3. It's an Investment: Keep in mind that taking in that sleeve or slimming that pant leg will make your outfits look better and last over time.

4. Broke Ain't Fly: Contrary to popular belief, tailoring doesn’t have to be extremely expensive, especially for small jobs like fixing a hem or taking in a jacket. Most times you’ve spent more on the actual piece than the cost of tailoring. Always look for quality in your tailor, but within financial reason.

Sincerely, D.A.K.A