I own some vintage clothes, and I love to refashion them for modern wear. Who doesn’t love a good 1990s oversized blazer these days? Or a pair of silk pants turned into silk joggers?
I recently refashioned an Escada (remember that brand?) pleated wool gauze skirt by removing the “hard” waistband – a fitted, interfaced waistband with zipper, button and hook – and turned the skirt into an elastic waist skirt with no zipper.
I mean, who hasn’t given up hard waistbands during the last two years? This skirt is way more useful as a casual midi length skirt worn with a graphic tee and denim jacket. But I could still wear it with a blouse and heels for a dressy event. Whatever that might be!
I first unpicked the zipper, then used a rotary cutter to cut the waistband off of the skirt; you could unpick the waistband. I chose not to. I then folded, pinned and stitched the waistband – as you do this on a pleated skirt, the pleats will separate. That’s OK, the elastic inside will bring them back together. I then inserted elastic into the casing and stitched it shut. The elastic brought the pleats back together and the skirt is WAY more comfortable than it was before.
I always pair this skirt with a bold top – a graphic tee, a bright print. Because it’s wool, it gets worn mostly in the spring and fall – or with booties in the winter.