Little China girl

We all know that time flies, but this was made particularly obvious to me when I completed a DIY project and went looking for the “before” picture. “Surely I only thought up this project a couple of months ago”, was my thought as I skimmed through the folders on my laptop. Well, yes, if you count LAST AUGUST as a “couple of months”! That’s when I took this (extremely flattering, I’m sure you’ll agree!) shot of a Chinese reversible jacket (the other side is goldy-beige).
Like many of my projects, it sat around waiting for me to find some time to do something about it.

And now, I finally have!

I separated the two sides of the jacket, which, luckily, were only sewn together around the outer edges; chopped off the hem; removed the sleeves, took them in along the seams and refitted them to the armholes*, and also made a dart along the front and back to make the jacket more fitted. Ta da!
I wouldn’t say it was one of the easiest DIYs, but it does show how you can re-fit a garment to make it more wearable. Give it a go if you have a shapeless jacket or cardigan taking up wardrobe space!

*I read somewhere that the reason Chanel jackets are so flattering is that they are cut very small around the armholes. By no means should you cut off circulation to your limbs, but have a look at the “before” and “after” pictures here – too-big armholes and sleeves really add unflattering bulk to a garment, which is why I fiddled around and made them more fitted on this jacket. Sleeves and armholes are tricky though, so if you really value your “before” garment and don’t trust your sewing skills, take it to a tailor rather than risking the re-fit yourself!

Category : DIY, DIY ideas, ethnic dress, procrastinating