Thick thighs may save lives, but they also ruin jeans. Anyone without a thigh-gap understands the struggle of finding the perfect pair of jeans, wearing them obsessively, then adding two new leg holes you didn’t want. Clothes can be expensive, so when we invest we want them to last a long time! Unfortunately, shit happens so learning to make repairs, repurpose or even just update our clothes a little will save a ton of money in the long run. Youtube and Pinterest are the best resources for free tutorials and inspiration. There’s also classes available at Joann’s, books full of instructions and guides, even Vogue Magazine has an entire website dedicated to sewing patterns and helpful tips
Patching up holes
How you do this depends on what you’re repairing, but there are lots of different ways to fix a hole. The dreaded thigh holes in pants can be fixed with a patch of similar fabric sewed on the inside of the pants. There are lots of tutorials on how to do this, once you find the way that you like, you can make your pants last twice as long! A knit sweater can be stitched shut using embroidery floss. A t-shirt can be covered with a cute patch or an embroidered flower. There are a lot of options so don’t just toss and repurchase.
Doesn’t quite fit
Sometimes you love something that is way too long, so hemming is a great skill to learn. If you’re nervous, don’t cut anything! Try rolling fabric under and securing it so that any mistakes can be reversed. If you’re dealing with the dreaded ‘Saturn Waist’ (When there’s a gap around the pant waist), Try this tutorial for bringing it in. T-shirts and sweaters can always be cropped and even a dress can be turned into a two piece set.
Dealing with stains
The dangers of wearing white. There’s nothing worse than a stain that won’t come out, but before you get rid of it try covering it up! It’s easy to cover a stain with a patch or a sewn on flower and it adds a cute detail to the shirt. Learn some simple embroidery here. If your shirt is too far gone, cut it up and use it for scrap fabric or rags! (t-shirts make the best rags for dusting).
Recreating trendy Items
There’s a lot of vintage style lately which means thrift stores and the back of your mom’s closet are the best places to shop (and the cheapest). Sometimes your finds need adjustments or resizing to make them perfect, such as turning a dress into a skirt, turning baggy jeans into boyfriend jeans, Turning worn out jeans into shorts or a skirt, making a crop top out of a sweater, etc. there’s lots of creative projects you can try to turn your wardrobe into an affordable Urban Outfitters knock-off. Check out Bestdressed and Birabelle on youtube.
When you live on a budget, you don’t have to sacrifice your style to save money. No matter how much you invest in quality clothing, there will always be wear and tear so learning these tricks will help you get every bit of use out of your clothes. Learning how to adjust and alter clothing will save you money on trendy items that might not be trendy in a year. Everyone should have a basic sewing kit for emergencies, even just fixing a strap or stitching a torn lining, having sewing knowledge can save you lots of money and grief over your favorite items!