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This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Stonehill chapter.

If you’re like me, you LOVE fashion, but your wallet sadly disagrees. Your closet needs sprucing; I can help with that. These tips require no prior sewing knowledge!

Tie-Dye

Tie-dyeing can be a fun way to remake a plain t-shirt that’s been sitting in the back of your closet for three years, and it’s something that you can do with friends! Some of the more popular patterns include spiral, stripes, and crumple, but there are loads of patterns online that you can choose from. All you need for this simple project is the kit from your local arts-and-craft store, disposable gloves, a t-shirt, rubber bands, and a washer/dryer!

Cropping

Don’t toss it, crop it! I love crop tops… I’m slowly creating my entire wardrobe around them. The best part is that I barely spend money on them! Most of my crop tops are DIY. Whenever I have an old t-shirt that isn’t serving its purpose anymore, I take scissors to them. You have to be careful that you’re cutting a straight line, though. I recommend measuring how much you want to cut and sketching a guideline in either a pen or sharpie before you cut.

Shirts aren’t the only thing you can crop, either. If you have an old pair of jeans with frayed hems, you can make them into instant “boyfriend” jeans by cutting the hems clear off. This will give the jeans a raw hem and a more authentic, vintage look.

Patches

I recently went into a consignment shop and fell in love… with my new jean jacket. It was the best four dollars I have ever spent. I wanted to make the jacket more “me,” so I went on Etsy to browse around. Of course, I fell into the rabbit-hole of jacket patches. Before I knew it, I had about ten different patches sitting in my cart (some of which are still there, lol!). Patches are super cheap, ranging from 3-10 dollars, and most of them are iron-on. If you have a plain jean or leather jacket, this is a great way to show off your unique style!

Jackets

This one may be obvious, but you can’t go wrong with the basics. A jacket can go a LONG way with an outfit. Now that it’s spooky season, jackets, beanies, and chunky boots are welcomed and encouraged! Throw on a jean or bomber jacket over a graphic tee with your Dr. Martens and you have a “90’s grunge” look!

Mismatching

We all have our favorite outfits that we wear over and over, but even that can get boring sometimes. So, mix and match a little, wear that 2000s hoodie with your favorite pair of jeans, why not? Mix your patterns, or wear your mom’s 80’s sweatshirts and rock it!

Wear what you feel good in, because fashion is ultimately thinking outside the box—only YOU can decide what looks good and what doesn’t. Happy crafting!

Emily Gaudette

Stonehill '23

Emily is currently a sophomore at Stonehill College! She is an English major with a minor in Business administration and Communications. She loves playing with her dog, reading, writing, and watching Netflix! When she graduates, she would love to work in publishing.