THAI ME UP

Some of my favorite items of clothing or accessories that I own have been acquired during trips to foreign countries, or as gifts that family and friends have brought back from foreign counties. I love incorporating the styles of other cultures into my wardrobe to mix it up a bit and also to evoke nostalgic memories of my trip there (or if the item is a gift, to evoke lovely daydreams of what traveling to that place might be like.)

When my sister studied in Southeast Asia in college, she brought me back all sorts of goodies to wear. A favorite item she gave me was a pair of green Thai Happy Pants made out of a light weight material (likely a rayon because that's what this website uses for the fabric.) They're very flowy and comfortable, a life saver during the humid summer days in the midwest. I liked the pants so much that I wanted to figure out a way to wear them during cooler temperatures.

So...you guessed it...I made some for myself! This project does require a sewing machine but you only have to sew a few basic lines so it takes a pretty minimal skill level of sewing.

Here's what you'll need:

 - 4 to 5 yards of fabric

- thread

- rope, ribbin or other material for tie (if desired)

- sewing machine

- scissors

- pins

TOTAL COST: about $10 to $20 depending upon the price of the fabric

Start by measuring how long you want your pants to be. Keep in mind that these pants are generally tied pretty high on the waist and that you'll need to leave a few inches on either side of the fabric for hems. Next, determine how wide the pants need to be. Hold the fabric in front of your body and the pants should be as wide as your waist, plus about 5 inches on each side. The pants are made up of two big pieces of fabric (pretty much giant rectangles) that are sewn together on one seam that goes under your legs and then tied on a bit like a diaper. I know...I'm really selling these pants right now. Giant diapers! Who wouldn't want to wear that?!

Cut two pieces of equal size and lay them on top of one another. Then determine how low the crotch area needs to hang (they should hang pretty low...that's why these pants are so damn comfortable) and then draw a "U" on the fabric where the crotch seam will be cut. See the photo below to see what the shape will look like.

Fold over the fabric about 1 inch all the way around the edge and pin into place. You'll then sew this line all the way around the piece of fabric to make the edges of your pants neat.

Once you've sewn around each piece of the pants, pin the two pieces together in the "U" shaped area. You'll then sew these two pieces together.  In the picture below, the green dotted lines are there you'll sew a hemline and the pink dotted line is where you'll sew the pieces of fabric together.

  Then, figure out what sort of tie you want on the pants. For this pair I just used pieces of the same fabric, but on the next pair I'll show I bought a nylon rope-like material to use as the ties. You need to attach your "tie" material or rope to the top four edges of the fabric (one tie to each top side of both pieces of fabric.)

Now...to put them on!

The seam which you've sewn in the "U" shaped area will go down the center of your body. Take a tie-piece on either side of the seam, hold the pants either in front of or behind your body and wrap the tie-pieces around to the other side and tie them together.

Then pull the pants through between your legs and pull them up on the other side. Take the remaining ties and wrap them around your body (whichever way you didn't wrap before) and tie them together. This sounds rather confusing as I type, but hopefully the pictures are more helpful than my instructions. I promise they're not that tricky once you get them on the first time.

This is the how this patterned pair looks on. Keep in mind that these pants are just two flaps of fabric tied around your body, so your legs can be exposed on the side (depending upon what you're doing.) When you use a heavier fabric you don't have to worry too much about flashing your legs everywhere...the lighter fabrics may flow in the wind a bit more and allow you to show off your gams if you so desire.

The next pair I made is all black (so photos might be a bit difficult to see) and I used a silky rope-like material for the ties. On the front panel of the pants I made the ties very long (probably 4 feet long) so that I could wrap the rope around my waist several times.

On the pack panel of the pants I attached three ties on each side, each about one inch apart.

And...here's the final product!

 

These pants are more of a Spring/Summer item, but if you're bored this winter you can make them while you dream about warm summer sun! I often wear my Thai happy pants to the beach because they're so easy to just untie and dip in the water. You can also throw them on with a tank, some ornate silver jewelry, a patterned scarf and some gladiators or moccasins and rock out the boho-chic style. Anyway you wear em, you can rest assured that you'll be super comfy and feel like a bit of an international traveler.

Song to get you going: Dengue Fever - Seeing Hands

SOMEONE CALL THE DOCTOR

No, I don't have a case of a love bi-polar. What I do have is a project that utilizes materials often used for injuries.

I'm a huge fan of arm accessories and sweet glove-like things, so when I came across these beauts it was instant love. Then I saw the price. What the what? You want me to pay $215 for something that looks like an ace bandage? No way jose, I'll get me some bandages and make them myself.

Here's what you'll need:

- two bandages (width is up to you...I got the target brand for $3.00 a piece)

- fabric dye (mine was $3.50) 

- sink or bucket to dye in (or washing machine if you so desire) 

TOTAL COST: $10

This project is basically one step...more if you want to make your bandages gloves more fancy pants.

Supplies:

Dye both of the bandages (one for each arm) following the directions on the dye. There are also different dying method directions here. I would note that the dye color may not fully take due to the elastic in the bandages. That was just fine by me because I used a black dye and ended up with gray and half of my fall/winter wardrobe is gray. I meant to do that.

Make sure to thoroughly wash your bandages, because if you use a dark color like me and don't wash them well, your arms could be dyed. Then you would be wearing permanent gloves. Not cool. 

Here's how mine turned out.

Once your bandages are all dry, wrap it up! (giggling...to myself. or at myself?) This is where you could get fancy if you feel so inclined and actually stitch the bandages in place so that they stay in their glove shape and then you could just slip them on. I was going to do that...but then I got lazy.

I began by folding the bandage in half so that it doesn't cover my knuckles. As you wrap down your hand unfold the bandage to its full width.

I think these are a neato accessory and they make me feel like a ninja warrior. Hi-ya!

 

Domo arigato.

Song to get you going: Hot Hot Heat - Bandages

SILKIN' IT

Gearing up for the holiday season (under the false pretense that I'll have fabulous holiday parties to attend) I wanted to make something that makes me feel festive and ready to tackle any egg nog that comes my way.

I saw a necklace similar to the one I made, but the necklace I saw was made out of tulle. After completing the project, I realized why the necklace was made out of tulle...it's MUCH easier to work with than silk. But...being me I wanted to make something shiny. My love for shiny things rivals that of babies and ravens. It's pretty serious.

Here's what you'll need:

- 1 yard of silk (or tulle if you're smart)

- needle

- thread

- clasp of your choice 

TOTAL COST: $5.00

Begin by cutting your yard of fabric into strips lengthwise. I did one strip about 3 inches wide, two strips about 2 inches wide and two strips about 1 inch wide. No need to worry about making the cuts perfectly even, as you'll be folding up the fabric and the edges won't matter.

With each strip, you'll fold it in half the long way and accordion fold the entire strip. The 3 inch wide strip I made my folds about 2 inches long, the 2 inch wide strip about 1.5 inches long, and the 1 inch wide strip about 1 inch long. It's up to you depending how much volume you want.

To secure each folded strip, I used bobby pins. Depending upon the fabric you use you can also use safety pins, but given all the layers of silk I was working with it was a bit difficult to get the safety pin through so I had to turn to hair accessories. Whatever works.

They look sort of like pretty silky flowers. Do I feel another project coming on?

Now take your thread and needle and thread all five adorable little bundles together. Make sure you have the two thinnest bundles on the end and the thickest in the middle. Widths going from one end of the other should be 1 inch, 2 inches, 3 inches, 2 inches, 1 inch. Everyone with me? Great.

Once the thread is through (which may be a battle requiring a thimble or other hardware to prevent injury) figure out how long you want the necklace to hang around your neck and tie on your clasps. I used the little ring thing because it's easy to attach and easy to get on and off.

Now, take off the bobby pins and evenly spread out the fabric along the length of the necklace. Beauuuutiful. Since I was working with silk and didn't have any fray check on hand, my ends got a little fuzzy after all the folding. I used a lighter to burn the frayed parts off and prevent future fraying. However, you don't want to let the fabric start on fire and you definitely don't want to let your house start on fire. Just be careful. Or use fray check beforehand.

Here's the finished product. And...

Ta-dah! Throw this sucker on with a little black party dress and get me to some mistletoe! I realize it's not even Thanksgiving yet but a girl can dream.

Song to get you going: Jamie Cullum - I Get a Kick Out of You 

(...because this is a song I would like to hear at a lovely holiday party...preferably being played by a beautiful man on a baby grand piano. Again...allowed to dream.)

GIRLZ N THE HOOD

I have a lot of love for hoods. First and foremost, they're warm. They combine the warming powers of a hat and a scarf without messing up your hair as much. Hoods can also act as a safety net, protecting you from the outside world when you're feeling anti-social or just not uber bubbly for a day. I definitely think hoods send a message, sometimes a pretty badass one (ahhh how I love Pharrell.)

I got the idea for this project at a Cool Kids show in Chicago. The crowd there was really interesting, and there was this one dude in particular whose style was a perfect blend of hipster and hip-hop. He had THE coolest clear framed glasses that made me wish I had some sort of ocular impairment, and he was wearing a hood without the hoodie. Genius! All the benefits of a hood without the bulky and sometimes uncomfortably warm effects of a hoodie. My fashion muse was wearing a red hood cut off right below the neck with a graphic tee and a keffiyeh.

My version of the hood adds some volume to combine the hood and scarf elements, and makes the piece a bit more unique.

Here's what you'll need:

- hoodie (if you don't have one you're ready to cut up, thrift stores are always full of hoodies that are generally around $5.)

- 3 yards of cord or ribbon (mine was $1.29/yard)

- scissors

- seam ripper (not vital, but helpful if you have one)

TOTAL COST: About $10 (cheaper if you already own the hoodie!)

Here's my hoodie. It's pretty big but the fit doesn't matter as we'll be cutting it up.

 Begin by using a seam ripper (or scissors) to remove the seam on the underside of each sleeve.

 Next, cut off the body of the sweatshirt so it falls to about the top of your ribs. You can make the body longer or shorter depending on how much volume you want in the top part. Cut the bit of fabric still connecting the front of the sweatshirt to the back (the part on top of my hand in the picture) so that the hoodie becomes like a short cape that falls over your shoulders.

Now we're getting to the fun stuff. To add volume, I created folds in the sweatshirt and pulled it up with a drawstring-like effect so that the part of the garment surrounding the hood has a neat texture and look. Make folds in the sweatshirt (I averaged about 4 folds per rope section) and make small cuts on either side of the folds so that you can stick your rope or ribbon through.

When your rope is all the way through the top of the sweatshirt, tie the ends tightly on the inside of the sweatshirt so that the folded sections stay the way you want them to and don't get droopy looking.

I did eight different drawstring sections, and made sure that the folds from section to section were not aligned horizontally in order to get a messier fold look, rather than a straight accordion fold. 

 Here is the final product:

I'm pretty amped to wear my hood around town when it's not too warm, but just cool enough to merit a head-warming accessory (or on days when I don't feel like doing my hair.)

 Song to get you going: Cool Kids - What It Is

SOLVING THE SCARF PROBLEM

Let me begin by saying that I have absolutely no problem with wearing scarves. I wear them all the time. The problem to which this post title refers is that of having so many scarves that you cannot effectively store them in a manner that is easy to see your options and keep the scarves in optimal condition.

While living in Chicago I hung my scarves on three different strands of fishing line that went diagonally across my wall, so that there were three tiers of scarves. However, even with this method of hanging and display the scarves slid into each other, became wrinkled, or worse yet, hidden from sight! So...take two on the scarf hanging efforts: I give you the Scarf Wall.

Here's what you'll need:

- 2-3 yards of large fishnet (other fabric like burlap may work if fishnet is unavailable.)

- clothespins

- hammer and nails

TOTAL COST: about $10 (price will vary based on fabric type and length)

I feel sort of guilty even posting this because it's too easy to really call this a "project," but I wanted to share this in case anyone else has too many scarves than they know what to do with.

First, pick out a decent sized chunk of wall where you want to put your scarves. Take into consideration the length of scarves that will hang down, as well as how far they might stick out from the wall.

Start by nailing your fishnet (or other fabric) into place. I used the little nail-hook combo thingers (that is the technical term in case you're wondering) so that I could hook several loops of the fishnet on one hook to pull the fabric a bit more taut. The scarves will weigh quite a bit depending on how many you hang, so place as many nails as you feel necessary to keep everything in place.

 

 I know what you're thinking...black fishnet? On that big of an area? Fug. I know. I thought the same thing. I desperately looked for a beige color that would blend into the wall but my choices were black or bright turquoise, so I took the black. It really doesn't matter what color fishnet (or fabric) you hang because all you're going to see when you're finished are all of your lovely scarves.

Now use the clothespins to hang the scarves evenly over the fishnet. I stuck the clothespins through the fishnet, so that when I take off a scarf to wear it, the clothespin stays in place for when I need to hang the scarf again.

The area of my scarf wall is about 1.5 yards wide by 2.5 yards tall, and it currently is home to 47 of my scarves (I know this based on the number of clothespins left out of a pack of 50. I told you it was a problem.)

This hanging method allows you to view all of your options while keeping the scarves wrinkle free and happy.


Song to get you going: Grizzly Bear - Easier

SPIKE THAT S*@T

Nothing says don't mess with me like a foot full of spikes. There have been some crazy awesome shoes sporting spikes these days. The most stunning examples that I've seen are by none other than the great shoe guru Christian Louboutin and are a pair of men's loafers and incredible heels he did for the Rodarte S/S '08 Collection.

I don't tend to wear men's shoes, nor do I sport heels on a regular basis, so I decided to bring the spike idea to a simple pair of sneakers that were sitting idly in the back corner of my closet. (Oh yeah, and the Louboutins probably cost more than my car. Just sayin.) In my search for supplies, I stumbled upon a website I think I'll visit quite often for projects: studsandspikes.com. I clearly ordered a few accessories along with my spikes, I mean...if I'm paying for shipping anyway.

This one is super easy, let's get to it already.

Here's what you'll need:

- sneakers (I got my pair for $10 at payless when I needed emergency heel relief at work one day...who knew these little diddies had such potential)

- spikes (my bag of 20 one inch spikes was $6.52)

- elastic (about $2 or less, you only need a few inches)

- thread

- needle

TOTAL COST: about $20

I started with lace up sneakers, which made it easy so that I could put the spikes through the lace holes and do minimum piercing of fabric (I did end up with one slicing injury, and I only had to poke two holes.)

 

These are the goods!

Once the laces are out, you're ready to turn these sneakers into slip-ons. Cut four pieces of elastic, about two inches in length each. You'll sew two pieces into each shoe, with the elastic going over the tongue of the shoe and the ends sewed to the inside on either side of the shoe. Make sure you stitch in the elastic so that when you slide on the shoe, it actually stays on.

Now, spike that s*@t! My spikes had little screws so I just stuck the screw part through the lace holes and twisted on the spike. I somehow misplaced one of my spikes, so in order to make the shoes even I decided to poke a hole in the canvas and make one middle spike on each shoe. In doing so, I sliced open my finger, so be careful kids.

Done! That's the fastest shoe makeover of all time (or at least that I've performed in my lifetime.) I think the shoes sort of look like a Tuojiangosaurus. Yep, that's right. Read this blog and you can make your own clothes AND learn about prehistoric friends.

Song to get you going:  The Clash - I'm Not Down

BACK IN THE HARNESS

As you may have gathered from previous posts, I'm a big fan of accessories. Especially the type of accessories that have the ability to completely transform an outfit. So, when I read this post on Style Bubble about fabulous harnesses by Norwegian Wood I just about jumped with joy. But...then I went to see how much they cost: one of those bad boys will cost you about $375 (prices vary slightly per style)

I think that harnesses are a pretty killer accessory, but seeing as they're not something you can wear everyday, there's no way I could justify spending that much moolah. So....you guessed it! I decided to make one myself.

Here's what you'll need:

 - elastic (I bought 3 packages for $1.49 each...if you can buy it by the yard you'll probably need about 3-4 yards)

- metal or plastic ring (for back)

- three hook buckes (or whatever sort of closure you'd like...the ones I chose were easy to sew)

- one yard of small chain (or fringe, feathers, pearls, etc.)

- thread

TOTAL COST: about $10.00 

For this project, I would really recommend using a sewing machine. It's not absolutely necessary, but hand stitching through elastic can get tough, so if you're going to hand sew everything you'd be wise to use a thimble.

Here's the full view of the harness so you can see what we're about to get into:

I started by measuring how big the three waist bands needed to be, leaving a few extra inches on either side for the buckles. When the elastic is around your waist, pin or tape the rough end facing in toward your body and sew a seam about half an inch from the end of the fold. Once you have all three waist bands cut and sewn, you can hand stitch on the hooks or buckles.

When the waist bands were done, I put all three of them on and pinned the elastic shoulder straps  starting on the sides (down on either side of my waist) then positioned the elastic over my shoulders so that the two straps would meet in the back.

The trickiest part is trying to make sure that all three waist bands get evenly placed on the elastic straps. I just kept on putting on the waist straps, pinning, taking it off, sewing, putting it back on, pinning the next place, taking it off, sewing, etc.

When the straps are sewn on the sides, get out your metal or plastic ring and determine where that needs to go on your back. (I used a mirror to look at my back and pinned accordingly.)

The last strap that will go on is the back "T-strap" that will go vertically from the ring down the middle of the waist straps in the back. Make sure the spacing between the waist bands on this strap is equal to the spacing of the waist bands on the side straps. The final touch is stitching on the chains. I only put a few chains on, but you could really get crazy with the hardware if you so desire.

This project may seem a bit tricky, but once you get going it really goes fast. The biggest bugger is that if you're not working with a form (as I was not) you have to keep trying the harness on as you pin. The positive side to that is that the harness will fit your body exactly the way you want it to!

I recognize that rocking a harness isn't everyone's cup of tea, but if you have the wardrobe and the cajones to really work it, you're sure to hit a fashion home run.

Song to get you going: Eagles of Death Metal - Don't Speak

 

 

NIFTY AND THRIFTY

This post doesn't contain any items that I have, in fact, fashioned by hand. However, I set out this morning with the intention of getting supplies for future projects, so I think this sort of counts.

My first stop: the Fashion District. This was my first visit there and it was quite a lot to handle. First I hit up the fabric stores (there are so many!) then wandered the alleys, then picked up a few knick knacks before I just couldn't take it anymore. The feeling of being in the fashion district reminded me of El Rastro in Madrid because 1) there were so many different shops and people milling about and 2) everyone was speaking Spanish. I'm so glad I went though because it really is a goldmine of fashion resources, and now I know where to get all the goods!

Boxes of shoulder pads?! I'm in heaven!

Technicolor zippers

In case I need a new dress for a party or something...very practical

Fabric AND boas...one stop shopping!

Well wasn't that fun?

My second stop is a thrifters staple: Goodwill. I went there to get basic pieces that I plan on cutting up for projects. I didn't come out with any of the things I set out for, but I did pick up some rad stuff anyway.

The material is sort of like a stretchy gray dress pant...an interesting twist on a hoodie

This dress is very Lisa in my opinion

Velour mini-dress with low scoop back...for channeling my early 90's Alicia Silverstone

I think paired with some military boots this could really pack some punch

My FAV. Needs an alteration (coming in a later post)

My grand total for the 5 pieces: $21.45. Yesssss! The best part about thrifting is that I can guarantee that no one will be waltzing around in the same outfit as me. And I found super rad stuff.

Third stop: LF Warehouse Sale. This was my first time at a warehouse sale and let me tell you, they are not for the faint of heart. BUT, if you're willing to deal with the madness, you will walk out with some incredible deals. My finds are below, with the original price and what I paid.

Black sheer long sweater. Original: $128. I paid $10.

Long tshirt (the sheer kind you see through). Original price: $58. I paid $6.

Baller scarf. Original price: $75. I paid $7.

Gray t-shirt (suuuuper soft and wonderful.) Original price: $58. I paid $6.

High waisted skinny jeans. Original price: $225. I paid $18.

 

Leg warmers + stirrups = two of my favorite things. Original price: $48. I paid $6.

Badass earrings (that perfectly match a necklace I just got...bonus.) Original price: (unknown) I'd guess at least $40 based on the pricing of other items. I paid $7.

LOVE these boots. Original price: $225. I paid $35.

The retail price for all of these items would have been: $877. Oy! 

My grand total was $95! I win.

Today was a full-on fashion adventure that brought me all over the city. I came out with some great finds, but it was rather exhausting. I guess I've taught myself a lesson that being fashionable takes work! Or rather that good fashion on a budget takes work. But setting out for great deals and unique pieces and actually finding them is so much more rewarding than just heading down to Nordstrom and paying full price. Trust me on this one.

Song to get you going (on whatever fashion adventure you please): David Bowie - Fashion

(i mean...i had to use it at some point. what better place than here, what better time than now?) 

(yes...i just threw a rage lyric in my nerdy fashion blog post.)