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Clothes go for a style rehab

Karen Walsh, in photo at left, wears a patterned jacket that often doubles as a top but is just too frumpy to be contemporary. At right, the jacket is transformed with front and back darts and shortened sleeves. (John L. White/St. Louis Post-Dispatch/MCT)
Karen Walsh, in photo at left, wears a patterned jacket that often doubles as a top but is just too frumpy to be contemporary. At right, the jacket is transformed with front and back darts and shortened sleeves. (John L. White/St. Louis Post-Dispatch/MCT)Read more
    by Lissa Atkins
    Published 

By Debra D. Bass

St. Louis Post-Dispatch (MCT)

But what about the countless items in your closet that you simply don't wear because of a flaw that isn't physical. The pants that gap at the waist. The skirt that's too long or too short. The jacket that fits everywhere, but the cuff ends two inches north of your wrist.

The trick to doing this economically is to start with clothing that is a close fit. Reconstructing something more than a size larger or smaller might not be worth the effort unless it's a wildly expensive item.

Next, you'll need to find the right person to do your alteration.

Be very clear about what you want, but be flexible. Something that sounds simple — like just taking out the cuff and making the jacket sleeves longer — gets very tricky if the sleeve is notched or split for buttons or there's a lining.

And be certain of the price before you agree to the changes. You might want to compromise and go with a different solution.

When you're thinking about redesigning an item, figure out what you really like about the item and ask yourself if it's worth saving.

Simple things can add value: Switch out buttons, add an exposed zipper to a sheath dress, add a simple trim to the bottom of a skirt, get jackets fitted to your waist. Or if it doesn't fit, belt it!

Other things to consider: A knit dress can become a tunic, pants can become cuffed walking shorts, wool pants from a suit can become a skirt, miniskirts can be lengthened with contrasting fabric and creative stitches can add designer details to the hem, collar and cuff of a jacket.

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Wardrobe problem — A silver taffeta skirt that has a square hole torn in the back.

After the unfortunate accident, she held onto it, thinking that there would be some brilliant alternative to salvage her treasure.

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Why she kept it — Karen said, "I loved the raw silk fabric, its earthy colors and the simple, single-thread embroidery."

Even though the boxy shape of the jacket wasn't flattering, Karen said, she just couldn't bear to get rid of it.

The fix — Carmella suggested an extensive reconstruction that would cost more than the original price of the jacket. Karen gave it a shot because she'd now have a custom item instead of something she didn't wear.