Outfit Post: Scissors + Dress = Skirt

I am the type of girl that doesn't mind getting food/paint/dirt on my clothes.  A little snag or hole in a shirt?  I'll still wear it.  I'm also not afraid to take the scissors and go to town on an article of clothing that is not to my liking.  The skirt below was once a dress.  I chopped off the top half and added an elastic waistband.  It didn't take much skills/creativity but it did take some guts.  I am pleased with the results!

tank: Target, skirt: vintage (made from a dress), saddle bag: vintage, 

sandals: Minnetonka, necklace: Charlotte Russe, headband: vintage

I think I would pair those Minnetonka sandals with just about everything in my summer wardrobe.  In fact, this outfit is the formula for pretty much what I wear every day.  Plain tank + vintage skirt + tons of jewelry + Minnetonka sandals = go-to summer look.  What is YOUR go-to summer look?  

xo

Jayme

Wednesday Re-Fashion: One Piece, Two Ways + GIVEAWAY

Admittedly, we had another plan for this blog--but the sewing project didn't turn out exactly how we wanted, so in a stroke of genius, we decided to make something out of the other meaning of Re-Fashion:  to fashion again.  We took one vintage piece and styled it up two ways.

The purple paisley floral skirt has an elastic waistband and falls a few inches below the knee in length.

For the work look, we added a basic tank, black  biker jacket and black knotted wedges.

For the play look, we belted the skirt as a strapless dress and paired it with flat gladiators and layered necklaces for a low key bohemian touch.

We love pieces that are versatile, especially vintage pieces!  If you can't afford a whole new wardrobe, try being creative with what you have.  We've only styled this two ways, but there are many more options for a skirt like this.  How would you wear it?  Answer in the comments section and this skirt and a $25 Miskabelle gift certificate could be yours!  

We're excited to see what you come up with.  Giveaway will end next Wednesday, May 19th and winner will be announced on Thursday, May 20th.  Winner chosen at random from commenters (get a second entry if you RT the link on Twitter!).

Stay gorgeous,

A

Wednesday Refashion: The Jumpsuit

There's something about jumpsuits.  When I'm skimming through a rack of second hand goods at the local thrift shop, I can't help but get a jolt of excitement at finding a jumpsuit...and inevitably end up buying it.  I think part of it is because jumpsuits were MIA for quite a while--so it's one item at the thrift store that I can be sure isn't a vintage remake circa 2001 (like most of the items at Forever21, or similar stores...which don't get me wrong--I shop there!  But it's so much more fun to own original versions rather than copycats).  Another reason I can't resist a good jumpsuit is because they really have made a come-back and can be so sexy and flattering--when worn correctly! 

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This jumpsuit has been hanging on our rolling rack for quite a while...but it just needed a little sumthin-sumthin to make it more wearable and less matronly. To the right are a couple of my inspirations for the final product of this romper (playsuit, jumper, jumpsuit, whatever you want to call it). The cut of our jumpsuit is most similar to the one by Alexander McQueen (RIP), so I decided to go off that and simply get rid of the sleeves. I rolled the hem at the leg to show off the shoes and added a belt (us Miska(belles) are all about accessorizing!), and voila-- this jumpsuit has gone from dull to daring.

This vintage refashion will be up for sale soon at our etsy shop, along with our other vintage and redesigned vintage pieces!
Please give it a look-sy!  We promise you will find something special.

Stay gorgeous (is ok for me to borrow your sign-off, A?),
J
Miskabelle

Wednesday Refashion: The In-Between Dress

This week's redesigned dress was up on our site for a while, and modeled by our adorable friend, S.  It has a unique handkerchief neck and the material and print are gorgeous--but very lightweight.  The dress was too light to be a winter/fall dress, but with a longer hemline and sleeve, it wouldn't really work for spring or summer either.  We decided to take off some length (easier than adding a heavy lining!), and voila!  The prettiest, one-of-a-kind sky blue dress.  There's a matching tie at the waist, but we belted it with our own leather belt for contrast.

For sale now, in our Etsy shop!  Snag yourself a piece of vintage fashion that no one else will have.  Every piece in our redesign section is special.  Just like our customers! (awww....barf. ha.)

More sewing projects, coming your way soon...

Stay gorgeous,
A

Wednesday Re-Fashion: The Overdone Dress

When we found this dress while thrifting, we fell in love with its details--the animal print-like graphic, the turquoise and black color scheme, and the lacy, sailor-dress collar.  We posted it for sale as it was, but every time we looked at it, there was something missing.  Alas, it became our next re-fashioning project.

The sleeves were long and the skirt came to an awkard length, so we decided to shorten it (for summer!) and take off the sleeves altogether to bring the focus on to the collar and its black edging.  Here's how it turned out:

Now it's the most adorable summery dress!  I love how the edging on the collar creates a bit of a sleeve.  And the fabric design still stands out, even without all that fabric. And isn't J SO GORGEOUS?

This is a one-of-a-kind sundress--ON SALE NOW in our Etsy shop.  You can also browse some other newly-posted redesigns!

There's more work to be done, so I'm off (like a wedding dress...like a light switch...like SKINTASTIC...like....okay, I'm out of cheesy phrases.  Anyone else?)!  Thanks for reading, beautiful babies.

Stay gorgeous,
A

Wednesday Re-Fashion: Romper Gone Awry

I, for one, am not a fan of shorts. Period.  I was not blessed with my mom's great gams.  Shorts as part of a one piece?  Even less attractive to me.  So the romper is not a staple of my spring or summer wardrobe, though I admit, I like how they look on other people (J, below, being one).  

We've found a few cute vintage rompers in our thrifting outings, but the one we decided to re-fashion was pretty appalling--"short" sleeves that came to the elbow, shoulder pads, and an awkward shorts length.  But with such a bright, fun print, we had to do something with it, and sewed it into this incredible little strapless mini--with pockets!

Available now in our Etsy shop!  It's bright and fun and easy to wear.  And the best part is:  it's one-of-a-kind! (Oh, and only $23!)

More funky re-designs coming your way next week.  Until then...

Stay gorgeous,

A

Wednesday Re-Fashion: The MuuMuu Top

Hi there!  Welcome back.  Can you believe it's already Wednesday again?  I'm excited that it is because it means I get to share another one of our adorable Miskabelle ReDesigns!

This week's refashioning is another creative take on an oversized vintage top in a great print.  We loved the graphic print and the small button detail on the shoulder, as well as the dolman sleeve.  But it was so huge that we were both swimming in it as a top and belting it wasn't flattering either.  Rather than just trying to take it in (or selling it as-is to some unfortunately dressed soul), we re-envisioned it as a loose, open cardigan.  Such an easy change, and yet it creates this amazing new, one-of-a-kind piece that would look great on any shape or size.  Throw it on over a basic tank or tee, like we did here, and it will look like you put way more effort into your outfit than you actually did.  Chic AND easy?  Yes, please!

This cardi will be ON SALE later today in our shop, along with last week's bright blue top, and a few additional redesigns we've been working on (including a ROMPER!).  Be sure to check in and see if you can snag one of these one-of-a-kind pieces!

Hope you've checked out our new website--miskabelle.com.  We're so excited to have a place where you can access all of our little endeavors.  And of course, check out the Etsy shop tonight for brand new lovely vintage finds for spring!

Stay gorgeous,

A

Wednesday Re-Fashion: The Good Ol' Granny Top

If you've ever been thrift/vintage shopping, you know this feeling:  a fabulous fabric catches your eye on the rack.  You pull it from its spot and hold it up to the light, only to find that the beautiful print is the only thing the shirt has got going for it. It's completely shapeless. Like wearing a box. No one would look good in this top.

But still, the fabric is so pretty...there is potential here...so it goes in the cart.

We do this all the time--falling in love with fabrics--so we decided to do something with our stash and try to redesign one of these tops--a gorgeous purple and turquoise graphic print (everywhere on spring runways!) by adding a simple empire waist tie in a complementary fabric.  The outcome, shown below, is incredibly flattering.  And now the piece is truly one-of-a-kind! (On sale SOON in our Etsy shop for interested folks!)

Some people frown upon restructuring/altering vintage clothes. I understand completely. But sometimes a piece needs new life to be breathed into it--if it isn't an overly expensive fabric or extremely old piece, then we say: go for it! This shirt may have never been worn again, but now, with a touch of modern flair (and figure flattery), it may find itself a new home!

Tune in for more Wednesday Re-Fashions this month! And be sure to check out our previous redesigns on sale now in the shop!

Stay gorgeous,
A