and now for my latest trick........ - Page 4

>DD made the chorus for the spring musical at her high school. They are
>doing Little Shop of Horrors. ;) Fun show. She had to have an outfit
>that looked like upper crust type folk from the early 1960's. The teacher
>who is directing said look for something that looks like Jackie O. would
>have worn it. :)
>Well we had our choice. We could either send in $60 to rent one from the
>costume place or we could send in what we think would work. I knew I could
>come in way under $60 for a costume that could be kept rather than
>returned. (too putting a rented costume on my less than delicate with
>clothes DD was worrisome.)
>So off I went to the thrift store. The teacher said she was thinking she
>would put the chorus and other folks in pastel colors and the main
>characters in jewel tones to make them stand out. So I knew I was looking
>for something along the lines of a Chanel suit, in a pastel color, that
>would fit the girl. (she's tall, she's busty, and she's a full figured
>gal.)
>Luck of luck!!! I found a pink linen suit in a size I thought would come
>close to fitting her. I was hoping to find a boucle, but this will work.
>The jacket is just a wee bit snug and the waist of the skirt is too tight.
>BUT!!! The jacket is a box style jacket, a little long for a Chanel, but
>that's OK. The basic shape is fine. The buttons have a placket covering
>all but the topmost button. It's collarless but again, I can get most of
>the way there from here. The skirt has box pleats all the way around.
>Three in front, three in back. It's also an A line.
>So, here's the plan. I am going to do new buttonholes on the jacket, and
>move them over a little bit. Which should solve the tightness in the
>jacket. (it's just barely too tight through the bust.) I'm going to
>change out the pink buttons for gold ones. I'm going to make and add some
>trim around the neckline, CF, hem, and cuffs. Probably a slightly darker
>pink so it matches the little handbag I also found at the thrift store. ;)
>I also plan to add a couple of fake pockets around the waist. The jacket
>has a welt pocket at the breast. So that will get trim too.
>Then I'm going to shorten the skirt from the waist. That will take care of
>the too tight waist. Also it will bring it up to knee length instead of
>mid-calf, getting it closer to the proper hem length for a Chanel of that
>time period. I'll keep the box pleats. It won't be regular pleats like a
>Chanel would have had. But all in all, I think it will look close enough
>for the show. Plus throw in the 10' rule, and I will be fine. ;) (10'
>rule = It only has to look really good from at least 10 feet away.)
>I'm going to see if I can find a wispy pink scarf too. That way she can
>have the big bow thing at the neck. Most of the 60's era Chanel suits I've
>found pictures of had the blouse with the big neck bow. I'm just going to
>give her the scarf to tie there and she can button the jacket closed. That
>way she can change costumes quicker when she goes from a bum on "skid row"
>to this one.
>I told the teacher what I'm planning. She thought that was more than fine.
>I've worked with her before (remember the Super Fish?) so she knows what
>I'm capable of and is fine with me doing this.
>I'll take before and after pictures of the suit so you can see.
>Sharon
>PS. Did I mention $10 for the suit? $3 for the handbag? ;) Told ya I
>could come in under $60!
>---

> Well done! Thrift shops are treasure troves :)
>
> Hope you can post a picture of the suit when youre done with it!
>
> -Irene

> IMS wrote:
>
>> Well done! Thrift shops are treasure troves :)
>> Hope you can post a picture of the suit when youre done with it!
>> -Irene
>
> I will definitely post pix. I'll get some "before" shots too so you can see
> what I started with. I really love this particular thrift store. It's a
> local shop. They use the proceeds to help local people who need it.
> Mostly they work with mentally disabled adults who would not be able to
> function totally on their own. Since they are non-profit, there's no sales
> tax. (our local sales tax is 9.25%) So it's a win all the way around. I
> have scored some really nice clothing in there for myself before. (a pair
> of Lucky brand jeans...they retail for around $100, I got them for $8) I
> can usually find quite a few pieces from Talbot's or Ann Taylor. Nice
> clothes. Cheap price and then basically a 10% discount without the sales
> tax. Then they use the money to do truly good things for others. ;) So
> it's always my first choice for when I need something like this.
>
> Sharon
> ---

> I'm going to see if I can find a wispy pink scarf too. That way she can
> have the big bow thing at the neck. Most of the 60's era Chanel suits I've
> found pictures of had the blouse with the big neck bow. I'm just going to
> give her the scarf to tie there and she can button the jacket closed. That
> way she can change costumes quicker when she goes from a bum on "skid row"
> to this one.

>> I'm going to see if I can find a wispy pink scarf too. That way she can
>> have the big bow thing at the neck. Most of the 60's era Chanel suits
>> I've
>> found pictures of had the blouse with the big neck bow. I'm just going
>> to
>> give her the scarf to tie there and she can button the jacket closed.
>> That way she can change costumes quicker when she goes from a bum on
>> "skid row" to this one.
>
> Sounds like fun, Sharon! Quick comment on the scarf, though... you might
> want to perma-tie the scarf and give it a quick change velcro, snap or
> swimsuit bra clip closure at a hidden spot. Especially if she's rough
> on clothes. Likewise, you might want to make a camisole and sew it to
> the skirt top, sans waistband, so it becomes a step into it dress rather
> than having to deal with zipper and hooks.
>
> Kay