Denim dress upcycled

Given the choice for daily wear, I always opt for denim as it’s hardwearing and practical. Preferably a denim dress. I can’t remember how many dresses I’ve worn down to their bare bones over the years, but it’s a good number. My last dress is too big for me now and I plan to take it in at some point, because I still love it, but I wanted another dress in the meantime. Luckily, I found another through Oxfam online.

When it arrived it was too short and had frayed hems which I wasn’t crazy about. It was also incredibly boring, even with the fraying, but it fitted beautifully. So I decided to add jacquard ribbon that I’d picked up from a vintage shop. The ribbon still had bits of the brown thread previously used to sew it on to something else, so I knew it was second hand and perfect for my new project.

I machine sewed on the ribbon around the neckline and the sleeves, then carefully cut off the frayed edges. I’d bought buttons at the same vintage shop and they worked well at the neckline, so I added those too. So far, so good.

When I tried it on, the balance had changed, leaving the length of it disproportionately plain. All the interest was up the top. To add balance, I added the same trimming to the pockets too, which seemed to sort it out.

Final issue to sort out was the length of the dress. I loved it, but it was a tad too short. Dresses and skirts suit me more if they are below the knee. I cut into an old denim skirt which was too big for me and added it to the bottom. The colours were a good match and I like the subtle block change in it. Best part is that the frayed edges are out of sight in a seam.

The dress is finished and I’ve already started wearing it. It fits like a glove and has a smidgeon of stretch to it, making it comfortable to sit in at my desk as well as practical in the garden, wrangling chickens. A successful project.

My thanks go to Eldest daughter for taking the photos, Middle daughter for being my sounding board as I thrashed out the design changes to the dress and Dolce the hen for modelling.

I paid Dolce in grapes, as it is her favoured form of payment.