Goodwill Alterations with Chanté Gibbs
My main goal when I walked into the Goodwill was to find a floral maxi dress that could be upcycled into a two piece set and paired well with the jeans I already had back at home. I searched through the dress section for a while until I was able to find a beautiful dress, with bright colors that caught my attention. I loved the thigh slit and the tiered ruffles towards the bottom.
I was inspired by a skirt I made for a fashion show last year, also out of jeans and a flowy floral dress. This time I chose to incorporate the top half of the dress as a cute crop top to make a two-piece set!
How do I make it?
- First I tried on the dress to see how it fit me.
- I decided that I want to cut it off a few inches under the bust/chest, where the elastic stops, and I marked a small notch in that area before I took it off and placed it on my bed.
- With my ruler and marker I drew a horizontal line to extend that mark and then cut the dress in half. I made sure to cut on the top layer first, then the back.
- Then I grabbed a pair of old denim capris and laid them down flat. I made a horizontal line from one side seam to the other, making sure the middle of the line was a few inches above the crotch.
- I cut along that line then grabbed the bottom half of the maxi dress.
- I turned the denim waistband inside out and pinned the bottom of the dress to it.
- Once I was satisfied with the placement, I sewed along the pins and tried on my new outfit.
Chanté is a local thrift blogger and sustainable designer. She is our inspiration and guide to exploring what can be done with some creative alterations and updates of thrifted finds. Each month she starts with a concept, shops our stores, and reworks her thrift finds into high-fashion pieces. She takes us on a thrift journey from start to finish, and it’s a great ride every month!