Cassidy Burel is so nice, she worked her design magic for us TWICE this month!
Women’s and men’s suiting is a staple at any Triad Goodwill (and a steal at just $8.99 for a 2 piece and $9.99 for a 3 piece) but it can sometimes be tricky for gals to rock them a la Annie Hall style. Lucky for us, Cassidy and her team showed us a few tips and tricks to turn two dated women’s dress suits into entirely new, fashion forward looks worthy enough for the runway!
For those of you who are new here, Cassidy is an incredibly talented Fashion Designer and owner of CassB By Design. She is our local guide to exploring all the thrifted fashion possibilities within your local Triad Goodwill with just a few selective alterations!
Explain your process for selecting the item from our store. What drew you to it?
This month, my stylist and I discussed what type of look we were aiming for. We began with inspiration images and then set out to find pieces that I could alter accordingly. One thing we were going for that has been different from previous months, was that we wanted an even more elevated collection! Thus, we were picking out two looks to alter instead of just one. Specifically, we were searching for bright colors that could be paired with gathered tulle of the same color and had enough fabric to cut up into several pieces.
We started in the suiting/dressy section of the store. I had thought that most likely, we would find what we were looking for within a matching suit set whether it be a pantsuit or skirt and blazer set. I hadn’t decided on a specific color yet because I wanted to see what was available before emotionally attaching to one permanent idea. After combing through the suiting section, I was torn between a lime green outfit, a pink outfit, and a royal blue outfit. It wasn’t until making my final decision that I came across a mint green matching skirt and blazer in a silky fabric that I decided upon the hot pink skirt/blazer combo as well as the mint green skirt/blazer. I knew these colors would be a striking contrast when side by side.
Explain Your Process For Altering Items?
Look One
This look was going to take quite a bit of effort so I began with it first. To begin, I removed the liner of the bodice, removed the sleeves, the shoulder pads and hardware, the embellishments, and ultimately cut it about in half. Once in half, I rolled over the edges for a finished and clean edge. I took the remaining fabric that I had cut off the bodice and drafted a bralette to be paired with it. I cut a long rectangle for the base and used invisible elastic for the closure. I shaped the cups into hearts for an innovative and fresh look.
After the bralette was constructed, I finished it off with invisible snaps attaching it to the top portion of the bodice I had previously finished. At the base of the lapel, I reattached some of the pearl embellishments and finished off the top with gathered tulle at the armholes. The base of the skirt I simply took in at the sides to fit better and created a new a-line sheer tulle skirt overlay with diagonal gathered tulle and attached it to the waistband of the skirt to make it look like it could have been originally created that way. A seamless finish.
Look Two
The second look took quite a bit less time and a part of me wishes I had made them exactly the same way to have two looks just in different colors. But as a designer, thoughts like that are pretty normal regardless of how happy I am with the finished product.
The pink skirt, I cut in three sections. I removed the middle section and drafted the exact same panel I had removed in a tulle fabric instead. Then, I replaced the panel I had removed with the new tulle panel I had drafted. I used part of the fabric I removed from the skirt to create a crop top. I rolled over the top and bottom edges of the strip. I then gathered the same length of hot pink tulle and sewed it on top at the neckline edge. To finish, I added long tulle straps that could be tied into a bow at the shoulders.
What was your inspiration for the finished pieces?
My stylist and I were originally inspired by a pair of looks we had seen by another designer. The component we were specifically drawn to was pairing tulle with structured garments as opposed to having an entire garment made from a structured material or tulle but never both. We went from there and decided to keep the tulle and garment pairing in a monochrome theme and chose bold accessories to complete the looks.
“Life is too short to wear boring clothes.” -Carly Cushnie
Photographer: Jewan Taylor @truvisionmedia
Stylist: Eutasha Harewood @eutashastylesharewood
Models: Cassidy Burel @cassidy.burel and Hannah Foy @hannah_1962
Designer: CassB @cassb_by_design