Dress Rejuvenation

The words ‘wardrobe spring clean’ absolutely terrify me for two reasons.  1) I’m a hoarder who likes to keep everything and anything because in  my head, I know that there may be that one day when I’ll regret throwing away a fluffy orange mohair sweater and I don’t want to be kicking myself for it.  2) I’m also childishly petty and petulant over my clothes and don’t like the idea of giving them away for someone else to wear.

So when sorting through my wardrobe and coming across things I never wear, there is nothing to do but to look at them really hard and think why the hell I’m not wearing them anymore.  It may be because of seasonal shifts.  For example, dresses that are too long get dismissed.  It may be because (and I can’t believe I’m actually saying this…) they’re ‘out’.  I don’t mean that in a derogatory haughty fashionista way.  I just mean that perhaps Japanese flowers and native Indian folk patterns are a little out of place in a season of space cadets and robots.  Whatever the reason, something is barring me from wearing them.  So there’s no choice but to rejuvenate them and really up the styling.  There is absolutely nothing wrong with them in their own right.  They just don’t happen to make me want to wear them over say something I bought more recently.  It’s a shame they have to lose out that way but it does make for some interesting results…

The Old and Rejected…

Peter Jensen // French Connection //Vintage
 



Vintage // Vintage // Clements Ribeiro



Note: Comments of derision and laughter by the by are increasingly on the up on this blog so I’m fully prepared for the onslaught.  Just remember, I’m fully comfortable with looking hideous so there really is no point in the hate.  It won’t cure me!

The Rejuvenation…


Added: Vintage white ruched swimming cap, Muji raincoat, vintage white patent strappy shoes, silver elastic belt worn at thighs, vintage crochet gloves // Added: Kulture black shiny sweater, Moschino Cheap & Chic black patent elastic boots, plastic chain necklaces, big headphones


Added: Vintage Hermes scarves, vintage black shawl w/ gold discs worn over head, Miki Fukai red drawstring skirt, Office black cone-heeled shoes // Added: Vintage gold sequin boob tube worn at waist, DIY oversized bow, H&M flower necklace, Giles for New Look leopard print shoes


Added: Bernstock Spiers silver hat, Bernhard Willhelm sunglasses, vintage silver gloves, white chain necklace, American Apparel silver leggings, charity shop gunmetal strappy wedges // Added: VIntage navy crepe white flecked bolero, vintage navy denim pattern leggings, A*N*D navy pinstripe legwarmers, Office navy suede brogues

(Background pics from Milla Jovovich editorial, shot by Peter Lindbergh from Vogue Italia May 2007 taken from here)

39 comments

  3. lol – i actually love the third dress on your rejected list, but i understand the need to clear out Sometimes… but it’s so HARD!!!
    your reworkings are as usual, wonderful… i never wear caps, but your blue and silver look is really kwl – i think the gloves and this season’s mentality make it what it is… lovely!
    xxxc

  7. they all so “now”! great job!
    and don’t say that you look hideous, it’s not true!
    you are lovely and have lots of personality and that’s the most important thing!!!

  8. you should work as a stylist. seriously. you took some fairly basic looks and made them really interesting to look at.

  9. wow! that’s amazing. you are so creative. how do you do it?
    thanks for showing me how to think outside the box.

  11. Susie I can’t believe people are willing to leave unpleasant comments for you! You’re so creative and an absolute inspiration. These outfits all look amazing, as usual.

  12. Second to last of the reworked outfits is brilliant; sort of sixties interpretation of the space age.

  13. The transformation of the first dress is amazing… what a unique idea! Well done.

  15. amazzzingg what else have you got in that closet of yours thathas been forgotten????

  16. I love your shoes in the 1st and the colours in the 4th the most! 🙂

  20. you don’t want to get rid of the fourth AND especially the fifth dress, do you? because, just to let you know, i would gladly disburden you from them! (bad english probably but you get the picture) when i went through the blog archives i adored the blue dress everytime you created an outfit with it. and the cream dress is loveley as well. both suit you really well, with and without accessory extension.

  22. wow, i love your “rejuvenation” of your dresses. You are so creative & stylish. it’s quite inspiring because i have such a great urge to go out & buy new summer dresses when i just need to revamp a couple sititng in my closet!
    <3

  23. Susie, you’re wonderful. I read your blog daily and you come across superbly both as a person and in terms of what you wear. If people are leaving spiteful comments, it can only be because they are jealous of your natural creativity and extraordinary aesthetic which they cannot emulate or equal no matter how hard they try (and I expect many of them do try rather too hard sartorially…).

  24. Wow :O You’re so creative. All of the outfits look really cool; the second and fifth are my favorites. The dresses the way they were originally were gorgeous as well. (:

  25. i really like how you added puffy sleeves to the french connection dress, and i LOVE the vintage blue dress and how you updatedit with all that silver! so awesome!!!

  26. I can’t believe people come to your blog and leave horrible comments. Your style is very different from mine but I really admire your creativity and the way you put things together, as with this post. I think the key to real style is how you wear an outfit, having the courage of your convictions, which you have.

  28. Oh man, I love the silver leggings with the navy dress. Love.
    It sucks to hear that people are leaving mean comments. I’m often inspired by your blog, it’s uncommon to encounter such a unique style.

  29. I love the first dress exactly how it is, I almost cried when I saw what you had done to it, but it’s not my dress, so who am I to judge? I love the last two transformations! You are wickedly creative! They all look so unique *jelousy*
    Check out my blog
    http://roastedjellybeans.efx2.com

  30. I like the way you style your clothes. The first dress after transformation is abit hideous to me though…

  31. Hey, I think I remember when you first posted the DIY bow -nice to see it’s still getting work….

  32. hello suzy
    it’s pierre we met in hyeres you remember? 🙂
    i found your blog it’s really great!
    please send me your email…
    bisous P*

  33. ..I just can’t believe people is so mean with somebody so creative and funny as you are!!..Being creative is already a HUGE quality…PLUS you are funny,Meaning you keep your blog Pleasant and not boring just like hundreds of other blogs…
    Your blog is part of in my daily routine, like combing my hair and brushing my teeth!…Keep up the good work and don’t be distracted by Jelouse people!!..You will go far and they will remain just stupid jelous people!..
    Viva Susie! 😉

  34. Navy dress with silver leggings = excellence.
    It’s a funny thing: You get hateful comments on your blog, but I get hateful comments on my blog saying that I suck and that I should be more like YOU! So there’s some mean person out there that likes you I guess.
    Keep the inspiring posts coming, you are a textile artist if there ever was one.

  35. you are a bloody genius…one of my most favourite posts of yours EVER! inside the fashion creating mind of susie, fabulous…

  36. The dresses can cope by themselves but alas I get weary of wearing them in one way only so this is what I do. Of course I don’t want to take anything away from that Peter Jensen dress…it’s great…. I just like my clothes to be a bit more…. multi-faceted?
    Again….this word ‘hideous’ keeps popping up… you forget ppl that ‘hideous’ is my middle name…

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