This week, I'm showing you an outfit that has more behind it than being a basic jeans and band shirt combination. I've owned the striped and flared
pants for many years, but it was time to make some changes (and repairs). The long-sleeved shirt is new but needed some alterations as well. Sometimes it's in the small details to
make things work. Can you guess what I did?
Stripy flared jeans
I always loved the flattering flared fit of these jeans and have worn them a lot. They only have a slight stretch, and the fabric
has become really brittle at places. I had already repaired them a lot, and they had another rip right next to one back pocket. I usually sew some black fabric
to the inside to stabilise and then stitch on the area itself. More about repairing pants here.
I think I already had the idea of dying them when I first bought them second hand. But I've been wearing the jeans in mid to light denim blue for years because I
couldn't decide on the colour. Although they would have looked great in purple, I settled for a dark grey. It came out with a blue-green tint that's totally ok with me, and there's still
enough contrast to the black stripes.
Misantropic longsleeve shirt
I have written about this band from Sweden before (here on Bandcamp) and also about upgrading another band long-sleeve in the same post. I ordered this shirt from Insane Society Records in a men's size small, and I love the printed sleeves that say "Never give up" - "Never give in".
But, as always, the sleeves were too short for me, and I didn't like the uncomfy hems.
I unstitched the hem (and part of the seam) to get as much length as possible. Then I added rather long, narrow cuffs from a soft,
smooth ribbing fabric. The classical crew necks never look good on me, so I cut out the whole thing for a wide boat neck and added new neckband from the same
cuffing fabric. Otherwise, the shirt fits well, much tighter than the Discharge
one.
Everyday outfit
I have to say, the outfit - even with a hoodie - is a bit too cold for winter, and now I can't wait for warmer spring days. Also, the
jeans needed another small repair after one day of wearing. It's a constant struggle. But I will wear it until it falls apart ultimately and then turn the rest
into a bag. In case you were wondering, it's Davids motorbike, and yes, it's super cool!
I hope you liked this one, even though it's nothing special, but it showed that minor repairs and alterations are totally worth it.
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Write a comment
Septicemia (Saturday, 12 February 2022 10:55)
Hey!
Just wanted to say that I was so happy to find another alternative DIY blog that's still active =)
Really like how you lengthened the long sleeved shirt, is it done with a serger (or is it possible to get a nice result without one)?
Janina (Monday, 14 February 2022 12:01)
Hey!
Also happy you found me! :) Need to have a closer look at yours later. :)
Thank you and yes, it is! If you don't have one, just make sure you use a zigzag stitch for attaching and a wider one on the egde to neaten.
Best wishes,
Janina