From XL mess to sassy vest

Wandering the throngs of the thrift aisles, Tanya came across this Structure, Men's sz XL vest. (If you don't know what "Structure" is - you're way too young. Express Men's used to be called Structure. And we remember this because we're not as young as you. So, shut up.

Anyway, even though it was huge, something about it struck a chord. The lovely Miss T works in home design for Calypso St Barts, and we marveled at how this $1 find reminded us of the beautiful, high end knits the company clothing counterpart is known for.

In order to rock this, the first thing needed was to take the armholes in. But we didn't want to lose the swingy feel of the vest by taking inches off each side-seam. Instead, we folded the sides over and stitched them into a pleat.

We then added two lengths of sparkly cord to create a gather in the back.We stitched them beneath the pleat to anchor them down. We also added a single, inverted dart in the back collar to keep the shoulders from slipping.

And Voila! A cute, wearable, swingy, jacket vest was born!

Tanya rocked it with her signature, sky-high heels, pencil skirt and a neutral tank.

We loved how it created a sophisticated boho effect. And how cute is the now truly unique back detailing?

Dangling beads and a loose bun completed one of our new favorite looks!

And that's how we make men's thrift into one of our new, fave trends for the upcoming fall. Seasonal, wearable, and layer-able vests!

Happy hunting for your own guy piece loves!

Love,

Noa B and Tanya D

Vest: Structure $1
Shoes: Jessica Simpson Dany Platforms
Necklace: Clothing Swap
Tank: H&M
Pencil skirt: Re-sale, via Crossroads Trading Co.

From cheesy shirt to statement jewelry!

When I received this slightly trashy jersey top at our last clothing swap, I knew it was something that was definitely not my style, but I was drawn to it anyway. Then it dawned on me - the reason I liked it was because of the hardware.

l've been lusting after giant statement jewelry lately and was so happy for this simple but brilliant inspiration! (If you're a regular reader of Secondhand Star, you know that means that Noa does all of the sewing; I can't sew a straight hem to save my life!) That's right -  this was so easy, even I could do it!

Before you toss that out of date or simply too "bling-for-your-bang" kind of top, take a second look and see if you can salvage the hardware to create statement jewelry out of it. I simply cut along the lines where the metal was attached to the fabric, being careful not to snip the seam where the stitching connected the two.

Then I left some fabric in the shape of a triangle below the chain. I took the remaining fabric and cut slashes into it, creating colorful strips.

And here's the result - A serious piece of statement jewelry to rock out your basic, LBD!

Noa was on her way out the door to a dinner event, and when we tossed it over her simple black dress, we knew we had a winner!

The bold pop of color and texture made it a truly unique piece!

She was more than a little willing to take our new renovation out for a spin, and I was rather proud of myself that a 5 minute snip of inspiration turned into this!

(Now I just need to make sure she'll give it back for my turn out to rock it!)

Much Love,

Tanya D xx

On Noa:
Necklace: Cut from a BEBE top
Dress: Clothing Swap ruched LBD
Boots: 7 For All Mankind
Clutch: Vintage
Bracelet: Birthday gift
Earrings: Gift

Jewel Toned Gem

Happy Monday everyone! We thought we'd start out the week with a bang... Jewel toned, that is. When Tanya showed me her latest dollar find, I was more than a bit skeptical... I mean, look at it. It's huge! But I just could not deny it's potential so we got to work!

Once we began doing the measurements on Tanya, we realized right away that it had to be shortened. Tanya suggested leaving the back a bit longer this time, (much like a favorite mini dress of hers) that would ensure that when she threw it on with a belt, the silk wouldn't ride up or bubble.

So I created a hem that curved out about 2 inches longer in the back than the front, being cautious to keep the integrity of the adorable little pleats in the front and back of the dress.

And out came this latest gem!

Complete with bronze accents to match the dress' shoulder clasp.

T's signature, gold loops and Vince Camuto heels were a must!

And we threw in a Metallia belt from 2000, (possibly the last belt of my previous NYC design career) along with family heirloom bangles.

Luscious locks and soft lips.

This color is just killer. Especially with Tanya's perfect, porcelain skin. And there you have it. A pop of pink for just a buck!

Love, 

Noa B and Tanya D

Dress: Thrift 1$
Belt: Metallia
Earrings: Forever21
Heels: Vince Camuto Moma's
Bracelets: Family heirloom and F21

Red Linen Dress

I've always loved beading, embroidery, and all manner of embellishment. From Alexander McQueen to Vivienne Westwood, there's something so inspiring about wearing fabrics that have been "worked".

I found this red, linen dress at Out of the Closet for $5. The beading was in amazing shape. The only real distressing to the dress was in the lining, (that had been cut and shredded on the inside).

I removed the lower half of the lining and cleaned and pressed it to ensure that there would be no strange seam lines peeking through. I then paired it with my new B. Makovsky heels, (uber comfy btw)!

Although this dress didn't need much by way of accessories, somehow extra bling seemed to work better with it. Example? This gold coin belt I found in my travels to Oahu, (see here).

Along with some Grecian earrings and bangles, the look was complete.

A cashier at my local drug store asked me if the dress was Turkish. That's the beauty of thrift! It's always a guessing game to know the origins of your clothes.

I love wondering where in the world this dress went before it found its way to my closet.

I'm just glad it did... As always, happy hunting!

Love,

Noa B

Dress: Vintage Thrift
Earrings: Grecian gift
Shoes: Makovsky
Bangles: F21 and Boutique; Larchmont

DIY: Bruised blazer to coral stunner

At a yard sale mission Ms. Tanya scored a beautiful, creamy white, designer blazer from Sisley. But as is sometimes the case, the jacket had some minor, (but still permanent) staining. There were beige and brown marks throughout the collar as well as the hem.

But the jacket was cotton, and natural fibers are always a great candidate for a dye bath!

She selected Rit Scarlet liquid dye (cuz she's fiery like that) and we threw both this blazer, (as well as a pair of cool but faded Frankie B jeans) into the washing cycle. (A note: to achieve a deeper color, use two bottles, or do not combine with other items. Our goal was too make a softer hue than the above shade so thinning out the dye was perfect)!

And the result!

A stunning, coral hued blazer for perfect, fall layering!

Tanya paired it with her favorite Genetic jeans and suede, grey pumps.

Such an easy little piece to throw over just about anything...

A little bronze jewelry completed the deal.

This color is such a knockout. Any skin tone can wear it too!

Next time you find a great item that just needs a little TLC, or something of your own that's been stained or darkened a bit, check the fabric content. If it's a natural fiber, you just might have yourself a great little number for some serious color renewal!

Love,

Noa B and Tanya D

Shoes: F21
Tanktop: H&M
Jeans: Genetic
Blazer: Yard sale giveaway (That means free, people.)