This Old Thing - Vix's New To Old Make-Over

This Old Thing is currently being aired on British TV screens. Over the series the presenter, Dawn O'Porter, aims to show the uninitiated how to shop for vintage and to incorporate into their wardrobes.

Its done our business an undeniably amount of good and we're selling to people who've never considered wearing vintage previously so I can't knock ToT too much. However, my problem is the makeovers. I don't mind altering something to make it more wearable - taking something in a couple of sizes or altering the length but reworking something old and beautiful to make it look exactly like something you could buy on the high street? Surely that goes against the whole premise of the show! I don't know about you but the main reason I wear vintage is to look different, if you want mainstream fashion fine, please buy it and leave the old stuff for us vintage lovers.

If you're itching to rework something why not do the opposite to Dawn and the gang, buy some second-hand high street fashion and make that over to look more retro and unique?

I bought this floral jumpsuit from last week's car boot sale. At least two sizes too big and made, no doubt, in some awful Asian sweatshop - the £1 it cost me went to a local animal charity which made me feel a bit better. (I've unfollowed bloggers in the past who persist in buying from unethical sources.)

Full length & strapless are not happy bedfellows as I learnt from bitter experience a couple of years ago when, carrying a couple of pints back from a festival bar, I inadvertently stepped on the hem of my maxi, bearing my breasts to thousands of revellers, unable to yank my frock back up to cover my dignity as both hands were full so, with that memory still fresh in my mind, the style needed a rethink.

I removed the side ties, unpicked the bodice from the trousers, tried it on inside out, pinning the side seams to fit me. Then I machine-sewed along both sides, trimming off the excess fabric with pinking shears.

Using the discarded ties I pinned them over the bust area of the bodice and sewed them in to place, creating a halter neck effect, far more 1970s in style and a lot more secure.

Happy that it fitted I then sewed the bodice back on to the trousers, added some leftover pom pom braid from my stash & a couple of vintage buttons and, ta dah.....

Bob's (or, in my case, George) your uncle - a modern jumpsuit altered to fit and restyled so it looked a lot more ancient than modern.

With some vintage accessories - my trusty 1970s Ted Lapidus sunglasses, original Ravel of London metallic platforms, the £1 bargain carpet bag from last week's car boot sale and my trademark bastard jewellery whose to know where my jumpsuit came from?

Even if I do bump into someone else wearing this I doubt we'll look the same.

Talking of jumpsuits have you checked out Suzanne's post today? She looks amazing.

Right, I've a festival to pack for and hopefully a sneaky car boot sale to squeeze in before we go!
See you soon.
xxx