Haunt Your Local Thrift Shops!
When I give costuming workshops, it pains me when I see people dishing out far too much money on fabric they can't afford. When it comes to making your own costumes, especially items like bras and belts which don't require much fabric, I can't stress strongly enough checking out your local thrift shops for gorgeous fabrics and trims.
Most of my costumes are made from cannibalized thrift shop finds. Goodwill, Salvation Army, and Frenchie's are your friends!
Here are some things you should look for:
- Little girls'/babies' dresses. No, it doesn't sound like you'd get enough of anything to work with, but you can get some beautiful buttons from tiny party dresses. Ofttimes, it is far cheaper to buy second-hand dresses than it is to buy the buttons at a fabric shop. And you'll often have enough fabric to cover a bra with, too.
- Holiday sweaters. Many holiday sweaters are absolutely covered with plastic gems or glass beads. It is generally much cheaper to buy one of these sweaters than it would be to buy all of the beads. Plus, when you take the decorations off, you're left with a nice sweater for everyday wear.
- Scarves and shawls. Sometimes there are beautiful fringed scarves/shawls that don't need any modification whatsoever. They can be worn around the hip, and make you look like you've spent a fortune on your costume.
- Prom/Bridesmaid dresses. Hideous out-dated prom dresses with big butt-bows are often made of sumptuous fabrics. I have found some absolutely lovely satin, metallic lace, silk velvet, and heavily embroidered/beaded prints which I was able to turn into gorgeous costumes. Some also have otherwise very expensive appliquées which can be salvaged.
- Vests. A lot of holiday vests are basically worn once then given to consignment/thrift shops. I have found some beautiful embroidered vests which I cut apart to cover bras. The result is striking!
- Floor-length skirts, especially when made of beautiful, flowing fabrics. You can take out a side seam from a straight skirt and turn it into an Egyptian-style skirt, or you can cut the skirt into strips and convert it into a circle skirt with triangles of a complementary fabric.
- Lingerie/swim suits. Check out the underwire hard-cupped bras and bikini tops. You can re-cover the tops and make a great dance bra.
- Pyjamas. Silk/satin pyjama bottoms make terrific harem pants with a minimal effort. Just sew elastics into the ankle cuffs, and there you go! If you want to make them more revealing, you can also remove the outside seams and sew sequins along the edges.
- Negligée. Those sheer nylon housecoats are often perfect for making cute little dance jackets. Carefully trim to just below the bust, and hem. Sew on trim and an unobtrusive hook and eye at the desired location. Elasticize the bottom, if you like. Ta da! And, you might have enough sheer fabric left over to make some delicate wrist veils.
- The costume/??? bin. Here is where you sometimes find the best stuff: party clothes made of "liquid metal" fabric, heavily beaded/sequinned sweaters, ethnic clothing (I've found Indian "pyjamas" decorated with mirror-work), and who knows what else? The odds are against it, but you may even find a complete dance costume. An acquaintance of mine once found a gorgeous vintage silk obi in excellent condition which she resold for several hundred dollars. She bought it for $2.00.
© 2006 Shantell Powell