Jul 27

What would you do with this?  I couldn’t pass it up.  Afterall, it recalls the most awkward years of my life, and it partially explains why they were so excrutiating.  I did not belong in ruffly drapes.  What were designers thinking selling so much poof and brightness to the masses?  Brooke Shields is the only person I can think of who could have pulled this off and still been glamorous and beautiful.  Even then…

But that asymmetric hemline… The clashing pink & red… The chintz… Something about it calls to me.  And that’s why I rescued it from the thrift store.  Am I nuts?

26 Responses to “Besides promptly returning this to the thrift store from which it came…”

  1. Ruth Derrick Says:

    Looks like a party in a piece of cloth. All you need is a margarita!

  2. kristena Says:

    Party’s on me! hahahaha

  3. Brenna Says:

    You could take the sleeves off and somehow straighten out the waistline and it’d be a pretty adorable summer dress.

  4. Kelly Says:

    Ok, I’m impressed you put it on. I would be afraid it would cause such huge amounts of PTSD that I would be left whimpering in a corner for a week.:) I still think the vintage apron idea is the best so far. What do you think?

  5. emily Says:

    (1) put on some music and have yourself a wee dance party (like some Phoenix if you want a modern, but 80s style dance-able music)

    (2) just go for it. what have you got to loose? nothing.

    (3) don’t forget to make a headband to got with it as well. preferably one with a big bow!

  6. Kate Says:

    hehe…great dress…It reminds me of this skirt in a way: http://www.anthropologie.com/anthro/catalog/productdetail.jsp?id=923263&parentid=CLOTHES-SKIRTS&pushId=CLOTHES-SKIRTS&popId=CLOTHES&sortProperties=&navCount=25&navAction=top&fromCategoryPage=true&selectedProductSize=&selectedProductSize1=&color=089&colorName=ORANGE MOTIF&isSubcategory=true maybe you could make it into a skirt and shorten the hemline a bit, and maybe wear it with a simple tanktop?

  7. jessica davenport Says:

    Take off the sleeves, make a portrait neckline. Fitted bodice/waist…kinda 50’s housewifey. I can almost see it , (if I squint…). I love all of your recycles! You’ve got the vision, Kristina!

  8. Page Says:

    Let Emily play dress-up-as-a-little-girl-in-the-80s. Complete with matching pink lipstick, jellies, and a side ponytail. :)

  9. Christina Says:

    Eeek…(in a good way) What a fun find.

    I wish I could just sketch what I’m envisioning instead of trying to describe it; it would be SO much easier. First, I would lose the sleeves and make the bodice a little more fitted (especially under the arms…the 80’s and early 90’s were unforgiving in that way). Then I would take off the skirt and remake it into something flow-y but NOT gathered. Maybe a little like the skirt on this dress: http://www.simplicity.com/dv1_v4.cfm?design=3877 Only I would make the whole hem line slant parallel to the waistline, and I might make it just a little shorter than the shorter skirt picture. Then I would make a wide-ish tie of black (or maybe even yellow-orange!) fabric that would go around the waist and tie in a little knot off center in the front. The ends of the tie would have to be slanty, though. Like I said, it would be easier to just sketch it. :D

  10. kristena Says:

    Christina, that sounds great! I’m thinking a skirt or strapless dress will do the trick…

  11. oni Says:

    take off the sleeves and make it a sweet heart neck line. raise the waist of the skirt.

  12. oni Says:

    strapless of course!

  13. Vicki K. Says:

    Hmmm - I’m wondering how it would look just as a top. Sleeveless, not sure about the neckline but I like the asymmetry at the bottom. What if you you plain pink (or other color) small 1″ loose ruffle at the bottom and keep the asymmetrical line. Or, do the same but make it so that the pink would be longer on the shorter side of the main fabric and just 1″ on the short side of the main fabric, making the pink fabric parallel to the floor.

    The skirt could be an apron. Or you could cover an office chair. Or make a very ruffly dress-up-play skirt for your daughter (in time).

    Strapless would also look good.

  14. paule Says:

    get inspired from that awsome forever 21 dress you posted a couple posts ago.
    make in shorter, and way thighter around the thighs.
    make the waist line more intriquate. then there wont be as much attention to the fabric.
    i dont mind the sleeves so much.
    but the lenght…desastrous.

  15. Jodie R. Says:

    Yes, I do believe you’re nuts :) I think the skirt could be refashioned into some kickin’ placemats though!

  16. Erin Says:

    Please could I have your shoes? Where did you purchase them?

  17. Taiya Says:

    Umm.. yeah.. that dress would have had me running screaming from the thrift store. Maybe not, though, since it looks a whole lot like it would go with most of the clothes they sell at Kohl’s. :D

  18. Jenn Says:

    Maybe you could just save it for halloween????

  19. katherine Says:

    dude. strapless.

  20. beki Says:

    I have no doubt that you’ll come up with something fabulous that will have our jaw dropping. Seriously.

  21. Sarah Says:

    Oh, my, my, my. Paired with a simple solid dark top, the bottom would be cute as a skirt. You GOTTA show us what you end up doing with it!!!

  22. Tena Marie Says:

    I just bought a dress so similar to this from my local thrift store!

    I have plans of restructuring it. With your talent, I’m sure you’ll do the same and it will be the cutest little number a fancy boutique is yet to carry.

  23. molli Says:

    so I saw this on ebay and it reminded me of this. maybe you can get 70 bucks for this one too!

    http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=300334185154&ssPageName=ADME:B:EF:US:1123

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