More Dash than Cash

Ever since they started running it, I’ve been inspired by the ‘More Dash than Cash’ feature in Vogue. In this feature they are supposed to look at good design on the high street, but the stuff is usually still way out of my price range. It usually (though not always) provides some wearable ideas based on the catwalk, but I can’t say I’m too fond of their DIY ideas…

Last month the feature was about denim day dresses, but I didn’t much fancy any of the shapes/cuts featured in the mag, though the light blue denim was lovely.

This page was the main reason I set out looking for denim to be recycled and turned into my own version of a denim day dress.

I didn’t have to look far before coming across the perfect denim item to be cut up. I chose this pair of jeans because (a) they were big ie. plenty of fabric, (2) they were wide, straight leg, again plenty of fabric, and (d) they were light blue and not faded, which is the look I wanted. At £4.99 from Oxfam in Romford they were not cheap – I usually don’t bother with Oxfam as it’s more expensive than the majority of charity shops out there, but I figured it all goes to a good cause anyway. Apparently £4.99 is enough to buy 5 textbooks for a school in Mali.

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I can do anything I want… I ain’t lost

Today’s remake came from Scope in Barking and cost £2. I thought £2 was a bargain for a garment featuring such “interesting” fabric. Let’s just say this fabric proved to be “interesting” to work with.

The details: originally a ‘medium’ from Bon Marche, this top is 100% pure polyester and is creased into permanent pleats, each the size of a tiny pin-tuck. The pattern is (again, “interesting”) vaguely floral, as though someone had dripped bleach over the fabric and the bleached areas had somehow manifested themselves into flower shapes.

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Ace of Lace

I’m really into lace at the moment. I just love it – and I’m really happy that it’s now possible to wear lace without looking like a 90s throwback thanks to designers like Erdem. Here are a couple of my favourite lace looks from Erdem Spring 2011 RTW.

(Photos from style.com).

For my own version of this look, I grabbed this black and gold lace dress from the Cancer Research shop in Ealing Broadway. This actually cost £6.95 which I think will make it my most expensive remake to date.

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Zebra crossing

Next up, a dress with some really lovely fabric. This is 100% polyester, pretty much the cheapest fabric you can imagine, but the colour is classic and it has a woven zebra-pattern which has a slight sheen to it when it catches the light. By far the best thing about this dress is the fabric, so I wanted to keep it as intact as possible. This one came from the St. Francis Hospice shop in Romford and was an absolute bargain at £3.50.

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Black and White

When I saw this bamboo-pattern top in Romford British Heart Foundation shop, I knew it would make a very striking outfit with black trousers. The best part is, it was the right size, so there were no alterations necessary! I picked this up for £3.50. At that price, it would have been rude not to. It’s 100% acrylic and feels very synthetic to the touch.

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