Upgrading your wardrobe

The long awaited gentle breeze has finally arrived, though accompanied by frequent yet not so annoying drizzles. 


This means, it's time to take out your fall clothing from the less visited part of your wardrobe, or the clothing bags underneath your bed.


Instead of giving up most of the still wearable items to charities or thrift shops, will you look at them again and see if they deserve a second chance, a second life?


You can for sure consider upgrading them and giving them a facelift. 


Last autumn, when shops were eager to decorate their windows with the new season's collection, I could not stop myself from longing for this gorgeous wool cardigan on display. It had chiffon rose laces all over the shoulders, one row in ecru and one row in black. The beautiful item was within reach as there was one just hanging on the rack near the shop entrance. However, when I touched the price tag and saw the not very affordable figure, at US$380, I disappointedly proclaimed that this little evil and darn piece of paper had thus permanently kept the cardigan and I apart.


I was spending like crazy for my wedding preparation and supposed I could spare somewhere and bag this sweet cardigan home? This was so once in a lifetime that I spent and no one would dare say anything about me, right?


No...I told myself, no.


Don't! 


:-o


:-(


Therefore...after coming back to my senses, every week when I passed by the shop window, I looked at it with my yearning eyes. I must have looked absolutely terrible, like a dog drooling for its biscuit.


As I made my usual visit to the local haberdashery shop, my sharp eyes spotted some familiar chiffon laces. They looked terribly similar to my dream cardigan, selling at around US$5 per yard. I bought 3 yards of ecru colour and another 3 of black. 


Then I went home and looked at my wardrobe and pulled out a charcoal ZARA cardigan with faux suede elbow patched sleeves. It costed just about 1/10 of the dream cardigan. I played with the lace trims and when I was happy with how they looked on my own cardigan, I pinned them in place and started trimming.


On and off, it took some 12 hours to finish it, to my surprise. I could not remember what took me so long to finish it. Probably because every layer was hand-stitched.


When it was done, I could not be more proud of myself. It looked as if it was the lost twin of the dream cardigan.


If you are clearing space for your new wardrobe, try and have some fun tonight by pulling out one item and see what good can you do about it. 


Feel free to comment below and let me know! If you need some advice, I am delighted to offer mine.


Have fun!

My cardigan - before and after