Est. 2010
A ’90s Kathie Lee Dress to Top Refashion
When I first procured this Kathie Lee dress from the thrift store for a mere $1, I was afraid.
There are some pieces that intimidate even me, folks. And this was one of them.
There’s a lot to be afraid of. Like so many other Kathie Lee creations, it’s suuuuper matronly. :/ Those shoulder pads! That prissy collar! Those sleeves!
AAAAAAAAAAGHHHH!!!!
*takes several deep breaths*
When I’m confronted with a dress as unflattering and unlikable as this one, I find it’s best to step back and identify what I like about it, rather than just what I hate.
For instance, I like that front waist detail. It’s super fancy and has some potential. I also kind of like the collar, but would prefer to have less of it. The bodice fits in a loose-but-not-too-loose way that I like as well.
In other words, I got this!
Refashion Step 1: Get Chopping!
To get this refashion rolling, I first snipped out the skirt from the dress.
Another nice thing about that waist detail is that it overlaps the skirt of the dress. This means I can chop off the skirt without worrying about adding a new hem, since the raw edge will be totally covered! Sweet!
Next, I pulled out my seam ripper and got to work on those sleeves.
This was a two-part process, as part of each sleeve was covered by that lacy collar. So, I simply trimmed around the lace after picking the rest of the sleeves out (Don’t worry…we’ll be cleaning up those raw edges in a bit!).
Now we’re getting somewhere!
As I said before, I don’t like how high up the collar of this dress sits and would prefer more of a boatneck for what will end up being a more preppy-style top.
So, I cut it down a bit.
Refashion Step 2: Clean up those raw edges!
All this chopping left me with a lot of raw edges to deal with, as well as the remains of that back zipper (the thing that looks like a tail in the above pic).
Since the zipper is plastic, and largely covered by that waist detail, I simply snipped it off.
“But wait! What’s to keep the zipper pull from just sliding off?!?”, you’re undoubtedly yelling at your screen.
Since the zipper is plastic, you can sew over it to shorten it! I stitched over the bottom part several times, like so:
Now for those armholes!
I pinned and then stitched the navy parts down first.
Then, I swapped out the thread in my machine from navy to white and stitched down the top armholes & new neckline!
After I gave my new top a good press, it was complete!
And here’s what it looks like from the back!
While this top is a little preppier than my usual style, I still really like it, and look forward to wearing it out & about soon! 🙂
I styled my new top with a pair of ripped jeans and matching navy Sperry boat shoes (If you’re going preppy, go all in I say)!
Sidenote: Since I can’t get my hair cut right now, it’s now officially long enough to fit in a sock bun!
I hope you’re all hanging in there & finding creative ways to occupy your time, friends. Things are tough right now, but good times will return. Let’s make sure to have some fabulous refashions to trot out when they do!
Cheers!
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