Est. 2010
Mad About Madras: A Preppy ’80s Dress Refashion
There are certain prints/patterns that make me happy.
Floral Madras is one of them.
While this print was really popular in the ’80s and early ’90s, unless you’re a frequent thrifter, you just don’t see it that much anymore. And while it’s definitely a preppy style (something I usually eschew), I still really like it.
Sadly, this dress wouldn’t work for me as-is. It’s too big for me and the length is kind of awkward (or maybe it’s just my lack of height that’s awkward?).
I didn’t care for those sleeves either. :/ I also knew I was going to a Pride event later that day and would be outside (to maintain social distancing) in almost 90-degree heat. Comfort was going to be essential for this Refashion.
One more thing. Upon closer inspection, I noticed the top buttonhole for this dress was looking a little worse for wear.
Time to get this Preppy ’80s Dress Refashion underway!
First, I tackled those sleeves.
It’s hard to see it here, but the sleeves for this dress aren’t set-in on the back. That means I couldn’t just pick them off with my seam ripper (what I prefer to do).
After snipping them off, I realized I hadn’t thought about the fray factor of this fabric, so I snipped again with my pinking shears.
I pinned those teeny tiny raw edges down.
I really didn’t give myself much room here, but everything pinned down just fine.
Then, I ran each armhole through my machine.
Luckily, I had a thread that was the exact same shade of the teal blue of this dress, so it blended in perfectly!
I put my dress on my dress form inside-out and got to pinning.
Since this dress has a full button front closure (meaning I can get in and out of it without having to get it over my head and shoulders), I was able to get it nice and fitted! I measured each side to make sure it was even.
I also pinned each side of the top front placket down into a V.
No more ugly torn buttonhole! Huzzah!
I also picked off that top button and added it to my button stash!
Then, I ran each side of the dress through my machine.
And then I stitched down my new V-neck!
Almost done!
I tried my dress on, and marked where I wanted my new hem to be with a safety pin.
Time for a final chop!
Check it out! We have a new table that’s big enough for me to do cutting on! My days of cutting hems on the floor are over and my knees are happy!
Our new dining room table also doubles as a gaming table!!!
I pinned my new hem down…
…and stitched it in place!
Look at that Preppy ’80s Dress now!
I really like this dress so much better without those sleeves! The fabric is just so light…perfect for a sleeveless sundress!
I received lots of compliments on my new dress (from afar, of course), and Mr. Refashionista seemed to like it too!
Mr. Refashionista cut his beard shorter for summer! I think it looks really nice (I can almost see his face!).
Feel free to pepper him with praise in the comments below. 😉
While we’re sad Pride events haven’t really been able to happen this year, we were happy for the opportunity to come out and support our friends. 🙂
Cheers!
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