I find it amusing that I’ve been aggressively targeted with luxury fashion ads as of late.
Don’t they know I rarely spend more than $1 on any item of clothing?
One such luxury item is this deconstructed sweater by Ottolinger.
I know the deconstructed/distressed look isn’t for everyone, but I really like this avant-garde sweater! It’s unique, fashion-forward, and really makes a statement.
Unfortunately, it comes with a hefty price tag. :/
$975 for one sweater??? What the what?!?! I’ve driven cars that cost less than that!
The old southern adage, Some people got more money than sense appears to apply here.
According to its product listing on the Selfridges website,
Selfridges Says
Drawing on its native Berlin, Ottolinger’s aesthetic combines elements of the city’s rave scene with impeccable construction and juxtaposing destruction. Take this jumper for example: spun from pure wool, it’s knitted with an intricate cable pattern then deconstructed with raw frayed edges and an asymmetric hem. Take your styling cues from the brand’s runway presentation and slip it on with its strappy trousers and backless mules.
You can probably guess where I’m going with this. I mean, I just love refashioning old sweaters!
It’s time for an Ottolinger-inspired deconstructed sweater refashion!
I needed to find a white sweater that was similar to my inspiration piece, which I found hanging on the $1 clearance rack at the thrift store.
It even features a similar diamond pattern!
There’s nothing technically wrong with this sweater, but it is a little boring for my tastes.
My sweater is made of cotton rather than wool, but I still think I can create a refashion that evokes Ottolinger’s aesthetic with elements of the city’s rave scene with impeccable construction and juxtaposing destruction.
Or something…?
I cut off the neck of my sweater right below where the top part was seamed to the rest of the sweater.
Then, I cut a jagged line on the bottom hem of my sweater.
Now for the fun part…the deconstruction!
I used a combination of my scissors, a seam ripper, a chopstick, and my bare hands to unravel and distress the neckline and bottom hem.
This took waaaay longer than I thought it would…about 40 minutes.
When I was done, the neckline was made much wider in the process, which served me well for the next step.
I folded the front right fabric of the sweater together to make a flap.
If you look at my inspiration piece, you can see there’s a deconstructed vertical seam on the right side. That’s what I’m trying to replicate.
I stitched a single seam down the pinned line.
Then, I sewed a single line along the neck of my sweater to keep it from unraveling/stretching out any more than I wanted it to.
I cut open my newly-sewn flap and used the same seam ripper, scissor, chopstick, & bare hands combo to unravel both flappy bits.
I grabbed my sweater and shook it aggressively to get rid of all those loose threads (so it wouldn’t shed them while I was wearing it).
Look at my Ottolinger Deconstructed Sweater imposter now!
I felt quite artsy in my new sweater, so I opted for a white beret over a wig.
I ended up liking this refashion even more than I thought I would! I really like how edgy it looks with my shaved head. 🙂
I wore my new sweater to lunch at Za’s with a friend (who was impressed by my sweater doppleganging skills)!
I think my new sweater looks just as cool as the real thing!
And to think it started off as a humble $1 thrift store sweater!
Cheers!
