When I saw this dress by Juicy Couture, I was in love!
As you can probably guess, this story doesn’t end with me clicking on “add to cart” and waiting for it to arrive in the mail. Oh no, friend. I haven’t spent $139 on a dress in years, and I’m not about to start now!
Luckily, I had this dress I found for $1 with some ganked-up interfacing coming out everywhere! 🙂
It’s patterned and blue! And it’s about to have much more in common with that inspiration dress! 🙂
To get started, I hacked off the collar and shortened the sleeves.
Now. I knew I would need to take this dress in, but I also needed to get the shape of the top of the dress looking something like the end result before I did so (make sense?). Soooo…I made a couple of cuts!
I pinned it on my dress form and used safety pins to make a v-neck and pinned the shoulders together.
NOW I’m ready to start reshaping! I put the dress on my form inside-out and took the sides in, trying not to make the top too fitted. I wanted it to be a little free like the Juicy version. 🙂
Each side went under the needle…
I snipped off the excess fabric and put my dress back on the form. It was time to get the neckline/sleeves pinned and prepped for sewing!
I stitched all these raw edges down for the front and the back!
I’m so close to being done here, folks! I stitched the bottom parts of the sleeve slits together…
…then I made a couple of straps from the leftover scraps!
I pinned my new straps to the shoulders of my dress and stitched them down.
With my straps in place, I could finally tell just how much of that bottom hem to hack off!
And now I have my own Jilly Couture Fractured & Not Quite Floral Dress! 🙂 I used the hemmed bottom scrap to cinch the waist a bit (although it really wasn’t necessary). 🙂
My new dress enjoyed drinks with friends, followed by Much Ado About Nothing!
Don’t you want to watch the trailer of this fantastic adaptation? 🙂
Original Cost: $136
Copycat Cost: $1
Savings: $135
Cheers!
you really did great with that dress!
Just as everyone else has said, I, too, think your version is better! I absolutely want to try this refashion as well! Thanks for the inspiration 🙂
That color works so well with your complexion 🙂
Hands down I like your version better. Awesome refash!
Cute! I want to see that movie too, looks good and how can it go wrong with Nathan Fillion in it?!
Your dress looks so much better than the original!! Cute!
I have admired your blog for months! Where did you get your dress form?
I ordered it from Amazon. It’s a singer! 🙂
You are clever and an inspiration . I love this one too
You get more creative with every refashion!!!!!!!!
I think your version looks better too!
I think this is my favourite yet! Gorgeous!
Is there anything you CANT do?? I love it X 1 Million!!
Yes. Dance. 🙂
This might be my favorite one yet! And SO JEALOUS that you’ve seen that movie! I have to drive an hour to find a theater showing it!
It’s worth it! You’ll love it! 🙂
this one is definitely one of my favorites
I think the one you made is even prettier!! well done 🙂
I like your version so much more than the original. I love seeing what inspires you.
Great dress to see a great movie!
I love that dress! Perfect for summer! Love your blog too!!!
Wow, I love it! And as usual, you look great in everything! I REALLY like the way you did the straps and sleeves on yours.
I agree with a lot of the people above: yours is waaaay better than the original!
Beautiful! I like your version even better than the original. You are amazing!
This is too cute! I love your version ! I am amazed at your creativity!
it’s beautiful! and now you can use that 135$ elsewhere!
Hi,
I read your blog from Italy and I love refashion too!!
That was great, love the shoulders.
please, a request: I ADORE floral patterns on black, please, please, please refashion that dress I see in your rack on background, I’d love to see it!!
yhank you
Lia
I love your wannebee wednesdays. They are so inspirational! And this time I like your creation much more than the original one.
I too like yours better than the original. Funnily enough for me the Juicy Couture dress looks like some one has hacked at it with scissors whereas yours looks like it was designed that way.
Gorgeous! Looks a lot like the original at a fraction of the cost. Well done!
Wow! First when I saw the original 1$-dress I thought: How will she do it? But you did it fine and your dress looks great and fits perfectly – you’re simply the best! Love your blog!
Hi there, I LOVE your blog! I have a really..eeehhem stupid question. When you put your pre-creation on the dress form and pin it to your size…get ready for it…how do you manage to get it off the form? I purchased one just like yours and struggle with that?
Thanks!
NOT a stupid question! I just unpin one side once I have it how I want it, then when it’s off the form, I use the other side as a guide (measure and re-pin!). Hope that helps!
Really great refashion!! I think I like your version better, even. And yes, Much Ado About Nothing was awesome. 🙂
Excellent job. I agree with DIYGirl above – you are getting really good at this!
I like yours better 🙂 the straps on the first one look flimsy and like they would fall off constantly, but yours are perfect, and i love the shape they create with what you have done with the top,you have used the negative shape as well as the positive shape brilliantly!
oh my gosh. Absolutely one of your best!
Absolutely love this. I will never look at clothes the same way again 🙂
LOVE!!!
Simply divine! You really outdid yourself with this one. 5 stars.
I agree, your version looks better! I see at least six kinds of genius here! Love your blog – you go girl.
Love it!
You really make me look at things differently. Right now I turn ugly dresses into quilts but I am definitely thinking about trying something new.
You are really getting good at this.
Like everyone else, I like yours way better than the original.
Super cute!!! I like it even better than the juicy version!!
You did an amazing job on the dress. And this neckline looks great on you
Lovely – and I agree with the others, much nicer than the original (and you have better legs)!
This is one of my favorite refashions yet! Love the orginal and love your copy-cat! I need to figure out to use my sewing machine my brother got me. I’m scared. haha… better find some cheap/old clothes to practice on!
Don’t be afraid! 🙂 Just start off by making small things like camera cases, pillows, and sunglass cases, then work your way up! Enjoy the learning process. 🙂
So cute! I love the cut-out shoulders, and I think your version is a lot nicer than the inspiration.
I absolutely love your dress. It is way cuter than the couture dress. You inspire me all the time and you crack me up with all the things you say like are from the country. Lo…:-) 🙂 🙂 Keep on being you girlie. 🙂
THAT is cute!
What a transformation! I love your version, the print works so much better on yours than the original!
I love this one!! I actually like your dress more than the original!! Kudos!! Also, I can’t WAIT to see Much Ado!! Joss Whedon is my fav!
FANTASTIC makeover!!!! I like it better than the original!
love this refashion. As you said, this was an online find (the Juicy dress) but do you ever go to a store and see inspiration? I’m just wondering if it was difficult to refashion this dress like the Juicy one without actually seeing it in person. It looks fantastic, but I just wanted to ask! Anyway, love your blog and your confidence in sewing. Been following for a while and finally managed to comment! Can’t wait to see more “designer inspirations”!
Trish
Honestly, I hate shopping. I hardly ever go where clothing is sold because I get anxious around people shopping (weird, eh?). Online window shopping is a godsend for me! 🙂
Extreme cuteness!!!
Your version is way better than the original… not just because of the price, but it looks more like something anyone could wear. You are just the best! I am inspired to do something too!
You’re just so creative! I’m envious that you can see a dress that hideous and see the potential. The most I can do is see a shorter hem, or 3/4 sleeve. This is one of my favorite Wannabe’s for sure–like everyone else is saying, I like your version MUCH more than the original.
I absolutely love the shoulder/neckline refashion on this one. It looks amazing on you. I want one just like it! Now, when are you going to do that black dress with the bright flowers on it? Everytime I see it on the rack, I can’t wait to see what you do with it!
Thank you! Tee hee…each dress will have its turn! 🙂
I always think the same thing! I love this dress, it is absolutely amazing!
I love it. I think its BETTER than the $139 version!
I absolutly love it… Ive recently lost some weight and nothing fits right. Your blog Has inspired me to want to try refashioning my own clothing but I’m a little scared to try it. Oh wel I must invest in a sewing machine now!!!
It’s the best investment I ever (well actually that my ex bf ever) made! 🙂
My very favorite of all your refashions to date!!!!!!!!!!
LOVE IT! And I love it with the straps a little wider so I could wear a bra. And I love your sleeves so much better – the original sleeves would drive me crazy on my arms and I would have to rip them off before the evening is done!
i LOVE it. yours i like better than the original
I agree with the other comments that your ReFashion is better than the inspiration and it’s a great color on you. Thanks for sharing!
Loved yours much more!!
Cute dress and yes, the movie was amazing! Shakespeare, Whedon and Fillion, what more does one need?
I LoVED Fillon as Dogberry! 🙂
Shakespeare totally wrote that part for Nathan Fillion 400 years ago. Remember that episode of Doctor Who where The Doctor and Martha travel back in time to the Globe Theater and visit Shakespeare? My theory is that The Doctor gave Shakespeare a little tip about Nathan Fillion in the future.
I LOVE that episode! And I think you’re right! 🙂
Wow, good job, love it!
Wow that’s an impressive copy! Very well done Jillian, love it on you!
I like your version better than the original!
I love your refash better than Juicy’s!
As I scrolled through your after pictures, I was wondering, where’s the one with the drink in her hand? Ah, there it is… in the movie picture.
Love it! Your dress looks even better than the $136 dress! 😀
nice job and I actually like your version better
I think this is one of your best. The change between the two dresses is amazing!
amazing – just amazing – you shud open a shop to refashion peeps closets!
I love the way this one fits you. Great job!
I love this refashion more than the dress you’re mimicking!
Love, love, love it! I like the shape of yours better than the original.
This is adorable! Do you ever sale your refashioned clothes?
Thank you. I really don’t. I just don’t want to. 🙂 I wrote a post about it a while back…https://refashionista.net/2013/01/21/qa-monday-2/
I like it better than the Juicy dress 🙂 Well done!
Love it!!!!!!! The dress is Fantastic but I also love that you have a great sense of humor and don’t take yourself to seriously. Great Job again on the dress!!!!
Very flattering for your figure. WAY better than the original that was a little too shapeless:) Awesome as per usual!
Thanks! I actually meant for it to be a little more drapey than it ended up being, but hey…there’s always next time! 🙂
Looks great!! Love the refashions!! You give me sooo many ideas. I look forward to your posts 🙂
I think I actually like your version better. On the original one there is such a disconnect between the straps and the “sleeves” that I think it looks a little awkward. I like how you did the sleeves much better. It looks nice and summery. Also, oddly enough, I like the pattern on the thrifted piece better too. Great job!
http://www.knockoffcrafts.wordpress.com
I totally agree with Cara, your version looks much better for exactly same reasons, straps, sleeves and pattern
Gorgeous dress! I love it!
You look adorable! 🙂
not one of your bestestest refashions, but still so great that i am envious like s..t that I cannot sew that well…
Disagree! I think this is one of your best! Love it!
Awesome! You go girl!
Love it…very cute. The style and color look perfect on you.