Remake Tuesday!

Jan 14, 2013 | 47 Comments

I am a velvet girl.  I LURVE velvet.  Even this dress…

New Dress A Day - DIY - vintage dress

BEFORE

It felt super Romeo & Juliet to me…

New Dress A Day - DIY - vintage dress

Oh Romeo, Romeo…

…except it was completely the wrong size.  I loved the color and the ruching at the neck, however the rest of it was lacking.  It’s time to make this totally Juliet-worthy!!

The size was the main issue, so I spent time measuring and pinning down the areas that needed to be stitched!

New Dress A Day - DIY - vintage dress

Pinned sleeves!

I got the sleeves and the arms…

New Dress A Day - DIY - vintage dress

More pinning!

…and pinned down the body as well before stitching everything in place.

New Dress A Day - DIY - vintage dress

Stitch it out!!

Once the seams were stitched, I trimmed off the excess material.

New Dress A Day - DIY - vintage dress

Cutting excess!!

The length was a bit off as well, and just a tad too long, so I cut off about six inches from the hem to shorten it up.

New Dress A Day - DIY - vintage dress

Going short!

Paired with a jacket, thigh high socks, boots, a scarf, and a newsboy cap, I was finally ready for my day!!

New Dress A Day - DIY - vintage dress

sBrrrrrrrrr!!!!

So small sidenote…Los Angeles has been battling bitter temperatures for traditional Southern California temps.  Yeah, we hit the 40s which is really nothing for the East Coast, but for us So Cal-ers, we’re going a little bananas.

Even Jimmy Kimmel brought mention to it.  (PS, those are our real newscasters…it’s ridiculous, but totally legit!!)

I’m not going to say that I didn’t feel just a little bit like Oliver Twist…

New Dress A Day - DIY - vintage dress

AFTER

…and I’m also not going to say that my NY, born and bred blood, hasn’t thinned at all since being in LA, because it totally has!!  I’m cold!!  My lovely apartment with lacking heat makes me feel like I’m in Rent.  ”Will You Light My Candle?” is kind of true for me at the moment, but I’ll be fine.

New Dress A Day - DIY - vintage dress

Coffee time.

I got my latte, my multiple layers, and an electric blanket to keep this girl running!!

In all · Dollar Dress Remakes
  • Elise Lin

    Nice remake! Cute & warm.

    • newdressaday

      My favorite combo :) xx

  • kissem37

    I LOVE this dress!! I would buy it in a heartbeat. Needless to say, I adore velvet, too. :)

    • newdressaday

      I need to find more velvet options…on my radar because I’m obsessed too!

  • http://twitter.com/CraftyWIMama Crafty WI Mama

    Very cute! You do such a good job with all your remakes! A little bit shorter may be in the cards if I do a similar remake – but I’d always wear it with leggings so no bits of booty would show ;)

    • newdressaday

      Shorter would be totally cute too, especially with leggings!

  • Paula

    Do we need to organize a blanket drive for So Cal? Here in WI 40 or 50 is practically shorts weather. LOL Great remake. I would buy that in a minute.

  • Boatgirl

    I love this dress, and all it took was a few easy seams to fit it and change the length. It was hard to see this cute and trendy frock hiding in all of that fabric but the end result is so cute. This dress is sending me off to the Salvation Army today to find my own hidden dress!

  • Judy B

    Love the news clips–”Arctic blast”–LOL!

    • newdressaday

      Yep and when it rains like 1/2 inch here, it’s a total “Storm Watch”. Gotta love it!!

  • chris wackett

    ha ha i am so decked at your weather forecasters its 23 deg here with freezing fog in scotland (and snow) love the dress

    • newdressaday

      I think we all look like babies when we can’t deal with 40 degrees. Keep that jacket on in Scotland, Chris!!

  • Sarah_H.

    I love that velvet dress! Totally love it. We are having low temperatures in Dallas too. I keep telling people that we really do get winter in Texas, at least 3-4 weeks of it and sometimes for even two or three days at a time. But my sister lives in Cleveland, and I get no respect. None. Stay warm keed!

  • Sarah_H.

    I looked at the dress again and I have got to say this. You have got such an eye, girl. You have nailed the right length for that, PERFECT!

    • newdressaday

      Thank you Sarah!!

  • Ginia Magers

    Very favorite remake ever! I have been following your blog from the early days and I LOVE THIS ONE THE MOST!!!!

    • newdressaday

      Wowza!! That’s fantastic!!

  • Abby Q Mudd

    I saw the original dress and I was totally not FEELING IT. However, your redone version is amazing! I love it! (Also, do you ever re-wear dresses after you post them?). Which one is the dress you have re-worn the most?

  • Eileen Laurette

    Romeo AND Juliet could both have fit in that before dress! Great remake as always – and thanks for posting the Jimmy Kimmel clip, it always makes me laugh when the newscasters go nutso over anything that isn’t 75 degrees and sunny. :)

    • newdressaday

      It’s pretty ridiculous…however it’s back to 79 degrees this Saturday. I’m sure everyone will be complaining about the heat next!

  • Laura Whitman

    Oh my gosh, that is hilarious that everyone is freaking out. I have been walking to work these past two weeks since being back to school. It is about 20 degrees in the am here in PA. Hehehe.

    Love the transformation! Hope that you find a moody guitar player to snuggle with a la Rent style! Love that musical.

    xoxo,

    Laura

    • newdressaday

      Where is my Adam Pascal??? Stay warm in PA, miss!

  • sash

    Very nice! I want the red jacket( that great collar) and the cap too.

  • Diane

    This is adorable! Were the shoulders an issue since the dress was so big? Stay warm – I can’t believe you don’t have heat at all!

    • newdressaday

      I have a heater, but it’s an old one in my living room that doesn’t travel far. I stand next to it to stay warm :)

  • womanmdsguide

    This is so cute Marisa but WHERE DID YOU GET THAT COAT?!! I love it!

    • newdressaday

      It’s by Tulle – got it at a sample sale out here for $20!

  • Meghan Elizabeth

    so cute, I love velvet too! and we only got our heater working again last month, i want to live in the main room because the bedroom is sooo cooooollllddddd

    • newdressaday

      That’s my same issue! My bedroom is like the Ice Hotel – I slept on my couch so I could actually feel my heater. Stay warm girl!!

  • Leah D

    This look is ripe with fabulosity. Gorge.

  • http://twitter.com/jodywallace Jody Wallace

    When you resize a garment like that, you just zip up theunderarm and side seam, right? You don’t adjust where the shoulder seam hits? (Not that I’d be excited about having to remove the sleeves and recut them everytime I wanted to size down…)

    • newdressaday

      Yep, that’s all – this piece was stretchy, so it waas perfect!

  • Elizabeth H

    Haha you So Cal-er’s and being cold at high 40 degrees. I’d kill for some 40 degree weather so I could wear dresses to school again! But when it’s 20 degrees in the morning it’s not fun to walk to school in a dress. I love how that dress turned out since I originally couldn’t see really any potential in it. I’m a fan of velvet too so I would really love a dress like that if it was on the racks.

    • newdressaday

      I know, we’re totally silly, but for us it’s real cold. I woke up yesterday at 7am and it was 25 degrees out!

  • holly

    hang on… seriously, how could anyone make that look good?
    I’m amazed yet again how a little “nip and tuck” saves the day!

  • EmilyMullasWilson

    Adorable! One of my favorite dresses you’ve done! I’m a sucker for velvet too, but I always feel old-fashioned in it. You’ve made velvet so chic and modern here.

  • Linda

    The overall effect was somewhat different, but I remember the fabulous Cass Elliott (of the Mamas and Papas) wearing an outfit a lot like this back in the 1960′s. She too was California dreamin’ on such a winter’s day

  • Ethne @ www.wom-mom.com

    The color of the velvet is best of all! Mochaccino, like the fab new Essie nail polish color!

    • newdressaday

      YES!! I love that shade. It’s totally in right now…

  • Emily_Joyce

    Love the velvet! Your coat is super cute too!

  • Guest

    The weather reports are totally cracking me up!! It is 45 today here in Iowa and it feels like spring! Everyone is talking about how warm it is! All a matter of perspective :) Love the dress too!!

    • newdressaday

      Shorts and t-shirts for you guys and scarves, jackets, gloves, and electric blankets for us! Hilarious, right?

  • Lovestosew

    Lol, thanks for that. I love Jimmy Kimmel.
    I like velvet, too.

  • http://www.facebook.com/denise.gilbert.75470 Denise Gilbert

    Adorable! That is so cute, love the end result of this makeover.

  • Christine Pankow

    My daughter says, “OH MY GOODNESS! THAT IS SO CUTE!!!” And I agree!!! Well done!!!

  • Denise

    Super cute! I truly love it! One of your best ever!

  • Haley

    I totally agree with you on the cold – i live in florida, so anything less than 60 is cold. 40 is very very cold. And i love the dress, it looks soft :)