Refashion Co-op Editor: Jillian

It's Friday! Huzzah! That means it's my turn as Editor! Don't worry if it's actually Thursday where you are. As this is a worldwide blog, time zones can get a bit screwy. You'll get used to it. :) Allow me to introduce myself!

Jillian Owens, Duty Editor

How did you get started with refashioning?

One year for Christmas, I was given a sewing machine. It sat in the box for a week. The idea of machinery scares me…all those gears and metal bits just waiting to malfunction and possibly maim you. I was finally bullied into taking it out of the box. It sat on my kitchen table for a couple of days. I would stare at it intensely for minutes at a time. Finally, I plugged it in and tentatively put my foot on the pedal of my non-threaded machine. Hmph…not as scary as I thought.

I started off making clumsily constructed little camera cozies and pillowcases for my friends from my old clothes that I didn't want anymore. I moved on to hemming too-long thrift store finds to make them more current. The more I played with altering clothes, the more I learned about what worked and what didn’t. Many innocent $1 garments died in the process.

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After

(Plus the first dress I ever sewed on display at the Columbia Museum of Art in SC)

Who or what is your inspiration when refashioning?
Movies inspire me. Coco Before Chanel (starring the adorable Audrey Tautau) was a huge inspiration for me. The scene that especially inspired me was where she was living with the Baron Balsan in his Chateau, and wanted to hang out with his wealthy socialite friends. Balsan bought her this expensive, verrrrry ornate dress for the occasion. She hates it. Rather than wear it, she takes apart one of his dress shirts and one of her plain dresses, and turns these pieces into a new dress that suited her and looked amazing. What could be more elegant?

I love websites like ModCloth and Urban Outfitters because their clothes have a fun, updated vintage style that I love.

I’m not too pround to admit I’ll google a refashioning tutorial when I’m stumped or run into a problem with a refashion project. Being connected to such amazing bloggers, on the Refashion Co-op blog is giving me a whole new boost of energy and enthusiasm to keep refashioning!

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Where do you source your clothes for refashioning?

Usually I run to a thrift store that’s near my workplace during a lunch break. There’s a small chain of thrift stores in my town where all the clothing is $1 (and usually pretty hideous). We also have a Dollar-a-Pound Goodwill store that I’ll go bin-digging in occasionally. I work two jobs, so it's very rare that I can get a day to go thrifting. When I do, I try to stock up! Sometimes people just give me stuff, which is always awesome.

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What is you reason/motivation for refashioning?
Honestly, because I’m cheap and picky…a dangerous mix when it comes to fashion. I got tired of seeing dresses in expensive boutiques that were poorly made, and wouldn’t survive one cleaning. The vast majority of the clothes I grab from the thrift stores are of a much higher quality than you see in newer clothing nowadays.

I also get a nice, feel-goody feeling knowing that I'm helping to reduce waste, and that I'm not contributing to the disposable fashion industry.

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You can see more of my refashions on my blog, ReFashionista. I'm thrilled to be involved with the Refashion Co-op blog, and can't wait to see everyone's fabulous refashions!

Cheers!