So, it's Day 2 of my Dorothy Perkins Denim dress up challenge (See Day 1 here!). Today is supposed to be the Skinny Flare day. But, like I said yesterday, Dorothy Perkins have given us free reign to customise the jeans as we please. Considering flares don't particularly suit my "rockabilly meets librarian" style, I thought this would be the perfect opportunity to share some denim snipping tips with you guys.
I had so much fun dressing up in these jeans before I snipped them, because they reminded me of the flares I used to wear as a young teen when I was just getting into alternative music. I actually recreated one of my teen 'grunger' looks, but am saving those lolz for another post! You might be able to see my lesser spotted lip ring I donned for the occasion in the pictures below...
And don't go thinking I'm flaking out of taking risks in this Denim challenge... Flares will be addressed again, in their entirety, later in the week! (Eep!)
So here is the final product and my outfit:
(T-shirt - Topshop, Tights - Primark, Cardi - Primark, Socks - Topshop, Boots - Charity Shop, Belt - H&M kids)
And here's how the jeans started life! They were so comfortable and a really lovely shape. I know with my epic jugs I probably ought to be wearing a flare to balance me out a bit, but they just don't suit me! If skinny flares do suit you, you can find Dorothy Perkins' selection here. They don't seem to have this wash online, unfortunately, but the line number is 70154724 if you want to find them in a store.
DIY TIME!
♥ Right, to start with, determine the length you want your shorts, and snip a diagonal line (see below left) a bit longer than you think they need to be. It's better to be able to trim off extra material. You're screwed if you go too short!
♥ Put the jeans back on and see if the leg you've snipped is the right length. If not, trim some more. I wanted mine folded at the bottom instead of frayed. If you're of the kooky disposition, consider leaving them this way. It might catch on!
♥ When you're happy with the length and shape of the first leg, fold the jeans in half inwards (the seams line up better when folded this way) and use the chopped leg as a template to cut the other leg to match it.
♥ Woo, you did it! If your folds don't stay folded, you can either iron (or use straighteners) or just put a few stitches in to keep them in place.
If you want to put your own stamp on your new shorts, here are some distressing tips that work for me! (As in denim-distressing tips - not that these tips caused me emotional strife!)
Most places on the internetz suggest Sandpaper, but we don't have this in our flat, so I busted out my Models Own nail file! Which worked perfectly, I must say.
I found the best way to do it was to put the leg that you're distressing first 'on', but upside down. Like in the pic below (imagine my knee sticking out of the top of the picture), so it's like the jeans are sitting on your lap, but because they're on, you can pull the material taut and file it easier. I hope to god that made sense!
So we've sorted out the wear, onto the tear! To get a more ripped look, I used that side of the cheese grater that nobody knows what to do with. Anyone care to enlighten me?! I made the material taught but pulling upwards with my palm, and then gently grated the material over my hand. Be careful not to stab yourselves! This just pulls the threads out and makes little rips, which you can enhance with a seam ripper if you want to.
When you think you're done, try the jeans on and see how they look. I decided my nail-filed areas were a bit small, so I just filed them whilst they were on, so I had more control over which extra bits to do. It only takes a couple of minutes to get a faded look.
I absolutely love how these turned out. I am going to keep filing them and make them an ongoing project, but I was surprised how easy it was to get a cool faded/ripped effect! I might add some studs too when I next have some pocket money!
I accidentally made mine a bit too bummy, so will be wearing them with some cycling shorts like all the cool cats, until we get a heatwave!
My latest nails and my adorable 'LOL' ring sent to me by Stolen Thunder. If there was ever a piece of jewellery that was made for me, it was this. Lolz are my life. You can get 15% off Stolen Thunder jewellery using the code 'GEM'!
(Nails: OPI Banana Bandana, spots of Models Own Nude Beige, Leopard done with Superdrug 2True liquid eyeliner!)
And that wraps up this week's tip! What do you think? Do any of you have any tips for distressing or customising denim?
Don't forget to see how the other bloggers got on with Skinny Flare day at Style HQ!
♥
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