Quick "Fix": Two Piece Dress

Ok, I'm back to dreaming of spring/summer...Not that our current weather situation in New Jersey inspires much hope of even the possibility of warmer weather! But, I refashion in hopes that it will soon come and all of this will be quickly forgotten (or at least relegated to the dusty corners of my memory).

I bought this dress at a thrift store in Queens 3-4 years ago and wore it maybe 4 times over two of those years. It was pretty fitted, as you can see in the picture, and I was still carrying about 15 pounds of baby weight at this point. Looking back, it doesn't look bad at all, but at the time, I felt self-conscious and therefore, it spent way too much time in my closet and not enough on my body.

About a year ago, I decided I'd get more use out of the dress by cutting it in half and using the bottom portion as a skirt. So, I chopped it just below the bust and attached a portion of a refashioned top (shirred with elastic) to create a waistband for my new skirt. Again, I wore it less than a handful of times. So, here's what I was left with...a cropped top and a skirt with a weird waistband that I was getting almost no use from. The wonky waist made the skirt uncomfortable and awkward to wear as I had to constantly adjust, and up until this point, I'd never considered myself able to "do" the cropped top (you know, post baby skin?). But I decided to experiment and putting the two pieces together and then pulling the skirt down to leave some space actually gave me an idea! Time for a quick "fix"!

Please ignore the panty lines for now, will ya? K, thanks :)

This is super simple as I am doing the same thing to the top as I am the bottom. First, I started off with a length of elastic (1 1/2 inch or maybe 2...) cut to length by measuring my ribcage where the top will fall. I sewed straight across the width towards the ends, then folded the ends back and zigzagged across the width to create a flat seam.

I then pinned the elastic band to my top (wrong sides together) and zigzagged around the edge, stretching the elastic slightly as I went.

Now, for the skirt. I cut off the weird waistband, then trimmed the top of the skirt so that it was straight across. Then I repeated the above steps with the elastic using my waist measurement.

That's it! Easy, right? Breaking it up by showing just a bit of the midriff completely changes the feel of the dress, for me, and though I feel a teeny bit self-conscious, I can objectively look at these photos and know that it doesn't look bad...well, except for the refashion bin that made it into the photos :-/

Of course, I had to start playing with possibilities, now that I officially had a two-piece set! A little less skin...

or as a dress, again! Or maybe just the skirt...

and back to a two-piece with a black pencil skirt! Pull it up a bit to have a dress, again ;)

Or change over to a bright blue midi and call it a day!

However I decide to style these two pieces, the options are many and now I feel pretty in both the top and bottom of this set. It's a win-win!

OK, let's get real for a moment. I don't do any retouching on my photos (gotta keep it real, even when real isn't looking so good), but for this one I thought that I might have to because who wants to see post-baby-saggy-skin stomach (internal thoughts)...why do I describe myself this way? It's ugly and mean and degrading in a way that can do irreparable damage. And I am not damaged...or ugly....only sometimes mean ;). Of course if I do retouch, then I wouldn't actually be showing you an outfit as I would wear it, but only as it "could" be worn. And that's exactly what I'm trying to avoid in my current and future refashions. After giving birth I would buy clothes and shoes that were pretty but that absolutely did not function in my wardrobe or daily life AT.ALL. It put unrealistic expectations on me for how I "should" look and my life for how it "should" be. Not. helpful. I still find myself doing this every now and then (I still buy heels though I seldom have a chance to wear them), but I'm definitely learning to examine myself and my life where I am. Right now. I am happier than I have been in years (postpartum depression is a meanie-face), and also learning to see myself as my husband has always seen me...I've got A LOT to make up for in that 4-5 year gap, but here's to new beginnings!!! Hopefully, you'll stick around for the journey and share in it with me :).

So, to be brave I'm sharing this next shot...it feels safe because it's not close up, but my stomach is doing flips as I'm getting ready to post!

I won't be wearing this top in this fashion...its not my style and not necessarily appropriate for my life. But it shows me that my self-image is wildly out of skew and needs some readjusting. Hopefully you cannot relate and have an amazing sense of self and self-worth, but if you are simply on your way there (like me), you are beautiful. You are worthy. Baby or not. Stretched out skin or not. Tall, short, curvy, straight, single, attached, whatever. Believing it will not only help YOU improve but it will transfer to the people around you who love you and already see you as you are.

One last look at the, well, looks!

Peace,

Andrea