Save My Problem Children!!
A fantasy closet consultation with rework designer Laurs Kemp.
Every closet has its problem children—the things you don’t wear because there’s one little thing wrong with them, but that you keep anyway, hoping they will work someday. For help with mine, I turned to rework designer Laurs Kemp. “I love feeling empowered by being able to change the factory settings on clothing,” says Laurs.
I’m into Laurs’ ideas because they’re creative and kooky—bandeau tops made from vintage leather gloves a la Schiaparelli and Margiela, basic LBDs adorned with puffy flowers, sporty stripes on everything—but also because many of them are upsizing projects, when it seems like upcycling is often about making things smaller.
I chose five pieces from my closet for Laurs to reimagine: a pair of too-tight shorts, a nightgown that’s really giving nightgown, one t-shirt that’s too blah and another that’s stained, and a skirt with an unruly liner. I asked her to dream up new possibilities for them with varying degrees of sophistication and complication, from no-sew to “get thee to a tailor.” I really enjoyed this exercise in fantasy, and I’m excited to both bring these ideas to fruition and apply them to more things in my wardrobe.
Read on to see what Laurs came up with!
Rework #1: Too-tight shorts
What I love about the original garment: The luscious (faux) suede and cute pleats.
What I don’t: These have gotten a little tight on me, and I’m just not a high-waisted girly anymore, especially not in shorts weather—I can’t take the pressure on the internal organs!
Laurs’ solution: Add a sporty stripe! “Recently, I upsized similar shorts by inserting a stripe at the side seams to increase the waist/hips by about two inches. I’m the least sporty person on the planet, but I’ve been really into sporty stuff lately. You just need to look for a fabric of a similar weight; otherwise it will get puckery. Go with a contrast color: Black, dark brown, or cream could be fabulous.”
Rework #2: Nightgown that’s giving nightgown
What I love about the original garment: The smocked bib and pearl buttons—plus, I got this for free at a Mildew clothing swap in Mexico City two years ago, which makes me willing to invest in it.
What I don’t: This is just undeniably a nightgown. The long skirt clings in an annoying way, and it’s sloppily lobbed off and raw at the bottom.
Laurs’ solution: Turn it into a babydoll dress! “Shorten it to above the knee. Sometimes, on vintage dresses, you’ll notice they have such a nice swing to them, and that’s because at the hem, they have this trim called horsehair braiding, which is almost like a finger trap. You can reduce cling by adding it along the hem, and I’m sure you can find a similar white lace to add to echo the lace from the yoke, too. Bonus: The skirt is long enough that you could use the leftover fabric to add puffed cap sleeves.” (Laurs has a puffed sleeve tutorial, too!)
Rework #3: Blah tee
What I love about the original garment: I purchased this at Urban Outfitters ca. 2007 and honestly have no idea why it’s still with me on this mortal coil, but now it feels like destiny.
What I don’t: It’s too long, boring, and feels like wearing a tube.
Laurs’ solution: Drape it! “Get in front of the mirror and freestyle with gathering and draping it at random points asymmetrically—maybe one on the shoulder, one on the chest, and one at the waist. Scrunch the fabric up and down instead of side to side; otherwise, it will get too tight. You can either use a basting stitch to tack down the pleat, or put a little piece of thin elastic on the inside, sew it, and it’ll scrunch up.”
Rework #4: Stained shirt
What I love about the original garment: The nice, thick denim and absurdly big front pocket. (This one is secondhand Zara—I’m not above secondhand fast fashion, folks.)
What I don’t: The indelible yellow stain on the pocket (invisible in this photo, but very visible in sunlight.)
Laurs’ solution: Embellish! “Cover up the stain with bold embroidery, an appliqué, or fabric paint. Add fruit, flowers—you could even paint on a trompe-l’œil sailor collar with a bow in front.”
Rework #5: Skirt with an unruly liner
What I love about the original garment: The silky, crinkly, shimmery fabric, and the sexy slit on the side.
What I don’t: The liner—which might have shrunk at a different rate than the crinkly fabric—bunches, rides up, and peeks through. And like I said, I’m just not into a high waist on myself anymore.
Laurs’ solution: Remove the liner! “I’m addicted to removing the liners from any sheer, lined garment; it makes them instantly look less churchy. With your hand between the layers, very carefully cut out the lining. That alone might fix your problem, but if it doesn’t, you could pop one of the side seams with a thread snipper up to the waistband, sew those seams clean, and find a similar fabric or ribbon to add ties to rework it into an overskirt.”
Without an intervention, these forlorn pieces will continue to languish in my drawers—so now I just have to make these projects happen. Which one will I tackle first?
Get Laurs’ help with your closet here.
Shop her original reworked pieces at Frances May and Fine Art Fruit in Portland, Oregon (both shops where Mildew is known to have been spotted!).
I had such a ball on this project! Thanks for pulling it all together and making sense of my sartorial tangents :)
oh these are great!! have contemplated fixing some dresses that don’t fit as well this year with a similar stripe/triangle insert from armpit to hem, but never though about it for shorts 🩳