Don't Buy, DIY: Band Jacket from a Jacket You May Already Have!

As you may have seen in my most recent entry for America’s Most Stylish Blogger Competition (I’m getting a little tired of writing that by now;-) All the shameless self-promotion is wearing me down!), I style the hot pink miniskirt with a DIY band jacket that I made from a jacket I already had in my closet.

No joke! Here’s the DIY:

1. Use a jacket that is a shorter length with a little mandarin collar or similar collar to what you want your final jacket. (A boxy shape and flimsy material for the jacket is best!)

2. Pin under your hemline, using safety pins, to create that cutaway band jacket shape. Iron if you want to create a crisp, sharp edge.

The underside of the pinned edge.

3. Pin shoulder pads inside the shoulders, using safety pins. (I used foam Dritz ones in Large that I got at my local Jo-Anns. Alternatively, you can rip them out of a jacket you already have – but you need them big to create that strong structured shoulder, so double them up if you can!)
4. Sew decorative trim onto the front of you jacket in scalloped curliques. (I just used matching thread and long basting stitches. This took awhile, but wasn’t very difficult.)

The inside of the jacket showing my basting stitches.

The trim on the outside encircling the buttons.

5. Optional: If you want, to create more of a “couture-looking” line below the shoulder, take in the sleeve in the upper arm area a little. (By sewing a line inside the sleeve seam line in the upper arm area.) This will make your shoulder pads “pop out” and give it that Balmain-look. Ideally speaking.:-)

PLUS, once you get tired of the look, remove your safety pins and shoulder pads, cut your basting stitches, re-iron your hem and your jacket is back to the way it was! *sigh* Multiple options in the same garment are just so, so lovely.

Happy DIY’ing!
xoxox
Carly Multifunctional Cais