Thrift Haul - Planning my alterations and transformations 

I learned that with a wide skirt it matches with a narrow, cropped shirt. With a narrow skirt choose a wide shirt. Love the lace and the jacket, make the lace fitting your body and i think that the jacket without buttons is more female. Maybe a lace shawl with the velvet dress? I think that should be the best choice for the party and the black dress pattern.

I hope that you keep that patterned skirt, it’s lovely😊

I also have quite a large bust and like you need to wear more fitted tops. I have the same issue with skirts, what to wear with them. I’ve found that I like to wear a shirt tied at the waist best in the summer. Short or long sleeved. a white shirt would look great with the tartan. I love silk tartan too, have a couple of shirts I made out of silk and silk/cotton tartan. I agree with the Danni Minogue top and the bright blue dress. I’d donate them back. The velvet dress will be gorgeous.

I can’t believe the quality of your finds! Fabulous girl and WINS all around! I would wear a blue Jean jacket with the skirt that you are not sure of the colour. I think you need to down play the colour you are worried about by using a neutral Jean jacket to enhance the colours you do like. Then wear your skirt with a pair of white trainers/ sneakers or runners as we call them in Canada. Wear a chunky leather belt and you will look like a million dollars. Match the cross body purse with your leather belt. I agree that you could shorten it too! These thoughts are only suggestions. Enjoy your treasures. I love to remake my clothes as you are doing too.♥️🇨🇦

Those skirts would be amazing with cotton or bamboo knit tops or tees. You could also stick with the tees or tanks & add some single skein shawls for a pop. The purple velvet would look amazing with some knit or crochet lace sleeves after you bring it in. I love, love the black lace dress. You might consider making it a princess length to be able to utilize it more.

All your op shop finds are so beautiful! I have a thing for tartans and plaids too, and that skirt is totally my colours 🥰.

When I buy some second-hand clothes because I love the fabric/colour, often that isn't because I'm going to wear those clothes, but I'm going to use the fabric to make something else (cushions, bags, etc.)

Hi Sarah. My opinion on the colourful skirt: if you keep it that long, you can wear it with a black top (like the singlet you're wearing) and it looks like a good fit for a 'garden party'. I don't know if it gets cooler in the evening where you live, in that case you need something like a short cardigan or jacket that goes well with it too.

Loved this video Sarah. I jumped from your very first one to this and your presentation had come on so much. We used to call clothes that were a bit posher (than everyday/at home clothes) and for going out "dressy", but that could just be my strange English up-bringing🤣. Loved so many of your thrifted items. I only wear dresses and skirts and I use a lot of cardigans (very versatile open or done up) both light-weight and heavier. It is easy to put a pretty camisole under a partly done-up cardigan, plus you can mix and match colours to change the look of a skirt. I realise that this suggestion may not be valid for your warmer climate. Dresses are so practical too and do away with the need to mix separates. Best wishes from Lottie in Suffolk x

Evelyn Wood has An excellent podcast on older to vintage with ideas of how to change them. Check it out. The skirt with the mustard bits, I really think they are not that dominant and you need a touch of bright. There’s also the fact that I’d you pair it with a royal blue cropped top it would look stunning. The purple velvet dress is absolutely stunning. If you could find a lace in the same colour you could add bell shaped sleeves. You are right when you mention you are very petite and so too much positive ease will drown you so fitted garments are better. If you are wanting to add tops to skirts, the masculine style with body shaping, plus a collar and the perhaps three quarter length sleeves. When choosing tops I would also suggest you try what they now called the cropped look, really the 1950’s Chanel jacket with no collar but ending just past the waist.

The tartan silk is beautiful I would deconstruct the whole skirt & use material to make a tunic top or shift dress depending on how you can jiggle fabric Maybe culottes if you won’t wear a skirt I’m like you drawn to skirts & hardly wear but culottes are next best thing to trousers 🤨 good luck I look forward to your endeavours

Love the walk through. Personally the closest I get to a style is tank tops or dresses over leggings/pants/skirts. Although I don't wear skirts at the moment because chasing toddlers in them is inconvenient for me. Love the tartan skirt. In saying that, happy to take that jewel blue tank dress off your hands if you decide to un-haul it. That's pretty much what I live in with a pair of leggings. 🤣🤣🤣 I'm trying to head to the thrifting stores for clothes, bit the ones around me always seem to be picked clean of the styles I like (or just never got anything in that I like). So I'm tending to lean more to thinking about what I want and aiming to start making more of it. Can't wait to see a tour of the bus work/craft space.

I love flowy skirts for hot weather, cool as shorts but a bit more feminine. I would pick one of the jewel tones in the floral skirt for a sewn or hand- knit tee shirt or tank top. I love the silk tartan too, you’ve got plenty of fabric there. Maybe capri length trousers and a cropped jacket worn with a solid- colored shell? I love to thrift too! It’s my main source of yarn.

The Cue jacket is a great fit for your body. Save the cuff detail by taking the length off at the top of the sleeve. Practice on a similarly-cut but not precious outfit. Remove the sleeve and recut the shoulder curve, then set back into the shoulder. Great episode!

I loved this episode Sarah 😍😍😍 First of all you look amazing in all your finds even without alteration…defo keep that colourful skirt - I thought it looked amazing on you & you can totally get away with mustard yellow on the bottom half 🤩 I think you need to thrift a few belts for your separates Sarah - that way you can float around at home in loose,comfortable separates & when you need to go out a belt pulls it all together & shows off your fantastic figure 😍 I’ve always wanted to make myself obi-style wrap belts - I reckon they would be really comfortable! Look forward to an update episode…😜🤣

Wow! what a gorgeous haul! Where to start?? The colourful skirt that has the mustard coloured leaves is beautiful and it was funny because I loved the long length 🤣 The Cue jacket, if you would still like a button detail on the sleeve you could just sew some button in a row for a "fake" cuff....maybe check the width before you hem the sleeve as they do taper and it may be wider than you like. Ummmm let's see, that sky blue dress...If the fit at the top is ok maybe you could make some belt loops and bring it in at the waist with a belt, the excess width would blouse out...and then shorten the length of the skirt? Getting a Pinterest board is a great idea - I have many many different boards lol! But it does help you narrow down your style aesthetic and of course, Pinterest starts to show you similar pins which helps as well. An exciting journey, I have always loved to express myself through my clothing, and being both a sewer and thrifter this episode caught my heart. I wish you all the best and am looking forward to seeing some transformations in the future. xxx