When in Doubt, Don't Throw Out

 

I ordered my skirt from a well-known second-hand online reseller and was devastated with the whole process. This was the first piece of clothing I purchased for this blog and I was determined to make it work. The skirt, which was advertised as XL/36"waist arrived late, and didn't fit over my hips. Finding something for me was a frustrating process as XL these days tends to mean "above a 30 inch waist" - which is just ridiculous. But...the color was perfect and the garment appeared to be on the sturdier end so I would get plenty of wear out of it. When it arrived as the wrong size I was determined not to throw it out or donate/discard. I contacted Meg Swartley, aka Snowsong Cosplay and asked if she could add darts to it to give it a unique mod look that could fit my hips. I ended up with a custom, sturdy garment that can not only swing for another cosplay idea I had been nursing (coming soon), but I could wear it day to day as well.

 

Being able to cough up the cash for custom tailoring is absolutely a privilege, and not everyone is as lucky as I am. However this feels like more of a luxury than a Coach handbag from the outlet mall ever will. A piece of clothing that is literally made to fit my curves compares to nothing else. Before you treat yourself to any new purchase I highly recommend indulging in the adventure of a custom upcycle.

 

The sunglasses, my earrings, Buttercup's earrings, and their dress were all purchased the morning of the shoot. Charis and I had a wild adventure chasing down an outfit they felt comfortable in - battling a change in sizing and gender dysphoria as they searched for a dress that felt right. 

 

Finally, we created the "three stripe" backdrop look with wrapping paper that later went on to adorn wintertime presents for my loved ones last Yule. Reusing everything!