Fashion Tips: Perking Up Hand-Me-Downs

You loved your sister's new blouse, but that was two years ago. Now it's yours. The blouse—and your love for it—have faded. How do you wear it without becoming a fashion "don't"? Read on for some fashion tips on putting new life into old clothes.

A Different Colour 

You can totally change the look of a piece of clothing by dying it. Make sure it's really disable—dying works best on things made of cotton. Polyester and nylon are much harder to die. Ask your mom or dad to help, since dye is messy and can permanently stain anything it spills on. Also make sure you wash the dyed item separately from other clothes for a few washings—as much as you love lavender, your family might not want everything they own to be that colour.

Change the Buttons 

New buttons will give a hand-me-down new energy. Pick buttons that are really different from the original buttons—but they have to be pretty much the same size so that the buttons holes still work. Use shiny metal or rhinestone buttons to add some sparkle.

Shorten It 

A new hem may equal a new outfit. Change a long skirt into a mini-skirt and wear it with a cut-off T-shirt. Whenever you hem something, always measure carefully so you don't trim off too much.

Decorate It

The easiest fashion tips involve adding accessories! Make the hand-me-down something that no one else has worn by turning it into something different. An old pair of pants can become your new skirt by decorating it. Add a cool strip of ribbon or lace to a pair of jeans an inch or two above the hem. You end up with a stylish pair of pants without having to break them in. Sew fringe around the cuff of a hand-me-down sweater to make it fun and funky. Sewing stores always have a lot of fun stuff. Hand-me-downs are hardly ever as much fun as something new, but if you try some of these fashion tips, your seconds will look so good that your sister will want them back.

Hand-me-downs are hardly ever as much fun as something new, but if you try some of these fashion tips, your seconds will look so good that your sister will want them back.