James Jeans | A Zillion years old, from her first season
T by Alexander Wang long-sleeve top
Skin & Threads cardigan | several years old
Dieppa Restrepo penny loafers | my nubuck pair is sold out, similar in honey at Totokaelo
Alexander Wang Rockie with matte black hardware (gift from Azalea) | use GRECHEN25 at Azalea for 25% off your first order – my bag is sold out at Azalea, but available at Alexander Wang
Okay, so after getting your eyes used to the GLARING orange cardigan I’m wearing today, please notice the jeans. As much as I hate Pinterest (long story), I did run across a pin of someone taking an old pair of bootcut jeans and cutting them to crop them and make them “boyfriend” style. I immediately thought “brilliant!” and wanted to try it myself since I have four pairs of size 32 high-end jeans leftover from weight-loss that I absolutely have not been able to get rid of. Even though I wore them all a ton, they are all still in great shape (a testament to the quality of Goldsign & James Jeans – and the ridiculously high price I paid for them back in the day), so I’ve had a hard time selling/giving them away. Now, maybe, I know what to do with them.
I think I might be able to wear these as is – without hemming – but I will definitely have to get the waist taken in a lot; they are falling off of me, and these are low-rise anyway, so it’s not a great look. Can a tailor take in a waistband three/four sizes?? I don’t know, but I’m going to try. Maybe I’ll also see if he can taper the legs in just a bit so they’re not SO wide at the bottom. And if this pair turns out okay, I’ll take my other jeans and see what magic he can work. I’m excited about breathing new life into my VERY old jeans. Have you ever done that? how did it turn out?
Have a great weekend!! Who else got their Everlane sweatshirts in the mail yesterday??
Hi Grechen,
I love to cut my old jeans just below the knee and wear them as long shorts in the summer or under dresses/tunics for a Boho-casual look. I started doing it when I noticed that most jeans have a “boyfriend” cut short that’s a little longer in the leg and now I just save money by repurposing! BTW – love the “glaring” orange sweater:)
OMG Grechen in color!! That cardigan is so awesome 🙂 I wish you still lived in Austin, because I have the bestest tailor in the whole world here. If you don’t find someone in your hood, you an always come back and see Lauren. She’s brilliant!!
thanks cathy!! the cardigan is so old, and as i was digging out my old jeans i thought i’d try it again too. i really love it, although it is rather bright for me!!
ha, thanks Noa! i love the idea of cutting jeans into shorts also, i did do that with one pair and i wasn’t very happy with how it turned out though, so i might have to go to a tailor for the next. i’m not so great at DIY.
Grechen, you look great in that color. We share a similar love of earth tones, but that outrageous orange POPS on you! (I also heard a few SNAPS & CRACKLES, and it wasn’t Rice Krispies.)
You totally threw me for a loop there with the bright color, but you know I love it. Looks good on you!
I’ve never really repurposed my jeans because it hasn’t crossed my mind beyond cutting them in shorts. I’m curious to see how your alterations turn out because cutting and cuffing the pair you did looks good.
P.S. I got my Everlane sweatshirt yesterday and it is quite roomy. I got the large and definitely could have done the medium. I’m on the fence about whether it’s the right cut for my body but I’m going to keep it and make it work because I do like it. The color is great.
Don’t waste your money trying to take the waist in. They never look right. I know I tried it.
Love this color on you! I love Skin + Threads. I was introduced to the line through Beklina (who no longer carries it), and absolutely love to admire the collections on the Skin + Threads website. Awesome basics and gorgeous colors. They do ship to the US but it’s expensive, and of course always hard to know how size/fit…so, I admire from afar. 🙂 Good idea with the jeans–have not tried this, but am resolved to be more of a DIY person this year, so we’ll see!
i got my cardigan from beklina! it’s so great, i wish she still carried the line…
I’m lovin’ the pop of color on you! I haven’t tried taking in jeans, but I have a pair of pants that I bought that definitely need to be tapered a bit in the calves to hem area. (My daughters actually laughed when I put them on and they were dangling in the air….but I intended for them to be more like skinny pants…and they weren’t.)