I’m sure you know from reading my columns that one of my best fashion secrets is teaching people how to shop resale.  You never know what you’re going to find right?

So while looking around at the Goodwill Retail Store & Donation Center near my home, I found a “down on its luck” faux fur vest that literally called to me from one of the bins.  It was marked $2.99 because it had a broken zipper, but other than that it was a decent find.  It was rather plain and drab, nothing too exciting, so I thought to myself, why not try and make this into a fashion forward fall look! With a few dollars and a little bit of sewing savvy, I managed to combine not only the fur trend, but the Navajo look as well.  Read on to see how I did it, and how you can do something similar for yourself!

1. First, I washed the fur vest on the gentle cycle and let it air dry.

2. Next, I cut off the old zipper close to the seam using a razor blade.

3. Then, I removed the frog closures (I thought they made it look too plain).

4. The next thing to go was the overlapping placket on the front, which I also cut near the seam.

5. Then, I dyed the whole vest with black dye, made for use in the washing machine.  (FYI: Make sure to run some bleach and detergent through a whole cycle after you’re done dying anything). Because the fabric was synthetic, the vest stayed dark brown, but the fur took on a silver cast!

6. At the fabric store I found Navajo trim for around $3.50 for two yards. I bound the raw edges of my vest with straight pins by pinning horizontally.

7. Next, I used a sewing machine with a straight stitch and I sewed it down, catching both sides at once.  Carefully remove pins as you go.

8. Then, I reattached the horn-like toggles using three shades of yarn, not for closure, but pure decoration!

9. Finally, I now have a reversible fur vest that has that high-fashion Navajo look.  In the pictures I have belted it with a beaded fringed belt to keep the look going.

This would be the perfect accessory as we head into fall, worn over a turtleneck, jeans, and some cool boots.  What was the total cost for my vest?  It came to an unbelievable $9.49, excluding the belt.  Why don’t you head on down to see what you can find at the Goodwill Retail Store & Donation Center near you?  You just might tickle your creative bone, and come up with some fabulous fall fashion project for yourself!  Check back next week for my report from Mercedes Benz Fashion Week in NYC! 

askbjorn@goodwillsew.com

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