DIY Fitted Blazer

June 19, 2009, 5:42 pm

It’s Arts and Farts and Crafts time! Today’s lesson: How to “take in” an oversize blazer using scissors, hot glue, and random excess material (snipped from the maroon pseudo-gown discussed previously). If it sounds ludicrous, that’s because it is: No gal in her right mind would touch a Piazza Sempione Blazer with anything sharp or hot. Unless said blazer was purchased at Housing Works’ latest All-You-Can-Stuff Bag Sale as part of a $20 haul, in which case, anything goes.

Whilst swimming in the blazer (see Before pic at left), I briefly considered professional tailoring…until I realized it would probs cost ten times what I paid for the thing. Fuhgettaboutit. Here’s what I did instead.

The Cheap JAP’s Guide to the Two Poke Tie
(Diagrammed drawings courtesy of author – shield eyes if need be).

Step 1: Lay open blazer on flat surface, button-side down. Flatten back torso portion of blazer as much as possible. About halfway down the back of the blazer, using the point of a pair of scissors and/or other preferred poking tool, make one hole slightly to the left of the center of the back. Repeat, poking second hole slightly to the right of the center of the back, leaving three or more inches in between two holes, depending on how much cinching blazer requires. (Think driving directions. Your holes should bear left and right of the center of the blazer, if that makes any sense.)

Step 2: Get your hands on some ribbon or imitation thereof (read: any piece of material cut to resemble a ribbon, two inches max in width). You’ll need one piece, anywhere from 12-24 inches in length, depending on how big you like your bows. When in doubt, longer is better – you can hack off the excess later. From the INSIDE of the blazer, thread each end of the ribbon through its corresponding holes. If the end result looks like the top part of a laced sneaker from the outside of the blazer, you’ve done it backwards (I’m slightly dyslexic, so I’ve totally been there). The ribbon ends should be visible on the blazer’s exterior, like so:

Step 3: Put blazer on. Button however many buttons you usually button when wearing blazers (I’m a top-one-only kind of gal, but to each her own). Tying the ends of a ribbon into a bow around the back requires some maneuvering; if you’re lacking in arm flexibility and/or do not possess the skills to tie a blind bow, have whoever usually zips you into a dress do it for you. The final project should look something like this:

What, it’s tough to visualize via my shitty drawings? Pfft. Fine.

Step Four (Optional): Using the same material as the bow, make cut outs in shape of front pocket flaps. Bust out the hot glue gun and stick ‘em on. This is by no means mandatory – merely a means of keeping the DIY theme continual throughout the blazer.