Making Your Hand Me Downs & Second Hands Stylish Again

The term hand-me-down comes with a few negative connotations, but it shouldn’t, especially if it implies you rifling through your parent’s closet to see if they have any gems kicking about; gems that they haven’t worn in twenty-something years. It’s such an amazing way to find one-off items, it such an amazing way to spruce up your own wardrobe without it cost you more credit card debt and such an amazing way to get ahead of the times because, as we all know, trends always come back around.

Essentially, what you want to know more than anything is: how can you make second-hand clothes look new again.

Well, without further ado, here are some top tips on giving your parent’s old duds and your charity shop find's a new lease of life:

1. Fabric Glue Is Amazing
Let’s say you’ve found a t-shirt. It’s nothing special, but it fits really well and, let’s be honest, that’s a huge part of rocking something amazing. Anyway, to spruce it up some, all you need is some fabric glue or ‘heat and bond’ and you can add anything you like to it - a flower pattern, a logo, or just some funky material you love.

2. Hem Tape Always Helps
Talking of giving a new lease of life to a t-shirt, another great move you can make is to cut a hole in the back. Yeah, you read that right, we said cut a hole in the back. But not just any hole. Instead, try cutting out a star or a crescent moon or a letter or anything you fancy, and then use some hem tape and turn it into a gorgeous lace detail.

3. The Fit Is Everything
Read any fashion magazine or style blog and you will get told how a good fit is the basis of gorgeous fashion. So, using that fact, the best thing you can do when you find a gem or get handed something stunning that doesn’t quite fit is, well, get it adjusted. Look for someone great at hemming pants or someone who can take the shoulders in on that blazer, or knows how to cuff the sleeves slightly. Basically, just because it doesn’t fit now, doesn’t mean it won’t ever.

4. Forever Fabric Paint
One of the simplest hacks in the book is using fabric paint. You might have an old pair of shorts, or you might have found a boring jacket or a jumper. Well, instead of dismissing it because it looks major mundane, go and get some fabric paint, cover the end of a pencil eraser and turn your item into something with perfect, faded polka dots.

5. Life Left In Leggings
You may not believe it, but there is more than one way to rock a pair of leggings. Maybe your mum has an awesome pair of patterned leggings from the eighties, but they don’t quite fit you. If this is the case, then go and grab a pair of scissors, cut out the crotch, trim the legs and make yourself a crop top that no one else has.