Week Three Refashion Runway: Vote for Your Favorite Copycat

“Fashion is not something that exists in dresses only. Fashion is in the sky, in the street, fashion has to do with ideas, the way we live, what is happening.”

~Coco Chanel

Welcome to Week Three of Refashion Runway! This week’s challenge is “Copycat”. Each seamstress chose a look from a catalog or celebrity and refashioned something to copy that look.

Please remember to vote for your favorite using the poll at the bottom of this post. Voting will be open until Friday, June 28. Your public votes and the competitor’s score of each other will be combined to determine a winner. We will announce the winner of this week’s challenge next Saturday. Also, the two refashions with the lowest scores will be “going home”, but we won’t send them home without some great prizes, I promise! Remember, this is a “Friendly Sewing Competition”. 

 Let’s see what Mary from Thrifty Chic has been up to this week:

“I saw this Michael Kors dress on his Facebook page and fell in love with
it’s simple elegance.

I had this very simple LBD in my closet that had not been used since my last
funeral. This dress needed some
cheering up and Michael provided the idea.

I could not believe my luck when I went to Goodwill and found
the exact print used in Michael’s dress
as I came across this little number from Ann Taylor!

 

Here is a close up of the print:

I love the simple elegance of this dress, not to mention the slimming
magic of color blocking!
I’m totally thrilled with the outcome and can’t wait to wear it out. Because I
only spent $7.99 making the dress,
I was able to afford the amazing shoes I am wearing in the picture. Another perk of
refashioning!”-Mary

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Let’s check in on Katrina, from Offsquare:

“I love the look of this dress from Urban
Outfitters. It’s so versatile, feminine and a bit sassy.

So when I found this sheer
tunic, I knew it would be perfect for a copycat version. I combined various parts
from three different sewing patterns in my stash to create the bodice and then lined
the garment with fabric from a thrifted black valance.

This challenge has taught me
so much about the construction of dresses and also about drafting patterns. I feel
inspired now to learn more about pattern making and the techniques involved.”-Katrina

——————–

Here’s Jen from Diary of a Madmama

“I had a hard time finding an outfit to copy for this week’s theme! I
scoured through countless magazines, perused several fashion sites, and
FINALLY found a look I not only liked, but knew it was something I’d
actually wear!

This Anthropologie blouse costs a whopping
$78.00! And the shorts another $68.00! That’s a total of $146.00 for 1
stinkin’ outfit!

Although I like this look, I definitely don’t like it enough to shell out
that kind of cash!

Well, it’s a good thing I didn’t have to!

I got both of the shirts for my refashion for 49-cents (plus tax) at my
local thrift store, and the pants came out of my closet.

My daughter wants me to make a similar pair of shorts for her, and my
youngest son thinks the shirt looks like it has a built-in tie, and wants
me to make him a “boy version!” What a compliment!

So with what cost me $1.04 (including tax), I was able to refashion a
copycat version of this $146.00 Anthropologie outfit!
That’s a savings of $144.96! Woohoo!

———————

Elizabeth from The Hungry Octopus was busy, too!

“This week I decided to break out of my “refashion a dress” rut. It was time for
something different. Something outside my comfort zone. Something Gwen Stefani.

I’ve secretly admired her sense of style for quite a while. She’s definitely more
daring than I am when it comes to clothing, and copying one of her looks definitely
gave me an opportunity to break out of my refashioning rut! I started with a pair of
black slacks that were too long and too loose for short self, and a black satiny
blouse that didn’t quite fit. (Gwen’s original top was leather, but the satiny
fabric was a more sensible and versatile choice.)

Turning the slacks into skinny jeans was easy enough, but the shirt was far more
challenging. First, I removed the sleeves, collar, and ruffles, and undid the side
seams. Then I removed the front darts and turned the shirt around so that the back
was now the front. After altering the neck and arms, and adding new darts and a side
zipper, I drafted a pattern for the asymmetrical peplum. Once everything was put
together I threw on my favorite heels and tried to strike a rocker pose. (Try being
the operative word…)”- Elizabeth

———————–

Here’s Miche from Buttons and Birdcages:

“I have been in love with this dress from Anthropologie since I saw it
online, but with a price tag of $268 it was WAY out of my budget. Seeing
this challenge inspired me to try to recreate it so I hit the fabric store
to buy some ribbon. Only problem – it didn’t come in the right colors, so I
bought some paint and decided I would just paint the ribbon the right
color. The next challenge was finding a base dress, it’s always harder when
you’re looking for something specific. After what felt like a lifetime of
searching I found this too big, and sleeved (but white) dress on clearance.
Unfortunately, in what can only be referred to as ‘The memory card incident
of 2013’ the photos of me wearing the dress before have been lost, but
thankfully I took a photo of it on my dress form (albeit, inside out –
sorry everyone), just before starting the project. Though challenging, I
was able to complete the dress for $37, which is $231 less than the Anthro
version!”

———————–

Here’s what Sally, from Charity Shop Chic has been doing all week:

“This Stella McCartney ‘Saskia’ dress has been worn by everyone from Gwyneth Paltrow
to British Olympian Victoria Pendleton.

 

I set out to make my own version using a
velour tracksuit and a couple of T-shirts!

 The pattern cutting was relatively
tricky, but I’m delighted with my dress, which I wore to an awards ceremony last
week. I think I looked the part!”-Sally

 

Well, there you are! Another tough decision. Please use the poll below to cast your vote for your favorite refashion this week.

  

Just a note to the competitors:

Please send your scores to me by Wednesday, June 26. Please score each other on a scale of 1-10 on each of the following areas: Following the challenge, originality,  craftsmanship, design and presentation.

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