check me out: DIY cigarette pants and monochromatic chic

“j” reminded me that i was going to alter some 70’s bell-bottom cords ($2.50) into cigarette pants to wear with my delish electric blue thrifted pumps ($4). so i did. and they’re my new favorite pants.

before:

after:

I’m actually leaving to go camping in Joshua Tree National Park in about an hour, but i just had to throw on these pumps real quick for the sake of monochromity? monochromocrity? monochromicity? The shirt is a relic from my childhood that my dad designed for the tiny farming town we grew up in (it’s a painting of a cow and a sheep facing off, an illustration of healthy small town competition between Gardnerville and Minden, NV). The belt was thrifted for $1 and the flight bag was 25 cents (!) at a garage sale. So that makes the grand total for this outfit less than $8.

Have a great weekend folky ones. I’ll be back on monday night. enjoy the oscars (go p.t. anderson)!!

EDIT:
Wow, thanks for all the great feedback you guys! “Talented?” “Amazing job?” You’re just lucky you can’t see the inside of these. One word: Janky. I warned you there would be futzing! Seriously, I would do a tutorial but it would probably do you more harm than good. I literally just put them on inside out, pinned where I wanted to sew (my first mistake- i have pinpricks up and down my ankles now), and then just sewed them up in as straight a line as I could manage. That’s the beauty of altering cheap thrift finds, if you completely wreck it, what are your losses? …A bit of thread (more than I’d like to admit in my case) and a $2 pair of pants that you were never going wear anyway. So my advice is to just try to have fun with it and learn along the way. And remember not to punish your sewing machine for your sad lack of skills, it was only trying to help after all.

spread the hip pain

Think this was hip? Subscribe to our rss feed

Post meta

This entry was written by amber and posted on February 22, 2008 at 4:01 pm and filed under check me out, diy, fashion. Bookmark the permalink. Follow any comments here with the RSS feed for this post. Post a comment(Latest is displayed first) or leave a trackback: Trackback URL.

share the hip pain

Post check me out: DIY cigarette pants and monochromatic chic to digg.

Post check me out: DIY cigarette pants and monochromatic chic to Reddit

26 Comments so far (Add 1 more)

Hey, i like your style! Is it okey if i link you?

2. Tamsin on March 8th, 2008 at 7:42 am
I think you’ve started a craze!! I’ve already done 2 pairs and there’s people on WR saying they’re about to do the same!!!

3. Jillian Eve on March 1st, 2008 at 9:36 am
You’re like a blonde Audrey Tautou in your new pants! I have a dumb question to ask you. When you do the pinning method and then sew as close as possible to the area you pinned, aren’t you afraid the pins will ricochet into your face, eyes, etc?

I’ve never sewed before, is it obvious?

4. Andrea on February 26th, 2008 at 9:12 pm
WOW. that is a great idea to take them in. i’m inspired to do a few of the same to my old pants….thank you!

5. joanna_goddard@yahoo on February 26th, 2008 at 5:12 pm
Ahhh those pants are amazing! And for only 2$!!!! I am way jealous.
And those pumps = life.

6. Sridevi on February 25th, 2008 at 9:50 pm
see, now you MUST do a post on how you did it

7. heather on February 25th, 2008 at 7:44 pm
cute! cute! cute!

8. kylee on February 25th, 2008 at 4:37 pm
wow, the transformation is amazing! you should give us a step-by-step tutorial to try it ourselves? I have a pair of navy blue cords i’d love to diy as well!

xoxo

9. la petite fashionista on February 25th, 2008 at 3:11 pm
Thats an amazing job!!! i used to do that for a couple of pairs of jeans way back when skinny jeans werent’ available in stores yet, but you definately did an excellent job on those!!!!

10. Dainty Vintage on February 25th, 2008 at 1:05 pm
Wow these look great. I have been wanting to learn to sew for a while now. But this has prompted me to learn asap. Please post how you did this. Thanks. love your blog by the way.

11. Diva on February 25th, 2008 at 8:04 am
Loving this blog! Everyone does monochromatic in black, but this is so much more fun!

12. Victoire on February 24th, 2008 at 4:18 pm
what a delightful idea. I always alter dresses, but never pants. I am so giving this a whirl.

13. whimsicalnerd on February 24th, 2008 at 2:02 pm
That look really good! You did a great job with those pants, they look amazing!
I love the combination of the blue pumps with the color of the pants!

14. Imelda on February 24th, 2008 at 6:28 am
You must post how you did this. You look absolutely adorable & the blue really kicks. Bravo.

15. The Glam Slam on February 23rd, 2008 at 7:15 pm
that’s great, I’d love to learn how you did that! Maybe your explanation can be the first in a regular tutorial series of tips and tricks for alterations?? Thanks, love the blog, it’s really fun!

16. me on February 23rd, 2008 at 2:34 pm
Wow, amazing!!! These pants have a charming length now. Really cute and I like the blue!

17. the_kitten on February 23rd, 2008 at 2:09 pm
omg, i love it, im so gonna do that with this pair of pants that i used to love but are boot cut, the 90’s where a long time a go so i refuse to wear them. the only prob is did you undo the entire inside leg seam or was it pretty much a cut and shut job?

love this blog by the way, its the reason i started bloging.

18. Tanya on February 23rd, 2008 at 1:26 pm
You really did a great job with the pants. I covet the blue pumps, once again!

19. alicepleasance on February 23rd, 2008 at 12:34 pm
would also love to know how this is done.

is it as simple as running a seam down?

20. poppy lee on February 23rd, 2008 at 7:23 am
Wow! They’re gorgeous! I want a pair!

21. missmilki on February 23rd, 2008 at 6:55 am
great idea! cause in the first pic, it looks like “ooh put them away, into the depths of your closet!” and afterwards i feel like i immediately need cigarette pants made of blue cord!
nice shirt anyways.

22. lisa on February 23rd, 2008 at 4:55 am
Omg, love your style!!

23. Ane on February 23rd, 2008 at 4:44 am
Yeah! Feel like hosting a DIY post on how to create your pants? That would be awesome!

24. marion on February 23rd, 2008 at 4:20 am
Those pants look so fab now! How did you do it?

25. Melissa on February 23rd, 2008 at 2:26 am
its monochromicity

26. Shannon on February 23rd, 2008 at 1:24 am
good job on the after looks of the cords! what kind of sewing machine do you have? Or better yet, how’d you do it?!

27. babyd0ll on February 22nd, 2008 at 11:59 pm

One Trackback

By check me out: ladies’ night — Painfully Hip on April 7, 2008 at 1:14 pm

[…] I mean?): clothing swap red knit scarf: borrowed from Angie’s boyfriend navy cords: $2.50, altered by me vintage peeptoe heels: […]