Thirfty Thursday’s – Sleeveless Tuxedo Dress DIY

This week, I got a little creative and crafty!  As you may recall, my friend Natasha from Baby T’s Fashion Diaries and I have joined forces for a two-part thrifting series.  Last week’s post was a huge success and many of you have mentioned that you were inspired to go thrift shopping as well!  I’m so glad that the post was inspiring.  Hopefully today’s will be as well. 🙂

This week, Natasha and I decided to take a thifted item and ‘repurpose’ it.  Make it work, as Tim Gunn from Project Runway would say.  So we did!  Take a look at what we did below:

Part 1:  The Inspiration – I’ve really wanted a sleeveless tuxedo dress for a while now. When I saw this Neil Barrett Tuxedo dress on Intermix.com for $1495 I knew I had to find a more affordable version of this dress.  So, when Natasha and I agreed to write this blog post together, I knew exactly what item I was going to repurpose!

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                    Neil Barrett Tuxedo Dress, $1495 (Intermix.com)

Part 2: The Thrifted Item – A men’s tuxedo style blazer/jacket.  I went straight to the men’s section of the thrift store (after all, I really only had a few minutes to shop with 2 kids in tow), and picked one that would be long enough to wear as a dress and didn’t have any holes or stains, etc.  Ten minutes and $6 later, I was the proud owner of this jacket:

$6 men's jacket from the Salvation Army

Part 3: The Sleeveless Tuxedo Dress:  Remove sleeves and sew extra material into inside of jacket and voila!  A sleeveless tuxedo dress!  I paired it with a Zara ruched sleeved top for work and added a Victoria’s Secret lace slip (which I scored for $4 at their recent Semi-Annual Sale) underneath to add length, but otherwise, also great to wear alone with a pair of shooties, like the ones I’m wearing here from Ann Taylor!

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Intermix vs Thrifted DIY

So, what do you think??  Let me know if you would like me provide specific details about the repurposing process and I’ll post a tutorial!

Otherwise, take a look at what Natasha found and did with her thifted item this week!  I love how she repurposed her skirt to make it into a more youthful-looking skirt!

Midi skirt to above the knee full skirt!Doesn’t she just look darling?!  A full-lenth midi skirt hemmed to show off her fabulous gams.  Love!  Read more about her process on Baby T’s Fashion Diaries!

Finally, let me know if you’re enjoying these thrifting posts in the comments section below.  Maybe this thrifting thing can be a weekly thing from now on. 🙂

Until next time!  Stay Chic!!

Chic in Academia’s Luxe Giveaway

Guess what??  It’s giveaway time!  I am constantly blown away by your unwavering and growing support on all of my social media platforms; most of all, continue to be grateful to all of you who read my blog.  This has been quite an exciting experience and I can only hope that more excitement lies ahead.

As a small token of my appreciation, I am hosting a giveaway!  Most of these items were generously donated, and YOU get to reap the rewards! Enter by clicking on the Rafflecopter below.  It will take you to the entry page where you will have up to 4 opportunities to enter!  Also, earn an extra entry on Instagram by regramming the giveaway photo.  Additional details on Instagram. 🙂  US and Canada only.  My sincerest apologies to my international readers!! 😦

What you will win:

  • A copy of Lean In to feed your mind (extra copy from my last giveaway!)
  • A sample set of Flowerbomb by Viktro & Rolf
  • Bond No. 9 sample perfume vials (3)
  • Cover girl nail polish
  • Pair of Lotus Boutique earrings
  • Pack of nail appliques
  • La Mer eye creme sample
  • YSL sheer gloss in No 4

Good luck, my chic friends!!

Giveaway pic

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Fab Finds Friday!

Can you believe I haven’t written a Fab Finds Friday post since January?  Well, with the start of a new academic year around the corner, I thought I would share a few staples I thought you might enjoy shopping for:

From left to right: J. Crew Puffed-Sleeve Blazer | Michael Kors Laptop Travel Tote | J. Crew Pleated Pencil Skirt | Kate Spade Agenda/Planner | Chanel USB Drive |

Check out my last post for for some additional favorites!  I’m also participating in a Fab Favorites Link Up today, so be sure to check out other fab favorites on my fellow bloggers’ blogs, The Style Elixir and Stylishly in Love (see below)!

Until then…Stay Chic!

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