Just realized my thrift flip approach was totally backwards

I was talking to my neighbor who runs a vintage shop and she said I start with the garment shape instead of the fabric feel and that's why my pieces never last. She said she always picks fabric first and lets the material tell her what to make - kinda blew my mind honestly, has anyone else tried working this way?

2 comments

2 Comments

emma_ramirez15d ago

Wait, does that mean you should be picking fabric based on how it feels in your hands rather than just looking at the color or pattern? That's kind of wild to think about but it makes total sense when I think about how different fabrics behave - like a stiff denim wants to be a structured bag but a soft cotton would just sag if you tried the same thing. I started doing this last month with an old silk scarf I almost threw away because the print was ugly, but once I felt how lightweight and drapey it was I turned it into a really nice crop top that actually moves with my body instead of fighting it. The neighbor's method forces you to listen to what each piece of fabric can actually handle instead of forcing some Pinterest idea onto something that clearly wants to be something else.

gavin92815d ago

My buddy Marcus tried this with an old wool blanket he found at Goodwill. He felt the fabric first and turned it into a dope denim jacket liner instead of trying to force it into being a skirt like he originally planned. That liner is still holding up three years later. He swears by the fabric-first method now.