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One of the best ways to make the most of your wardrobe is to buy classic and accessorise. When shopping around buy the cheaper plain T-shirts, blouses, skirts, trousers all of which are often available in sales. Any of these can be customised to make a designer like affect at a fraction of the cost. You can do the same with clothes which have past their best. With a little imagination and skill, you can breathe new life into your tired wardrobe and revitalise your outfits.

Some of the simple ways to do this include:

a) trim sleeves, necklines and hems with ribbon or material from an old piece of clothing. If you have either a plain new item or you have an older beloved piece of clothing that is fraying or is ripped at the edges, add some trim. Not only will this jazz up a plain piece but it can save an older worn item. The trim could be new bought, or you may have a second item of clothing that you are getting rid off. If this is nicely patterned, simply cut into ribbons and use as the trimming. You can get some very nice effects this way and it is unlikely that you will bump into someone else wearing the same.

b) embroider on plain T-shirts, blouses and skirts, I prefer geometric designs but whatever suits you, flowers are always popular (an easy way to do this is from a picture - rub the back of the picture with a piece of charcoal and gently trace the design, acts like carbon paper). If your embroidery skills need a little help, there are plenty of reasonably priced paper patterns that you can buy that help. These patterns provide a template for both the stitching and the colours that should be used. The pattern is placed onto the piece of clothing and you stitch through the paper at as directed by the pattern. Even the worst at sewing can produce expert looking designs. Once done, the paper can be ripped off the garment and thrown away.

c) Knit your own clothes - choose simple patterns and use wool from an old jersey that you don't wear anymore (or from a charity shop). Cheaper than buying new wool. And there are so many patterns to chose from. You don't need to be well practiced or an expert to produce some outstanding items. Alot of knitting patterns are scary with their strange notation and what appears to be myriad stitches to master. I'll let you into a secret, you'll soon get used to the notation and there are actually only two stitches you need to be able to knit. These are called a plain stitch and a purl stitch. Every other stitch you might hear quoted is a variant on one of these two stitches. An added bonus is that once you get into the swing, it is one of the most relaxing of pasttimes.

d) Buttons, badges, sequins, beads can all be used to turn a plain piece of clothing into something special. Use your imagination. There are so many ways to inject life into old or dull clothes with just a few bits of glitter and some glitz.

e) Good use of your accessories will also transform a plain item into a great outfit. Coustume jewelery or real doesn't really matter (though real is good). The difference a broach or a necklace can make to an overall look is quite staggering. Experiment until you get the look you want.

Learn more about this author, Stephen H.
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