Can’t afford it? Then recreate it!

A couple of weeks ago I had a little look round the Ganni store in Covent Garden and it’s well worth a visit if you’re in London. A beautiful store with really lovely helpful assistants. I tried on the studded linen skirt that i’d been lusting after and fell madly in love. I put it on my stories, you may have seen it, but with a £345 price tag it was something that had to stay in the shop!

But it got me thinking - if I could find a similar shaped linen skirt and buy some studs, then why not recreate it for a fraction of the price! So I set about trying to find the right skirt. It had to be good linen, the right length, have a button front and have a full skirt. Eventually I found this M&S one on eBay for £14.99. Brand new, never worn and still had the label in it. Brucey Bonus!

I found some studs on Amazon and some flat buttons and waited for my goodies to arrive! I underestimated how many of the studs i’d need so I had to order some more, but when they all eventually arrived I started my creation.

The skirt already had buttons so I removed them first and then set about sewing all the new flat silver buttons on. When this was done I added the studs by putting the middle row in first and then adding the top and bottom row. I did this by eye as they’re so fiddly, it was easier than measuring out.

Finally I added some studded detailing around the waistband and gave it a good iron. I’m so happy with the result. It took me about 3 hours to do while sitting in front of the TV one evening. It’s actually so therapeutic doing something creative. Plus it stopped me mindlessly scrolling through my phone!

In total this skirt cost:

Skirt: £14.99 eBay
Buttons: £2.50 for 10 Habbyworld
Studs: £9.58 for 100 Amazon
TOTAL COST: £27.07

I mean that’s a bit different to £345. Yes it’s not perfect, but the fact that I created it has made it even more special. I could have bought more expensive buttons and studs to make it even more high end looking, but i’m really happy with the result. It looks so good with sandals and a simple tee during this warmer weather or i’ll be wearing with chunky boots and a sweater when it gets cooler again.

During these times of trying to reuse, recycle and buy less, these are the kind of things we can do to either use items we no longer wear or buy secondhand and upcycle. I used to do this a lot more during my fashion college days and in my 20s, but I have been upcycling less over the last few years. I think I might start doing more of it again.

Let me know what you think?

I have styled my skirt with: