Make a Designer Shrunken Trench Coat!

Posted by Recession Diva in Clothing, Featured | 1 comment

Look like a million bucks in a designer shrunken trench coat!
Only you are the designer

I was reading this month’s issue of InStyle magazine, and there was a picture of the Bachelorette, Ali Fedotowsky, wearing a shrunken trench with a brown leather woven 1″ belt (InStyle July pg 42).  InStyle Magazine calls it her City Look.

This is Ali in the $198.00 coat here.

The Assignment:
Okay, so the assignment is to go and…

• shop
• re-design/create
• own it

Treat this outfit like it’s a million dollar look and see how many compliments you get.

Shop:
Go to Ross, all the consignments stores, Buffalo Exchange, and anywhere else you think you can find a Thin Khaki Trench Coat. Try to keep it tight and short, you can even look in the boys section if you are a small person. If you live in LA go check out the $10.00 or $15.00 stores. Make it a point to not spend more than $15.00 on this coat. I personally am going to find a coat that is $10.00 or less.

Wash and Dry:
Inspect the coat. Hopefully you were smart and inspected the coat before you bought it, and made sure that it was a great find. Wash your coat in Hot water with soap. It doesn’t matter if it fades or shrinks as we are going for our own designer look and that look is called a shrunken trench.

Modify:
Go to Joanne Fabrics or any craft store and buy nice buttons. In the pic she’s wearing Tiger Eye Buttons that are about the size of a quarter. Replace the old buttons on the jacket with the new buttons of your choice.

Alter:
If the sleeves are not already 3/4 sleeves, put the jacket on and measure out the sleeves to cut 4″ above the wrist. (Save the extra fabric) Measure twice, cut once.

Sew:
Turn the coat inside out and hem up the sleeves. You can sew this by hand, if you use matching thread, and keep the stitches small, close together and straight.

Take the remaining fabric and make into two small belts or cuffs to go around the sleeve as an embellishment. Add a button to the side.

Rock It!
Wear your new shrunken trench unbuttoned with pieces that are already in your closet.

• A cute blue cotton sun-dress
• Brown strappy cork wedges
• A one inch braided belt over the unbuttoned coat
• Big brown sunglasses

I love this outfit. It is perfect for any hot to cold day, and it looks great with a summer tan.
Brief update: The above pic is after I made my shrunken trench, which this project only cost me $8.45
It pays to be Recession Diva!