Kelsey Dundon

Normally “before and afters” on The Anthology involve hideous vintage pieces that I have my tailor rework (see Exhibit A, B, and especially C).

But this, my friends, is a whole new ballgame.

I’m taking two once-loved pieces of my own — a black-and-white silk scarf I bought in Paris and a plastic chain necklace I bought somewhere far less glamourous — and I’m going to make my own “after”. All by myself. I’ll share it with you soon (as long as it doesn’t look like a 6-year-old made it).

P.S. I whipped up my own “After” once before and I kind of love how it turned out. Let’s see if lightening strikes twice.

Oh, vintage secretary dresses. How I love finding you buried on a vintage store rack and reworking you into something I’d actually wear!

Remember what this one looked like before I reworked it? This:

You guys called it frumpy. And you were bang-on with that observation.

My fixes were relatively easy. I belted it with a vintage YSL belt (I don’t even remember where I found it, but I am so very glad I did). I pushed up the sleeves to make it look more laid back and I unbuttoned the high neck so it didn’t look so, well… buttoned up. See? These are things a non-seamstress can do.

And I removed the shoulder pads, which is the easiest fix ever, as long as the piece isn’t so structured that it requires them. Oh, and I had it shortened just a bit. But my tailor handled that part because that is something that a non-seamstress cannot do.

[Thakoon shoes.]