A Fashionable Christmas Transformation

Happy Christmas Eve to all of you who are celebrating! I can’t believe tomorrow is already the big day, but I wanted to share one final festive red and green outfit for any last-minute Christmas soiree you may be attending (but no worries if you need some excuses to dress up). While this outfit sings of elegance and old-fashioned style, the poofy tulle lining of the skirt holds a dirty little secret… It’s actually an old Christmas dress!

Years ago, I came home from school one day to discover my mother had a special gift for me—a forest green Christmas dress. I absolutely loved the color and poofiness of the full skirt, but with this and that, I never ended up wearing it that Christmas season. I had planned on donning the festive frock to Christmas Eve mass. However, the weather had other plans for me and we were snowed in that night. So the dress hung new and never worn in the back of my closet…and it remained that way for years.

Last summer, I did a huge closet clean-out and finally decided to do something with the green dress. I hated that it had never been worn, but as an 18 year old, I had certainly outgrown the children’s sizing. Then an idea hit me—while the piece was too small in the bust, the waist and skirt still fit. {Lightbulb} I would turn the old dress into a skirt!

Unfortunately, I don’t know how to sew yet, though it is on my list. Having dabbled in hand-stitching and being very crafty, I considered just snipping the top half of the dress away and stitching it into a skirt, but if I ever needed to wash the dress… Well, let’s just say it’s unclear as to whether or not my “craft project” would survive the spin cycle. I could take it to a tailor, but that’s expensive and a hassle.

So instead, I undid all the buttons in the back of the dress, tucked it into the skirt, and pulled the whole thing over my head. Notice an extra poofiness in the bootay area of my skirt? It’s probably the top half of the dress tucked in there. In the back, I attached the first button to make the skirt tighter around my waist, and then I used a safety pin to further secure the hold. The dress came with a velvet ribbon to tie in the back, which served as the perfect camouflage for my little closure method.

At some point, I would like to get the dress tailored into an actual skirt, but until then… My childhood Christmas dress has been transformed! I love how it’s a completely on-trend midi skirt in a gorgeous holiday color, with no shortage of volume. The gold heels add some necessary glam, as does the gold sparkly headband, and the red Kate Spade purse pops like the poinsettias in the background. Dare I say, I felt a little Barbie in this outfit. This time, I swear, I’ll wear this look tonight to Christmas Eve mass.

Do you have any old dresses in the back of your closet? Don’t let them sadly waste away in the depths of dark shelving and rods… Instead, try giving them new life—tailor your dress into a skirt, tuck the top under the bottom, layer a sweater over the top of your dress… There are lots of ways to play around with a dress to give it a fresh look; all it takes is a little creativity!

I hope you have a wonderful holiday tomorrow spent with family and friends, and most of all, in a gorgeous outfit. Cheers!

Miles of smiles,
Grace

Black Mock-Neck Top: Arizona via JCPenney, $11 // Stole: handmade by my aunt // Green Skirt: old Christmas dress turned into a midi skirt // Gold Heels: hand-me-down // Red Purse: Kate Spade New York, was a gift