What is the one activity that unites all of us irrespective of sex, age and occupation to make our otherwise banal lives a tad interesting? Shopping, that's what! I love shopping! No let me rephrase that, it's my single minded passion! Given a choice, every one of us would indulge in retail therapy every single day, isn't it? But aren't we forgetting the essential requisite for that shopping spree; the moolah! The biggest party pooper that's just never enough!
What do you do then, when you are low on your pocket money or your monthly remuneration is a couple of days away, and a major party/event pops up and you just have to have something brand new, or you need something funky for college or that casual Friday? You get creative with what you already have in hand, that's what!
Designer denim
All of us have that one long denim skirt stashed that went out of fashion a decade ago, but didn't have the heart to throw out. It's a good thing you didn't; because now is the time to get your money's worth. A simple trick would be to just snip off the bottom to make it a short skirt (never goes out of trend) or another cool option is to cut out a high side slit (how high depends on you). My fave though is to convert that into shorts overalls — for this you'll have to visit your local darji, but it shouldn't cost much.
So after a few years of wearing out your favourite pair, the bottoms and knees start to rip, and your mom rips that into her duster! Don't, because it's now that your jeans have finally gotten that hot faded look. Clip the ends to get yourself a brand new pair of capris. Better yet, transform them into balloon shorts; cut the jeans till mid thigh and then stitch on an elastic at the bottom – these are the latest craze, to be worn over leggings.
Sloganed out
Another really cool yet easy to do adornment is to add a touch of etching onto your casual t-shirts. All you need is a plain tee (preferably light coloured), log onto your PC and print out (colour of your choice) any quirky slogan that you like - the non-creative ones can search the net for that. Print that out onto a sheet, and simply iron that out upside down onto your tee. There you go, instant conversation starter. My favourite — ‘God made Men, then he had a better idea!'
Faded tees
We have these few great fitted tees that we love and keep repeating, soon leaving them with that washed-out appearance. If you love the fit that much keep them, just cut out the sleeves and cut the neckline deeper to convert them into gunjis, and when those fade as well cut out the top and bottom to use them as tube tops inside shear/ very low-necked tops.
Button up
Your dad is going to have at least one bright checked shirt that he doesn't wear right? Well, simply use the scissors to trim off the shirt till just a little below your bust for a cool shrug. What about those loose ends? Tie them in a knot for that sexy “Bobby” look. A full sleeved one looks more stylish, but a half-sleeve one will do if you just can bear the heat. Make sure to pick a cotton/linen one.
Zari makeover
Rummage in your mom's cupboard for a traditional saree with a heavy border, first make sure she doesn't need it and take permission to use it for your experiment. Cut off the whole border — the rest can be used to make a salwar kameez later. Now that gorgeously worked border can be attached at the bottom of your skirt, as a belt or even as a cool knotted tie. Another thing you can do is home-stitch it into a cool batwa. Adding a hint of Indian to a western ensemble adds a glam quotient to it.
Go on and try it, it's not going to cost you anything, literally!
