Last year, for every €12 that Irish consumers spent, €1 went directly to overseas internet retailers. In a generation so used to having immediate access to goods all over the world via the web, fashion has become more disposable than ever.
Luckily, the internet also means endless resources and information is a mere click away and DIY/Craft blogs are ten-a-penny. Taking inspiration from a combination of ‘how-to’ videos and posts, The College View brings you its first tutorial: customised lace shorts. Sure, you can snap up some hippy-chic crochet shorts in a variety of shops on the high street, but for a fraction of the price and an hour of your time you could have your own authentic and economical pair.
Whether you breathe new life into an old pair or reinvent Penney’s finest, start with a basic short in white denim, cotton or linen, you can even use a good quality pair of men’s white boxers.
You will need lace that is at least two inches in width. Any good fabric store will sell rolls of lace or crochet ribbon which is perfect for this project. A sewing machine or needles are optional, but for the novice, fabric glue is the weapon of choice.
Lay your shorts on a flat surface and cut the lace to the appropriate lengths. It’s best to start at the bottom; place the first layer of lace so that it comes out over the hem of the shorts. Place a thin layer of fabric glue on the inside of the material and press down firmly (you can then use clothing pegs to hold down the lace while it dries.) Now, work your way up to the top repeating this step, slightly overlapping the layers of lace. Around the crotch part of the shorts, cut the strip in two and glue each side down separately. When dry, you can do a few quick stitches around the crotch to keep the lace trim intact.
If the thought of wearing what is essentially a large homemade doily covering your derrière isn’t for you, you could just add a bit of lace to the hem of your denim cut offs or onto the back pockets.
Freya Drohan
Image Credit: Renne via Flickr
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