Usually, when I'm at the thrift store, I often find jackets and other clothing from the 80's. In fact, most of the time I find more clothing from the 80s than any other decade. This may be due to the fact that everything that was made in the 80's looks like it was designed by someone on copious amount of crack .... which may not be too far from the truth. Clothing, cars, furniture, buildings, hair... everything went insane in the 80s, and not in a good way. All design and style went out the window in the 80's.
Clothing in particular was, to put it nicely, wacky. If anyone likes 80's clothing, it is probably due to the comedic value - neon colors, huge shoulder pads, mom jeans - all totally insane and unflattering. Almost every jacket I find from the 1980's has humongous armholes. Why did everyone back then need so much pit space? I am happy to admit that I don't really get it, but I refuse to let all that clothing go to waist. Therefore, I thought I'd experiment with this old Wilson's Leather jacket to see if I can update it a bit...
I found this suede jacket at a thrift store and I couldn't pass it up. The shape was strange (80's), but the suede was so soft and perfectly worn it, I knew it needed something, so I bought it anyway.
Maybe it's the summer talking, but I have recently decided that I don't like sleeves. Sorry sleeves. This suede jacket was a victim of my new hatred for sleeves, and surprisingly it turned out pretty awesome.
Like I said before, the armholes were outrageously huge in the 80s, so naturally, removing the sleeves would make the armholes look appropriately large (as they usually are on vests). Taking off sleeves is surprisingly easy. This jacket was no different, but it took a bit longer than normal articles of clothing due to the lining on the inside. All you need is a seam ripper for this step. You will also need pins, scissors and a sewing machine for the next step.
If a jacket has lining, the first step is to take apart the seam of the armhole on the lining. This is where the seam ripper becomes your best friend. If you plan on doing this yourself, and you don't have a seam ripper, buy one! It makes life easier. Once you have done this, then you can move on to the actual sleeve. After both sleeves have been completely removed, you will have to sew the edge of the lining onto the edge of the exterior fabric (in this case suede). The last step is to hem the armhole. This is the trickiest step, especially if you are using a lightweight fabric. Suede and leather is fairly easy because it's so stiff and easy to manipulate. The best trick for this is to snip a few snips along the edges with the scissors. This lets the edges of the fabric fold easier to create a hem. Pin edges inwards with the pins and then sew. And, voila! you are done.
If you are not used to sewing, this might take some practice, but eventually you will get there. If you don't have these materials, or if you just have no interest in doing it yourself, you can always buy one already done for you! You can find this awesome suede vest here!
