Button Revamp - New Old Top!

Hi all! I hope you're enjoying the bank holiday in all its glory. I was a little worried yesterday as I could see my breath and it was pouring with rain, luckily it's brighter today! I shouldn't really be blogging now if I was a proper blogger, as people don't read it straight away - but heh, you guys can read this whenever. If it starts raining again you can thank me for something to do.

Miss Selfridge via a Chazza

Cute Pocket detail

I was rummaging through my wardrobe recently and found this shirt, which I bought for about £3 from a charity shop a year or two ago. I love the pattern and cute pockets - it also lends itself to being styled with casual jeans or work wear, and can look very 50s gypsy style or hippy chic. Bargain! However, as you can see, it was all crumpled and folorn at the back of the shelf when I found it...

Urgh HORRID

This was because I had become tired of the buttons. As you can see they are really generic and cheap looking. Kind of Tesco value, does-exactly-what-it-says-on-the-tin looking. Seriously, I would take the top out of the wardrobe, put it on, and the buttons would just stare at me with their soulless round button faces. Ugh. Mr Spoon wouldn't get out of bed for buttons like these, let alone build a rocket! It is a well known rule for budget fashionistas that cheap buttons make things look cheap: boring buttons make things look boring too. So I decided to take a twist on the old 'sew posh buttons on a cheap coat' trick and sew some bright summer buttons on this shirt.

These buttons are identical to some which cost several pounds in Hobbycraft. However I purchased mine from Punch 'n' Julie on EBay, where the full range is much cheaper. Delivery was reasonable (she combined postage for multiple items) and quick. For convenience and price I really prefer EBay to big craft shops like Hobbycraft these days.

Anyway, I'm not going to tutorial you guys on something as easy as 'cut old buttons off, sew new ones on'!

Here is the finished top. I was concerned it might look a bit too 'Blue Peter presenter', but actually with the floral buttons it just looks very summery. The buttons aren't exactly corporate but as I work with kids it's still fine for workwear, and all the more fun for spare time wear. Unfortunately, I haven't been able to wear it out because of the disgraceful weather we've been having, however I am keeping my fingers crossed we'll have at least one warm day in the future. As in, ever.

What are your quick updates for old and folorn clothing?