Nowadays, there are many things you can customize or DIY (do it yourself). There’s so much inspiration you can find online, so many tools now accessible to make customization easier. One of them that you can customize are your clothes! When you sort through your wardrobe, if you now find your clothes to be the same old boring ones, and you’re desperate to give it some new life, then why not customize them?
You don’t have to be an expert in DIY or crafts to start with the project. You can always start with the little projects which are more doable. And as soon as you get the hang of it, slowly improve and do more. Plus, by customizing your clothes, you’re making it into pieces which are truly and uniquely yours.
If you’re keen to learn more, here are eight creative ways to customize your clothes:
- Have Custom Shirts Printed
Custom shirts from reputable sellers like https://www.shopstrange.net/ are still very popular today, because of its wide demand. Many love to have personalized, custom shirts, whether for personal use, or as gifts or clothing pieces for special occasions and parties.
Your custom prints can be anything from photos you may have taken, to your favorite quotes. Or a photo of your work of art or painting, if you don’t fancy painting directly on clothing.
Your chosen clothing pieces are always a representation of your preference and style. There’s no better way to let your personality shine through than by wearing custom print shirts on your casual days out.
- Have Your Initials Engraved
A part of customizing your clothes means paying attention to your accessories. One of those which you bring every day, wherever you go, is your bag.
Surely you can’t have your entire name engraved on your bag, like those of children’s bags. The idea might be a little bit too much for an adult your age. But you can always engrave your initials.
There are many companies offering that service, some for free, and others with a minimal added cost. For leather bags, your initials can often be embossed or engraved. For cloth or fabric bags, your initials can be embroidered or sewn as a monogram, for instance.
- Use Fabric Markers
If you are an artist inside, waiting to be discovered, then you may want to head out to your crafts store and purchase fabric markers! You can bring new life to, and customize your plain shirts, jackets and jeans using fabric markers.
Why paint or draw on a canvas when your clothes can be your personal masterpiece? There’s just something so special about the personalized piece. When you don the clothing you’ve drawn on, you know there isn’t anyone else out there with the exact same outfit as yours.
In using fabric markers, however, be sure you’re using it correctly. Especially if this is going to be your first time. Here are some tips which may come in useful:
- Choose the right fabric to draw on: The smoother the fabric, the better, so you can minimize lumps and bumps, which you’ll have to go through again, to smoothen out.
- Practice with an old shirt: If this is your first time doing calligraphy, lettering, or using a specific type of fabric marker, don’t apply it directly on your shirt. Instead, do a few trial strokes first, just so you can train your hands to get used to the feel of the marker.
- Use stencils, when unsure: For beginners, you can always take the safe route, and use a stencil. This will ensure you get the right strokes, pattern or drawing you’re trying to do with your fabric marker.
- Accessorize With Personalized Jewelry
This third tip applies to those of you who love to wear jewelry! If you don’t like to work on, paint on, or embroider your clothes, there’s another avenue for you to have customization in your look: your jewelry.
Almost all jewelry makers now offer customization services, simply because there’s a demand for it. If you have kids, you can have their names customized on necklaces or bracelets. If you don’t have kids, then you can opt for your own name or initials.
A classic jewelry piece is always the perfect accessory to any plain outfit, so don’t shy away from having personalized jewelry pieces as well.
- Replace Small Elements In Your Clothes
Have you ever tried replacing the hardware in your kitchen, and after doing so, you’re just so pleased at how new and fresh it looks? You can do the same for your clothing pieces.
One way to make a mass-produced jacket look custom-made is to change the buttons to styles or colors which speaks to your fancy. The same applies to jeans or shorts with buttons. As to your shoes, you can even play with different styles of the shoe laces.
With the minimal effort of changing those small elements, you’re able to give your clothing pieces a whole new look.
- Use A Sewing Machine
If you’re looking for a new craft or hobby to do, you can’t go wrong with sewing. If this is your first time, then it’s natural for you to still have some adjustments as you get to know your machine, and navigate through how to use it. But eventually, once you get the hang of it, you’ll begin to learn how to sew, and create patterns on your clothing or dresses.
Apart from making new, custom-made clothing from scratch, having a sewing machine enables you to upcycle any old clothing you have, so you can give it a brand-new look.
Wearing well-fitted clothes can make a big difference in making you look better. The fit of the clothing pieces you’re wearing are personally fitted and suited for your body shape and preferences.
Before you head out to shop for a sewing machine, here are some factors to be on the lookout for, so you can bring home the right sewing machine for your needs:
- Stitches: Ask about the number of available stitches your sewing machine has. The more it has, the better. This gives you more leeway in sewing and doing as much as you want with the fabrics available to you.
- Attachments and feet: The choice of what attachments and feet to put highly depends on personal preference, and what you intend to sew regularly. If you’re unfamiliar with what’s the right one to use, you can always seek expert advice from the sewing machine representatives themselves.
- Test run: Always test a sewing machine before making a final decision. This is very important, so you can be certain about bringing home the sewing machine which goes well with your needs and preferences. If you aren’t comfortable with the sewing machine you bring home, then you won’t even enjoy creating custom clothing and dresses out of it.
- Automatic needle threader: Among all the features a sewing machine can have, an automatic needle threader is definitely an advantage or a must. Especially if you struggle with eyesight problems, an automatic needle threader can save you from all the hassle and difficulty that comes with threading.
Plus, an automatic needle threader is a big time-saver as well.
- Have A Tailored Suit Made
If you’re the type who needs to wear suits from time to time, as a part of your job or functions you need to attend, it’s a good choice to have a custom, tailored suit. This may end up a bit more expensive than mass-produced, store-bought suits. But it makes all the difference as to the fit.
There’s nothing more that screams custom clothing than tailored suits, as this just makes you look a lot better. Ill-fitting suits can make you look baggy and cheap. Plus, custom-made, tailored suits can be your wardrobe staple which can withstand through years of wear. They won’t go out of style.
- Dye Your Clothes
For the brighter, summer days, or if you’re naturally the type of person who enjoys having elements of bright colors in your wardrobe, dyeing your clothes is a good project to try out! If you have kids, this can be a fun activity, too. You can create family shirts with dyeing, which you can use for your next holiday, for instance.
The great thing about dyeing is you never know what the resulting outcome may be. This can always vary. So, you know for certain you’ve got a piece that’s completely personalized only for you.
Conclusion
One of the biggest horror moments you can ever go through in your life is walking in to work or to a function or event, and wearing the exact same outfit as someone else! Especially if you live in a small city, often the shopping options may be quite limited. But, while this may be the case, you aren’t limited as to the options to personalize your wardrobe.
The tips above are, in fact, only some of the many things you can do to give your clothes that hint of being uniquely you. Feeling good in what you’re wearing enables you to look even better, with that confidence radiating from within. And, when you’re wearing clothes which are representative of you, then you’ll feel more confident with all the outfits you’ll come up with.
