DIY Upsize Tight Waistband | Thriftanista in the City

7.15.2015

DIY Upsize Tight Waistband

There are times when the thrift gods bless you with a gorgeous print skirt and then you try it on and discover it doesn't fit the waist. Sometimes it's just a little tight. Sometimes it just doesn't fit! Were the waistlines smaller in the 80s? Was the shapewear better? I bought my precious print skirt anyway because..I'm going to lose weight..have my tummy tucked..not eat for the day and other such lies I tell myself.

diy elastic waistband



A year later and the game plan is slow going. Luckily there's another option! DIY.

I cut that mothereffin' tight waistband off and added an elastic waistband. This pattern has nice horizontal stripes to make the refashion super easy.

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How to Add an Elastic Waistband


1. Remove the zipper. Even if you don't sew, the seam ripper is your friend. It's sew (hee hee) friggin handy. 

2. Sew a new seam. Easy enough to do. Just follow the seam line below the zipper.

3. Cut away the offending waistband and any additional fabric that doesn't ease over the hips. I mostly eyeballed it.

remove waistband from skirt

4. Measure your waist with the elastic. Make a casing. I used 1" elastic. My casing was 1.25 inches so that I could comfortably insert the elastic and sew close to the seam edge. Don't forget to leave a couple of inches open for the elastic to go in.

5. Insert elastic. Sew the opening close.

attach elastic waistband

Ta-da! It's done.

Now I have a new old skirt. Vintage skirt fits the waist perfectly without losing weight!

refashion a skirt

To reward myself for finally fitting into the skirt I wore it with my latest shoe purchase. I have been wanting to try lug sole heels for a while but they seemed so impractical and I was right. They are. They are the highest heels I own. Fairly comfortable but high. Strictly for sitting around a hookah and a cocktail. And snacks because this skirt was made for it. 

Are you having a similar issue with vintage skirts?

remove tight waistband
THRIFT Petite Sophisticate skirt - red necklace GIFT Handmade beaded necklace RETAIL black tee - Wild Diva lug sole heels

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4 comments

14th Street Vintage said...

I think the elastic waistband may actually look better. It looks like a dress. Really cute. And yes, of course I have that same issue with vintage everything.

Unknown said...

genius! i have a few skirts that i've thrifted that don't fit in the waist, but i can't seem to let them go. thank you for this tutorial!

Unknown said...

This is a great tutorial! I'd probably have a lot more skirts in my closet if I'd thought of this! Great post!

Unknown said...

This is genius! I just wish I could sew. Last year I bought about 12 vintage wool skirts while thrifting. Not on would zip comfortably. Now I have a plan...after I find a tailor. Thanks!

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