Kelly Tomlinson is the writer and photographer behind Texas Type A Mom. She lives in Austin with her husband of 13 years, two precocious daughters, and English Bulldog, Dude. When she’s not working (and even when she is), Kelly’s demonstrating how to accessorize a v-neck dress, the Karina Rita while baking sweet treats, on beach vacations, and watching football. You can find her on Twitter, and Pinterest.
Have you ever loved a piece of clothing so much, that even though you haven’t worn it for years you hang on to it because you’re confident new life will be breathed into it again one day? I have. But most times when I hang onto a piece well past its expiration date, it just ends up in the donation pile.
There are items like formal pieces that you don’t want to let go of only to purchase again, but then other times a piece just seems so versatile and functional it’s all but a sure thing that you’ll love it and it’ll make its way into your normal rotation again. Until recently most pieces of clothing I hung onto way to were based on this expectation and nothing ever came of them.
Then there are other pieces that you know will forever be a staple because of how timeless they are and how great they make you look and feel…like the Rita from Karina Dresses.
After trying on this amazing dress, I became inspired and found the perfect opportunity to reinvent a denim jacket I’ve had for 10 years. This denim jacket is something I bought when they were just coming back into style again after years of people not wearing them regularly and seemed to go with everything and nothing all at the same time.
You see, when I got the denim jacket I was surviving on a wardrobe revolving almost entirely around jeans. And jeans + jean jacket = monochromatic denim overload. Not the look I was going for.
The Rita Dress alone is so beautiful that it really doesn’t need much help from accessories. I adore the v-neck and faux wrap and found this dress to be so flattering for my figure and the print to be absolutely gorgeous and something that turns heads. But knowing I wanted a Texas vibe, I needed to mix things up. I immediately paired this v-neck dress with some cowboy boots and a wide leather belt, but it was still missing something.
In comes the denim jacket. Only not a jacket anymore. I created an easy tutorial to show you how to reinvent an old, boring denim jacket into a fashionable denim vest in no time!
How to Turn a Denim Jacket into a Denim Vest
- Cut sleeves off of denim jacket within an inch of the edge.
- Using a razor blade, coarsely rub the exposed edge to fray.
- Repeat on opposite side.
- Then using tip of razor blade, lightly scratch surface of denim until you can separate the fabric piece by piece for a worn look.
Pair your denim jacket with a rockin’ dress like the Rita and you’re ready to have for a nice dinner or fun at a concert!