Guide

Fashion hack: making a skirt tighter

Vanessa Kim
28.4.2021

There are simple tricks to make ill-fitted clothing fit nicely. I’m showing you these hacks in a multi-part series. This time: a tighter waistband for your skirts.

We’re all guilty of buying clothes that we wear only once or even never. It happens to me now and then, too. The reasons for these impulse purchases are plentiful. Most of the time, I get dazzled by a nice detail and don’t realise that the item doesn’t fit right. You know how the story ends, the garment perishes untouched in the closet. We’re putting an end to this. In today’s episode of my fashion hack series, I’ll show you how to tighten a too-wide skirt without needing a needle or thread.

This time, my bad purchase is a skirt with an elastic band. I ordered this precious piece online two years ago and have never worn it. Since the skirt is too big for me and I didn’t return it in time, it’s been sitting unnoticed in my closet. But since I like it and I’m not good at sewing, I’m going to try a fashion hack. For this, I just need an elastic band, a narrow satin ribbon or a household cord. I decide – due to lack of alternatives – for the latter.

This fashion hack requires only two steps: tying and folding over.
This fashion hack requires only two steps: tying and folding over.

I take the string and tie it around my waist because I want to wear the skirt high-waisted. If you want to wear the skirt lower, tie the ribbon around your stomach or hips. Now I cut off the excess of the cord with scissors, so that nothing will show through the fabric later. The last thing I do is fold the elastic of the skirt under the tied around cord. That’s it. Now it fits like a glove and my wardrobe has one less unwanted item. The only drawback: this fashion hack only works with skirts made from thin fabrics such as silk, cotton, rayon and linen. Leather, for example, is too chunky, doesn’t look good folded and shows through clothing.

With just a few steps and a string, your skirt will be made to fit.
With just a few steps and a string, your skirt will be made to fit.

Do you have a better trick up your sleeve or do you have a garment that’s giving you headaches? Let me know in the comments!

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When I’m not exploring the depths of the sea as an open water diver, I enjoy plunging into the world of fashion. On the streets of Paris, Milan and New York is where I keep my eyes peeled for the latest trends. And I’ll show you how to take them from the catwalk to your everyday life. 


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