Caitlin Trantham is 33 years old woman. She was looking for a hobby when the Coronavirus lockdown began in the U.S. At that time she came up with an idea to turn old thrift store clothes into modern fashion by giving them a modern makeover. She thought this can be really interesting and at the same time can save some money.
She has explained how it came up to her mind and the process in an interview with Bored Panda. At that interview, Caitlin said she started sewing at the age of 7, primarily with quilts. It says us a story that she have been grown up in such a background. Despite having years of experience, she said she only began experimenting with clothing this year.
“During quarantine, I had plenty of time to practice and make a bunch of projects,” she said. Just not only for saving money, but thrifting is also great for the environment, according to the woman.
“Besides that, I enjoy hunting for thrills! I have found some really amazing pieces along the way “ She added. The dresses and skirts that Caitlin bought cost her only a few dollars, and she hasn’t spent more than $10 on an item. That explains how much she could have saved through this.
She looks for matters that could add a unique touch to a garment whenever possible, like embroidery or embellishments. “Then, I analyze the material — am I going to be able to manipulate this? Is it going to fight me?” Caitlin explained her innovative process. She finally checks the garment features like zippers, buttons, etc. to make sure everything is okay and whether they fit her ideas or not.
Here are some of her makeovers to impress you to try them.
For more information, you can find her on Instagram and TikTok
#1 For sure a new favorite! 💙 This project was a free style, but I did break out a few dresses and compare to get a better idea for fit!
#2 I loved doing all the hand beading on that bodice! When I picked off all the flowers, it destroyed most of the long lines of beading- so I had to go in and repair it all while adding the stars 😍
#3 Thrifted skirt into a cute little dress! I used a pattern from @nhpatterns and adore the end result. I love when I find patterns that don’t use too much fabric- it makes them perfect for upcycling when you don’t have a lot to work with! 😍🙌🏻
#4 I think it’s time for another tie dye project! 😍 I never posted the pictures from this one I did in June 🌈 The videos are up further down in my feed if you missed the process!
#5 I had so much fun with this fast and easy makeover! I get asked a lot what projects are good for beginners- and something like this would be one! Removing sleeves and upping hemlines were some of the first things I did when I started upcycling. And discovering the dye process and it’s infinite options were a major game changer!
#6 Clearance Target dress, to a fun two piece outfit! 💙 I think pictures really show how crazy this transformation is 😍 The quilting added so much great texture, and gave the cheap fabric a big upgrade!
#7 Apparently I have a thing against sleeves 😂
#8 The cutest little makeover on this 90s Christmas dress! I love doing a quick & easy project after a massive one (the dyed wedding dress ☠️) and this was the perfect candidate.
#9 The quickest dress ever! I use Butterick B6453 for lots of upcycling projects, because it uses such a small amount of fabric.
#10 The Princess & the Frog 👑🐸✨ I dyed this white lace dress green just for the occasion!
#11 Quick and easy transformation on this maxi dress! The print gave me all the 50s vibes, so I knew I had to do a shorter full skirt. I separated the bodice and the skirt, then took in the bodice slightly at the darts.
#12 I’d love to do this again ASAP. I have the footage from the original tutorial, let me know if I should post it, or if everyone already saw it 😂💕 This time last year I think only 3,000 people were here!? So crazy!
#13 I think you can really see the difference in the fabric from the pictures 😂🤭 Stiff and crusty, to the soft rayon it was meant to be! This dress was very likely headed to a landfill…
#14 I really think this is going to be my dress for the next Marine Corps ball! 😍 It isn’t the color I originally set out for, but I’m so happy with how it came out.
#15 Easy little makeover of this pretty 90s floral! 😍❤️ I started by dissembling the dress at the seams. I attempted to use a pattern for the bodice, but ended up modifying it so much that it’s not worth mentioning 😂
#16 I got this ‘church dress’ at Salvation Army for only $3. It had moth holes all over the sleeves! I loved the thick velvet appliqués at the cuffs, and knew I could do something awesome with them 😍 Because I couldn’t use the fabric from the sleeves to help squeeze out enough for the skirt, I opted for frankensteining the lining together.
#17 It was ankle length and had a huge bow in the back. Truly… ✨unquie ✨ And I’m guessing it was a bridesmaid dress and there were several more like it ☠️🤣 I decided to remake the bodice, I used the same puff sleeves but I had to put elastic in them so that they fit.
#18 This upcycle is such a big difference, people on TikTok thought my video was either a lie or a joke 😂 This is an amazing example of what I love about refashioning dresses- creative problem solving! I started by taking off the sleeves/ bolero situation. Then I dyed it using the same @ritdye synthetic that I used for the big wedding dress.
#19 Literally all I did was hem the skirt and use the extra fabric as a belt, but it made a huge difference. I was on the hunt for vintage style dresses, with a nipped in waist and full skirt, but they were hard to find.
#20 This dress was one of those that was really satisfying to complete. This plaid fabric is beautiful, and really great quality. It had lived its life long enough as a 90s teacher dress and was ready to be reborn! 😂
