Alter a coat to fit Practical upcycling and sewing tips

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In this beginner-friendly clothes upcycling and sewing tutorial, I’ll explain how to alter a coat to fit. This animal print trench coat was a couple of sizes too big for me and, with a few alterations, is now more tailored to my size and shape. • #sewingtutorial #upcyclingclothing #upcyclingideas #upcyclingfashion #upcycledclothes #trenchcoat #trenchcoatseason #coats #sewingdiy #tailoringtricks #clothesupcycling #alterations • I picked up this animal print trench coat for $5.00. It was brand new and still had the tag attached. • It was a bit big for my frame and, because trench coats have a lot of fabric and this one being a busy animal print, I like them to fit properly so it doesn’t look like the coat is wearing me. • The first step was to remove the belt loops, saving these for later. • This coat wasn’t lined so it was an easy alteration. I decided to simply take in the side seams from under the sleeve, down to the bottom hem. • First, I cut off the bottom hem so I could sew a straight seam. This would reduce the bulkiness at the bottom when taking in the side seams. It would also create a neater bottom hem after taking in the side seams. • Next, I pinned the side seams, trying it on and adjusting accordingly before sewing the new seams on the sewing machine. • Then I resewed the bottom hem. Had I wanted to reduce the length down to a blazer, I could have taken the hem up at this stage. I decided to keep it as a long trench coat. • Next, I took up the sleeves because they were too long. Luckily, there was a current sleeve hem in place that I could use as a guide and simply turn it over to shorten the sleeves. • When upcycling and altering clothes, I always look for shortcuts. • Then, I had to alter the front lapel. Because the original sizing was larger, after I made the coat width small, the lapels were oversized and overwhelmed the front of the coat. The reduce them down I simply reduced and re-hemmed the lapels. This was easy and made a lot of difference. • And finally, to keep the lapels down as they had a tendency to lift up, I found some matching buttons in my button stash and sewed them at the corner of the lapel. Again, this was a small change but made a big difference. • And here it is finished. While the before and after photos don’t look drastically different, the difference when wearing the trench is dramatic. With a few sewing skills, I can easily alter any garment so it fits me well and I feel confident wearing it. Best of all, it doesn’t languish at the back of my wardrobe because, every time I put it on, it doesn’t feel right. • This is a quick clothes upcycling project that could be done within an hour or so. • Thanks for watching, • BEX. • ABOUT SECOND LIFE UPCYCLING • Second Life Upcycling is about altering, recycling and upcycling clothes to give them a second life. On this channel, you'll find easy, quick, and simple step-by-step clothes upcycling tips and sewing tutorials. • I have been thrifting, second-hand shopping, and sewing for 30+ years. My passion is following an ethical lifestyle when it comes to my clothing choices and living an environmentally friendly life. I rarely buy new clothes (or anything new for that matter), instead shopping second hand shops, charity stores and flea markets. • THE BENEFITS OF CLOTHES UPCYCLING • Clothes upcycling promotes a more sustainable, creative, and responsible approach to fashion, all of which contributes to a healthier planet and a more sustainable future. • Clothes upcycling helps reduce waste by repurposing old or unwanted garments, often diverting them from landfill. • With the fashion industry being one of the planets largest polluters, upcycling and repurposing clothing reduces the need for new materials and decreases carbon emissions associated with the product and disposal of clothing. • Traditional clothing manufacturing consumes significant amounts of water, energy, and raw materials. Upcycling clothing not only extends the life of existing textiles, conserving these valuable resources, but promotes more sustainable consumption patterns. • Upcycling clothes and other materials encourages creative freedom by transforming old clothes into unique, personalised garments. Upcycling and sewing fosters innovation and encourages people to experiment with designs, creating one-of-a-kind items that reflect personal style and creativity. • Upcycling clothing can be very cost-effective by reducing money spent purchasing new clothes but can also assist charities when clothes are purchased second hand from charities. • Repairing and mending clothing enhances the longevity of existing garments, giving them longevity in your wardrobe and limiting the need to purchase new clothes. This contrasts with fast fashion items, which are frequently designed for short-term use.

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