Making used and vintage clothing is a current trend that comes and goes in traditional fashion, but remains in many alternative styles, regardless of the season. By transforming your clothes in this way you will surely make them unique, interesting and personalized; that's why making them look used and vintage will make you stand out from the rest of the people. In the next few steps, you will learn various ways to age your new clothes while maintaining style.
Steps
Step 1. Make sure the size is right before you start
The procedures explained here do not serve to change the size, only the appearance.
Wash your clothing thoroughly before proceeding. So if they have to lose color or shrink they will do so before they get old
Step 2. Choose a suitable space to work
What you will do is cut, tear and ruin your clothes, so settle where you can freely move and make sure the work surface is sturdy. For example, you could use a workbench, or lay down on the asphalt in the garage, or somewhere outside.
Step 3. Study the dress
It is at this point that you should decide how much damage you are willing to inflict to change its appearance. If you don't like the idea, put it away - the changes are permanent.
This is a good opportunity to plan for the changes you want to make. Write or draw the result you would like to achieve and practice the right method to get there
Step 4. Age your shirt
Aging a shirt is a great start project, as they don't cost much but make a lot with the vintage effect. Here's how you can do it:
- To make it look used and worn: cut the sleeves or the neckline. Cut with scissors only the beginning, then proceed by tearing the rest by hand. This way, your shirt will have a "ruffled" look.
- Very aged look: You can use sandpaper to achieve this effect. Use 100 grit or higher. Rub it on the parts of the shirt that you want to age the most; the paper will fray the fibers making it softer and making it look used. A belt sander also works well and speeds up the process. Work mainly on the edges of the shirt, along the seams, neck and sleeves.
Step 5. Wear (artificially) jeans
Jeans are probably the most used fabric for the aging technique in a wide range of different styles.
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Image Wear the edges with a razor. When you wash it, the fibers will separate giving the jeans a worn look. Starting at the hems, make small cuts along the top hem following the seams of the jeans. There is no need to go over every seam, just enough to make the fabric fray during the wash. A cutter will work great. Be careful not to cut yourself.
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Image Ripped jeans can be sexy and sophisticated when paired with the right garments. Rip the jeans for the ultimate creased look. Make a small cut, then tear with your hands. If you find it difficult, get help from someone stronger than you!
- For rips in the knees, thighs or other parts: try on jeans then, with a pencil or tailor's chalk, draw a horizontal line across the front of your knees while sitting. Take off your jeans and punch a hole along the line - the hole must be large enough for a finger or two to pass through. Tear off as much fabric as you want. The most worn parts in jeans are usually the knees and thighs.
- When you scratch or cut your jeans, stick a piece of wood into your leg. So, if you put too much force into it, you won't go over the back of the leg.
Step 6. Use tools to make your clothes look even older
As explained in the aging T-shirt process, creased areas can be created with sandpaper (100 grit or higher) on the bottom, knees, hips or pockets of many fabrics. This process is much faster if you have a belt sander available. Just make sure the fabric can take the pressure; of course silk and satin are not good.
Step 7. Wash the changed clothes
In many cases, the previous steps will have prepared the fabric but not necessarily frayed it or made it change color. For that you will have to wash them. Once you have shredded, torn, etc., put the garments in the washing machine at a medium temperature, using half the detergent and half the bleaching additive.
- The detergent will soften the water and help with fraying.
- Perfectly dries clothes; if you have a dryer, use it.
- Examine the areas you have been working on. The fraying should start from where you tore or cut. If it didn't work, repeat the process by making sharper cuts. If you want more noticeable fraying, you can tear or pull a few threads.
- A wire brush, a grater or even a nail file can be useful for fraying a fabric. Alternatively, you can put some stones underneath (or in pockets for example) then scratch on them.
Step 8. Fade the jeans
Don't use bleach though, unless you're an expert. For best results, wash your jeans with detergent, then hang them out to dry in the sun on the straight side; leave them in the sun for about a couple of weeks. Remember to change the place of the clothespins daily (so as not to leave marks) and to rotate the jeans (to prevent them from becoming too light on one side only). The fabric will be stiffened at the end of the two weeks, so wash the jeans in hot water, detergent and some whitening additive. Dry them in the dryer. You can also use fabric softener if you want.
If you intend to use bleach, put on gloves and be very careful because even a single drop is fading; you will also have to work faster, as bleach ruins the fabrics, so the less it will be in contact with the jeans, the better. Lay the jeans on an old towel or dress you no longer use (this will also discolour). If you don't want the back of the legs to be like the front, fill them with plastic sheets or bags to prevent the bleach from getting underneath. Do not spray or pour the bleach directly, use a sponge instead. To create the desired effect, apply it as if it were a brush and try to avoid falling drops. Insist on the areas you want to lighten the most. When you're done on one side, move on to the other. Finally do a normal cold wash in the washing machine, but wash the jeans yourself. Let them dry as you usually do. Alternatively, to get a different effect, you can give the bleach using a rag or a spray bottle (in which case wear protective goggles)
Step 9. Try unusual methods
There are several "extreme" ways to age clothing. While these require more strategy and should be practiced by an adult, they will give spectacular results, as long as you accept that there are no guarantees on the final effect; indeed, it is not even said that your clothes will survive the treatment! Some of these methods are:
- Bring your clothes to the shooting range and practice a little. Shoot a couple of magazines and you will see how your clothes will be crumpled! Try to avoid hinges. Then you just have to wash and wear them.
- Use a powerful steam cleaner. Place the clothes on the floor or against the wall and pass the cleaner.
- Use a hatchet. Hit the clothes from various angles.
- Bury the items in the garden for a few days. Cotton and wool are the fabrics that react best to this treatment. For an even more worn effect (for use on Halloween or some scary disguise), add putrid pond water and leave it there for a couple of months.
- Use clothes to fight with your dog.
- Leave them on the highway for a couple of days.
- Wearing more delicate fabrics, such as leather, rolled in a parking lot, on gravel or otherwise on a rough surface.
Step 10. Make simple repairs
If you broke a major seam as you aged your garment, a Spartan patch or repair will accentuate the vintage effect.
Step 11. Finished
Advice
- If you use sandpaper, you can use a coarser grit for the most resistant areas of the fabric, and a fine grit for the more delicate areas.
- For a slightly yellowed look, you can soak the dress in tea (use enough water and lots of tea bags; the more you use, the darker the color will be). This is also a great way to change the color of your jeans, for example if you think they are too blue, if you are bored with the same color, if your friend has an identical pair, etc.
- When using the razor blade, cut along the texture, not the other way around. You can cut more freely at the end of the leg, where the fabric touches the ground; you could even use scissors in this area, being careful not to cut away too much fabric.
- If you want to modify your clothes for a play or a disguise, a skilful use of paint can be very effective. Inaccurate applications of dye will also impact.
- The heavier the fabric, the harder it will be to age it. Pure cotton jeans and t-shirts are the hardest to treat, but it will also be harder to go wrong.
- Look for shirts at thrift stores. You may find some in good repair and use them for practice.
- Try to buy light-colored jeans. As you get older, they are the ones that look more natural, compared to dark jeans.
- If you overdo it in one place, you can put a patch on it. Don't be too precise: put the first piece you find, even the ones that stick with the iron.
Warnings
- Always test in a small area. This way, the only damage will be what you really want to inflict!
- Only use weapons to modify clothes if you know perfectly well how to handle them and if they are not against the law. (For example, you could ask a friend who goes hunting to shoot.)
- Do not let children use sharp tools and utensils.
- Do not use sandpaper on the kitchen table or other delicate surfaces. Always prefer surfaces that can easily be damaged or discolored.
- Always be very careful when using sharp tools of any kind.
- If in doubt, give it a try before proceeding. Buy used clothes to experiment with rather than ruining something you care about or cost a lot. Once you are confident, you can move on to your bosses.
- If you don't tell your friends how you did it, they certainly won't be able to copy you.
- Empty your pockets of coins, rocks, etc., or you'll ruin your washer or dryer.
